Is YouTube Music Better Than Spotify? My Honest Review After Switching

I’ve been a loyal Spotify user since I got my iPhone. From blasting my favourite tracks to winding down with a podcast, Spotify was my go-to app for everything audio, and when they introduced music videos? I thought, This is perfect. I didn’t even consider switching because Spotify seemed to have everything I wanted in a streaming platform.

So why did I make the switch? Honestly, two reasons: curiosity and frustration.

I’m a massive YouTube consumer. Apart from music videos, I’m always watching beauty tutorials, skincare deep dives with dermatologists, “Get Ready With Me” vlogs, and even the occasional Nollywood movie on YouTube. The most annoying thing about YouTube is that the moment you leave the app, your video stops. Imagine trying to enjoy concert videos on YouTube while responding to WhatsApp messages; that’s practically impossible.

So if I love YouTube this much, why not try YouTube Music? One subscription would give me access to both YouTube Music and ad-free YouTube, as well as background play. It sounded like a win-win situation. 

I decided to give YouTube Music one full month, not just to check features but to truly integrate it into my daily life and see if it could replace Spotify.

For context, what matters most to me in a music platform is sound quality (I want to hear every beat possible), and recommendations (because nothing beats finding a new favourite from an algorithm that gets you).

Here’s what I noticed: the good, the bad, and everything in between.

1. Ease of Switching & First Impressions

Switching to a new app always feels like a hassle because you have to create an account, set up your preferences, and rebuild your playlists… except with YouTube Music, I didn’t have to do any of that.

The moment I opened the app, it already knew me and the type of music I like because it pulls from my YouTube history. The recommendations were instantly spot-on, pulling from the music videos, live performances, and music videos I binge on YouTube. That alone made the onboarding experience easy compared to Spotify, where you start with a blank slate unless you import playlists.

The homepage was packed with options, and not in a cluttered way, more like an “I see you, and I know what you like” way. Here’s what stood out:

• Speed Dial: A snapshot of my latest YouTube searches, including songs and videos.

• Quick Picks: Tracks I’ve been replaying a lot.

• Forgotten Favourites: Old videos I loved months or even years ago.

• Radios for You: Artist-based mixes with similar-sounding tracks.

• Mixed for You: Vibe-based playlists. For example, I’m a big Beyoncé fan and I have a mix on YouTube, which includes her dance tracks with other similar artists like Rihanna, Doja Cat, and Megan Thee Stallion.

• Genre Sections: Entirely dedicated sections like K-pop, Afrobeats, Pop Hits, etc.

• Recap Playlists: Seasonal breakdowns of your most-played tracks over the span of three each. For example, I have a Recap Playlist of December to February 2025 and March to April 2025.

And then, the killer feature for me: Live Performances section and Long Listens, which contain Full-length concert videos, uninterrupted. Finally, I could enjoy Beyoncé’s Cowboy Carter Tour set without having to stay on the app. You can even create custom playlists for these performances, and this alone made the app worth it to me.

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Spotify’s library is huge, no question, but YouTube Music feels limitless because it has the advantage of being able to find rare tracks. If you’ve ever looked for an unreleased snippet of an artist's song, or a song from a film soundtrack that never made it to streaming platforms, nine times out of ten it’s on YouTube. And if it’s on YouTube, then it’s on YouTube Music automatically. That means you can stream: 

• Unreleased/leaked tracks.

• Live performances.

• Movie soundtracks that never made it to Spotify.

• Obscure remixes and fan-made covers.

When it comes to recommendations, YouTube Music feels smarter and more intuitive.

For Spotify, it sometimes throws in random songs that don’t fit your current vibe, even inside curated playlists. It sometimes feels like they’re trying to push certain artists' music to you by force. YouTube Music, on the other hand, nails the mood. When you play a song, swipe up, and you’ll see:

• Up Next: Similar tracks queued automatically.

• Related: Deeper suggestions within the same vibe.

I spent hours cleaning the house while YouTube Music kept a consistent playlist without me needing to skip a single track, which I find impressive.

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Spotify built its reputation on playlists like Discover Weekly and Release Radar, and they’re still solid. But over time, I noticed something: these playlists sometimes feel… forced. Almost like they’re shoving certain songs in my face, and the new AI DJ didn’t help much. It plays a rotation of your recent favourites with a robotic voiceover, which sounds cool at first but later feels unnecessary. 

YouTube Music feels more authentic in this regard. Aside from algorithm-based playlists, it gives you:

• Community Playlists: Curated by real users who share your taste.

• Custom Mixes: Based on your YouTube history and streaming habits.

• Mood-Based Playlists: Feel Good, Energise, Relax, Party, Romance, Workout, Focus, Sleep, you name it.

This mix of machine learning and community input makes the experience more organic on YouTube Music. 

Both Spotify and YouTube Music have excellent sound quality, especially on premium plans. Although I noticed that YouTube Music sounds slightly richer. Maybe it’s the audio mastering, but background beats and layered harmonies feel more pronounced.

On YouTube Music, you can adjust the audio streaming quality for both Wi-Fi and mobile data, with options like Low, Normal, High, and Always High. I kept mine on Always High, which gives you the best possible sound. Listening to my favourite tracks, I noticed that YouTube Music sometimes feels a bit richer and more layered.

Instruments like background strings, soft beats, and harmonies pop out more. It could be because of the way songs are uploaded and processed on YouTube. Some tracks might use high-resolution sources, which can sound closer to what you’d hear in a studio.

Spotify Premium also lets you tweak your quality settings: Low, Normal, High, and Very High. I used Very High throughout, and the sound was crisp, consistent, and clean across all tracks. If you’re using good headphones or speakers, you’ll appreciate Spotify’s smooth balance. Compared to YouTube Music, though, 

I can hear the artist’s voice louder, but not exactly the beat and background music better. 

So which one is better? YouTube Music has a slight edge in richness, while Spotify offers cleaner, more consistent playback

However, Spotify is better in terms of offline downloads. It’s faster and more efficient, while YouTube Music takes longer to download tracks and is heavier on storage. 

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Spotify shines with its Wrapped, Jam Sessions, and lyrics display. I haven’t used YouTube Music long enough to know if they have a Wrapped equivalent, but what I do love is the seamless switch between video and audio. 

Spotify’s best features:

• Spotify Wrapped (a cultural phenomenon every December).

• AI DJ (though it gets gimmicky after a while).

• Jam Group Sessions.

YouTube Music’s best features:

• Seamless switch between audio and video (tap to watch the music video).

• Comments and likes on tracks (just like YouTube).

• Access to remixes, live versions, and concert videos.

• Integration with YouTube Premium for ad-free videos.

For me, the ability to watch and listen without switching apps makes me use and appreciate the app even more. 

6. Price and Value for Money

Here’s the breakdown of Spotify and YouTube Music subscription prices as of August 2025. 

Spotify:

• Premium: Free for 3 months, then ₦1,600/month.

• Duo: ₦2,100/month.

• Family: ₦2,500/month.

• Student: ₦800/month.

YouTube Music (via YouTube Premium):

• Individual: ₦1,700/month.

• Family: ₦2,800/month.

• You also get ad-free YouTube + background play, which makes it a two-in-one deal.

For ₦1,700, you get ad-free YouTube, background play, and YouTube Music. That’s a strong value proposition, especially if you’re already a heavy YouTube user like me.

7. Daily Life Integration

YouTube Music uses more data and drains your battery a little faster, especially when streaming videos. Spotify feels lighter overall, but in terms of daily usage, I found myself opening YouTube Music more often because it syncs perfectly with my YouTube. 

If I’m watching a video and want to keep listening, it’s seamless. If I want to enjoy live performances or discover rare tracks, it’s all there on YouTube Music.

8. The Downsides

As much as I’m starting to enjoy YouTube Music, it’s not perfect. My biggest annoyance with the app is that you can’t tap on a song title to go straight to its album. You have to search manually, which feels old-fashioned. Spotify is still better for neat organisation and accessing different sections faster. 

Meanwhile, my main issue with Spotify is that the AI-heavy recommendations and forced playlist placements make it feel less personal these days.

Where to Get Spotify and YouTube Music

If you’re ready to try either platform, getting the apps is easy.

Spotify: Available for Android users on the Google Play Store and for iPhone users on the App Store. You can also use Spotify on desktop via their website or the desktop app for Windows and macOS.

YouTube Music: Available on both platforms: Google Play Store for Android and the App Store for iOS users. If you prefer, you can stream directly from the YouTube Music website on your computer.

Both apps are free to download, but you’ll need a premium subscription for ad-free listening, offline downloads, and extra features.

Finally, Spotify will always have a special place in my heart, but for now? I’m sticking with YouTube Music. The integration with YouTube, live performances, and better recommendations sealed the deal for me. Will I ever go back to Spotify? Maybe someday. But for now, YouTube Music feels like home.