Choosing the right music streaming service for your needs can be tricky, as there are plenty of options to choose from. In my opinion, that decision has just been made easier than ever thanks to a tantalising offer from Apple Music, which gives you three whole months of access for just AU$1.99. That’s not AU$1.99 per month, but for all three — which is insane value if you ask me.
I’ve been using Apple Music for the last 10 years, ever since it launched in 2015, and I’ve never seen a reason to switch. It has a huge library of songs — over 100 million, in fact — and offers easy access to Lossless audio and Dolby Atmos spatial audio at no extra cost. Throw in a number of other enticing features, including music videos, exclusive album drops and DJ mixes, a raft of global radio stations (including some not available anywhere else), and a simply gorgeous, intuitive UX, and you have what can only be described as a near-perfect service.
A worthy investment
What makes Apple Music even more appealing, in my opinion, is the low ongoing cost of AU$12.99 p/m for an Individual plan. The comparable option from Spotify costs more at AU$15.99 p/m, and while this does include access to a range of audiobooks, I don’t personally feel it offers enough to justify the higher price.
The one area where I do have to give Spotify credit, however, is its ‘Connect’ feature. This lets you cast audio to a range of speakers and AV components, which then stream music directly over the internet. Your phone, tablet or computer acts purely as a controller for selecting songs.
Apple Music doesn’t have a similar Connect feature, relying instead on the widely supported AirPlay. While this works seamlessly, I don’t believe the quality of the transmission is quite as good. For everyday listening it’s perfectly usable — it’s just that Spotify Connect is technically superior.
If you’re interested in learning more about the quality of music playback via wireless transmission, you can check out an in-depth case study from my colleagues at What Hi-Fi?
Spatial sounds
Another big drawcard for Apple Music is its extensive support for Dolby Atmos music. The easiest way to listen in the spatial audio format is with a pair of AirPods, or via an Apple TV 4K connected to an Atmos-supporting sound system — including the best soundbars.
To be honest, I’m not totally sold on Atmos music. I’ve realised I prefer a more direct approach to playback, especially when listening through my AirPods Pro 3. I do occasionally enjoy it through a Sonos home theatre system, but it’s not something I use often.
If you’re keen to subscribe to Apple Music for its Atmos playback however, then my colleague Rowan Davies has recently penned an article detailing his top 5 Dolby Atmos albums for newcomers.
Considering Apple Music is just AU$1.99 for three months right now, it presents the perfect opportunity to take Dolby Atmos music for a spin.
As mentioned, this offer — available to new subscribers only — is live until May 29.
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