I tried Apple Music, but I came back to Spotify with one of its features.

I recently made a significant switch from Spotify to Apple Music, seeking a less stressful experience. Despite being quite fond of Apple Music, I found myself returning to Spotify two months later. The reason was that a certain feature was missing.

Why I Tried Apple Music

I have been a long-time Spotify user and had expressed considerable dissatisfaction with the service in the past, but it seemed to align with how I listen to music. However, late last year, I felt a slight shift.

For some time, I was unhappy with how often Spotify repeated the same number of songs. It felt more like a summary of what Spotify recommended for the year than a true reflection of my personal taste. Furthermore, the 2024 summary lacked something essential—demonstrating what happens when human creativity is replaced by AI.

"That's why I had an unpleasant taste in my mouth this year. I thought it was time to seriously try Apple Music and swapped Spotify for Apple Music on my smartphone home screen and Mac dock. I also selected Apple Music as the default music service on Google's smart speaker and display. I completely immersed myself in it."

Why I Returned to Spotify

"Well, when I returned to Spotify almost two months ago, I was walking on eggshells. I wished Apple Music would be as much of a hit as it had been for me, and some parts were. However, there is one significant issue with Apple Music: Spotify Connect"

As a long-time Spotify user, you might not consciously think about what Spotify Connect is or why it's great. This was the first time I considered that the feature actually existed. Simply put, Spotify Connect allows all Spotify instances running on an account to communicate with each other.

For example, imagine listening to Spotify on your phone for most of the day. However, eventually, you sit down at a computer and start listening there. There's a green bar at the bottom of the desktop app that says "Playing from Phone Name," synchronizing it with what you're playing on your phone. Clicking on the device icon allows you to move the music to the computer, ensuring a smooth transition without the song cutting off. This is what Spotify Connect does and it's very convenient.

Apple Music lacks this feature. The desktop app has no idea what's happening in the smartphone app, and vice versa. If you want to continue something on another device, you have to manually search for it again. This applies to smart speakers as well. This might have been the most annoying part for me. With Spotify, saying "Hey Google, play music" moves the speaker to whatever is currently playing without interruption. However, with Apple Music, doing the same thing starts a random playlist.

"For people who frequently switch devices, Apple Music can be difficult. Why do each device need separate playback lists and history? After searching online, I realized that many others are in the same situation."

I don't understand why Apple chose this method. My initial thought was that Spotify holds a patent on this feature. However, other services like Tidal and Sonos also have their own versions. This suggests that there are no legal or technical restrictions preventing it. And what I truly hope for is new subscribers to Apple Music.