Apple Music and Spotify now cost exactly the same in India — ₹139 a month for the standard plan, ₹69 a month for students. So the price no longer decides it. What decides it is sound quality, discovery, podcasts and the device in your pocket. This guide compares Apple Music vs Spotify on the things that actually matter for Indian buyers — audio quality, catalogue, features and the real price of each, including the store deals — so you can pick the right one instead of paying for both.
Key takeaways
- Both services cost ₹139 a month for the standard plan and ₹69 a month for students in India, after Spotify's price cut and Apple's July 2026 rise.
- Apple Music includes lossless audio and Spatial Audio with Dolby Atmos at no extra cost; Spotify Standard tops out at 320 kbps, and lossless needs the ₹299-a-month Platinum tier.
- Spotify is better at discovery and podcasts — Discover Weekly, Wrapped and its recommendation engine are still ahead of Apple Music.
- Apple Music's Family plan covers six people for ₹229 a month; Spotify no longer sells a Family plan in India, and its Platinum tier covers three people for ₹299.
- Both catalogues have more than 100 million tracks, so catalogue size does not decide the choice.
- On OTTBazaar, Spotify Premium is ₹400 for a year (about ₹33 a month) and Apple Music is ₹250 for six months (about ₹42 a month) — Spotify is the cheaper buy per month.
What are Apple Music and Spotify?
Apple Music is Apple's streaming service and Spotify is the world's largest streaming service — both offer more than 100 million songs, ad-free listening and offline downloads, and both cost ₹139 a month for the standard plan in India. They are the two default music apps for most people, and the choice between them is less about the music itself — both have essentially everything — and more about how each one sounds, finds new music, and fits your devices.
Apple Music is built for Apple devices: it is pre-installed on iPhones, works natively with Siri, AirPods and the Apple Watch, and includes Apple Music Classical for classical listeners. Spotify is built to be everywhere: it works on Android, iOS, Windows, smart speakers and cars, and its social features — shared playlists, collaborative listening and seeing what friends play — are a core part of the product. The rest of this guide compares them head to head so the differences are clear before you pay for either.
Why do they cost the same now?
Because the two companies moved in opposite directions in 2026 and met in the middle. Apple raised its India prices in July 2026 — Individual from ₹119 to ₹139, Family from ₹179 to ₹229, Student from ₹59 to ₹69. Spotify cut its India prices in 2026 — Standard from ₹199 to ₹139, Student from ₹99 to ₹69 — and replaced its Family plan with a new Platinum tier. The result is that the standard plan on both services is now ₹139 a month, and the student plan on both is ₹69 a month.
That convergence is useful for buyers: it means you can choose on features instead of price. But the official price is only half the story, because the store deals change the maths completely. On OTTBazaar, Spotify Premium is ₹400 for a full year — about ₹33 a month — and Apple Music is ₹250 for six months — about ₹42 a month. Both are far below the official ₹139, and on the store, Spotify is the cheaper of the two per month. Our cheap Spotify guide and cheap Apple Music guide show the full maths for each.
Which has better audio quality?
Apple Music has better audio quality at the base price, because lossless audio and Spatial Audio with Dolby Atmos are included in every plan at no extra cost. Spotify's Standard plan tops out at 320 kbps, which is good but not lossless, and Spotify only offers lossless audio on its Platinum tier at ₹299 a month — more than double the Standard price.
Does the difference matter to you? On a phone speaker or cheap earphones, honestly, no — you will not hear it. On good wired earphones, a decent pair of headphones, or a home speaker, the difference is audible: lossless audio carries more detail, and Spatial Audio adds a sense of space to supported tracks. If you own AirPods or other good headphones and you listen attentively, Apple Music gives you the better sound for the same ₹139. If you mostly listen on a phone speaker or in the car, audio quality should not decide your choice — discovery and features matter more, and that is where Spotify pulls ahead.
Which is better for discovery, playlists and podcasts?
Spotify is better for discovery, playlists and podcasts. Its recommendation engine is the best in the business: Discover Weekly and Release Radar consistently find music you actually like, Wrapped turns your year of listening into a shareable story, and its social features — collaborative playlists, shared listening sessions and seeing what friends play — make music a shared activity rather than a solo one.
Apple Music is not bad at discovery — its personalised playlists and radio stations are solid, and it has exclusive releases and music videos Spotify does not — but its recommendations feel less personal and its social features are thinner. The podcast gap is bigger: Spotify is a major podcast platform with a huge exclusive catalogue, while Apple Music does not carry podcasts at all (Apple puts them in a separate app). If podcasts are part of your daily listening, that alone can settle the choice. If you mainly play your own library and albums, the gap matters less. Readers comparing the other music app should also see Spotify vs YouTube Music.
Apple Music vs Spotify: price in India
Officially the two cost the same for a single listener, but the family and yearly options differ — and the store deals make Spotify the cheaper buy.
| Plan | Apple Music | Spotify |
|---|---|---|
| Standard / Individual (monthly) | ₹139/month | ₹139/month |
| Student (monthly) | ₹69/month (includes Apple TV+) | ₹69/month |
| Family / household | ₹229/month (6 people) | No Family plan in India; Platinum ₹299/month (3 people, lossless) |
| Yearly (official) | ₹1,399/year (Individual) | ₹1,390/year (Standard prepaid) |
| Intro offer | First month free for new subscribers | ₹99 for 3 months, then ₹139/month (ends 15 Dec 2026) |
| OTTBazaar deal | ₹250 for 6 months (about ₹42/month) | ₹400 for 1 year (about ₹33/month) |
Two details in the table matter. First, Apple Music's Family plan is the better household deal: ₹229 a month covers six people, about ₹38 each, while Spotify's replacement — Platinum at ₹299 — covers only three people and is the only Spotify tier with lossless audio. If you share with family, Apple Music wins on price per person. Second, the store deals flip the single-listener maths: Spotify at ₹400 a year (about ₹33 a month) is cheaper per month than Apple Music at ₹250 for six months (about ₹42 a month), even though the official prices are identical. Both store deals are far below official billing, so either way you save — the question is which app you will actually open every day.
Which should you buy?
Buy Apple Music if you own Apple devices and care about sound quality; buy Spotify if you care about discovery, podcasts and sharing music with friends. That is the honest one-line answer, and it holds for most people.
Choose Apple Music if you use an iPhone, AirPods or an Apple Watch daily, if you listen on good headphones, or if you share with family — the Family plan at ₹229 for six people is the best household value of the two. Choose Spotify if you love discovering new music, listen to podcasts, or share playlists with friends — and if you want the cheapest deal on the store, since ₹400 for a year is about ₹33 a month. Students pay ₹69 a month on either service, so the price does not decide it for them either. If you genuinely cannot decide, get the cheaper one first — Spotify at ₹400 a year — and switch later; your playlists can be moved with free transfer tools, and neither service locks you in.
How to buy Apple Music or Spotify cheap in India
Order from the OTTBazaar store — Apple Music is ₹250 for six months (delivered to your own email) and Spotify Premium is ₹400 for one year (a new account). Pay by UPI and confirm on WhatsApp at +91 93660 77306. See how buying works for the full steps, and our Spotify new-account guide for how the Spotify delivery works.
Before you pay any seller, run the checks in our safe-buying guide: a genuine seller never asks for your password or OTP, states the price upfront, and has a real support contact. Be wary of any music deal that asks for your account password, promises a lifetime subscription for a similar price, or has no way to contact the seller afterwards.
What to do next
Decide on one question: do you listen more for sound quality or for discovery? Sound quality means Apple Music at ₹250 for six months. Discovery, podcasts and sharing mean Spotify Premium at ₹400 for a year. If you share with family, Apple Music's ₹229 Family plan is the better household deal — but the store's single-listener deals are cheaper than either official family option. Buy the one you will open daily; that is the only test that matters.
Conclusion
Apple Music and Spotify both cost ₹139 a month officially in India, and both have more than 100 million songs — so the choice is about features, not price. Apple Music wins on audio quality, with lossless and Spatial Audio included, and on family sharing at ₹229 for six people. Spotify wins on discovery, playlists and podcasts, and on the store it is the cheaper buy at ₹400 for a year, about ₹33 a month against Apple Music's ₹42. Pick the one that matches how you listen, and order it from the OTTBazaar store — UPI or WhatsApp, no password needed.
Frequently asked questions
Which is better, Apple Music or Spotify?
Apple Music is better for sound quality (lossless and Spatial Audio included) and for Apple device owners; Spotify is better for discovery, playlists, podcasts and social features. Both cost ₹139 a month officially in India, so choose by how you listen, not by price.
How much do Apple Music and Spotify cost in India?
Both cost ₹139 a month for the standard plan and ₹69 a month for students. Apple Music Family is ₹229 a month for six people; Spotify has no Family plan in India, and its Platinum tier is ₹299 a month for three people with lossless audio. On OTTBazaar, Spotify is ₹400 a year and Apple Music is ₹250 for six months. Prices were checked on 12 November 2026.
Does Spotify have lossless audio in India?
Only on the Platinum tier at ₹299 a month, which also covers up to three accounts and adds AI DJ and AI playlists. The Standard plan at ₹139 a month tops out at 320 kbps. Apple Music includes lossless audio in every plan at no extra cost.
Can I switch from Spotify to Apple Music later?
Yes. Your playlists can be moved with free transfer tools, and neither service locks you in. If you are unsure, start with the cheaper store deal — Spotify at ₹400 a year — and switch later if you miss Apple Music's sound quality.