How much is Apple Music on Android?
Apple Music is a music and video streaming service developed by Apple Inc. It was announced on June 8, 2015 and officially launched on June 30, 2015 [1]. Apple Music provides users access to over 90 million songs, 30,000 playlists, music videos, live radio stations, and more.
Initially, Apple Music was only available on iOS devices. But on November 10, 2015, Apple launched the Apple Music app for Android, making the service available across both iOS and Android platforms [2]. This allowed Android users to subscribe to Apple Music and access the full features and content library.
Apple Music Subscription Options
Apple Music offers a few different subscription options to meet the needs of individuals and families. Here are the details on pricing for each plan:
Individual Plan
The individual Apple Music plan costs $9.99 per month. This gives you access to Apple Music’s full catalog of over 90 million songs, thousands of playlists, music videos, livestreams, and more. You can stream music on demand, download songs for offline listening, get customized playlists and recommendations, and listen across all your devices. There are no ads on the individual plan.
There is also an annual individual plan for $99 per year, which saves you about $20 compared to paying monthly. This requires a one-year commitment to the service.
Family Plan
Apple Music’s family plan allows up to 6 people to share one subscription, with each getting their own separate Apple Music account and recommendations. This plan costs $14.99 per month and allowsfamily members to all stream at the same time.
The annual family plan is $149 per year, saving you around $36 compared to the monthly price.
Student Plan
For students in college or university, Apple Music offers a discounted plan. The student subscription is $4.99 per month and provides full access to Apple Music with no ads. You need to verify your student status to be eligible.
There is no annual discounted rate for students.
How to Get Apple Music on Android
Getting Apple Music on your Android device is simple. First, you need to download the Apple Music app from the Google Play Store. To do this, open the Play Store app on your Android device and search for “Apple Music.” The official Apple Music app should be the first result. Tap on it to go to the app page, then tap “Install” to download it (1).
Once the Apple Music app is installed, open it and either sign up for a new Apple ID account or log in with your existing Apple ID. If you don’t already have an Apple ID, you can create one for free during the Apple Music sign up process. You’ll need to provide your name, email address and other basic info to create your account (2).
After logging in or signing up, you’ll have full access to Apple Music on your Android device. You can browse through recommendations, search for artists or albums, and start streaming music right away.
Features on Android
Apple Music offers a rich set of features on Android that enable you to stream music, download songs and albums for offline listening, create playlists, and listen to radio stations (Apple Music for Android Just Got Better – TIME). Some of the key features include:
Streaming – You can stream over 90 million songs from the Apple Music catalog on demand. This gives you access to a huge library of music on your Android device.
Downloads – You can download any song, album or playlist for offline listening when you don’t have an internet connection. Downloads are available on up to 5 devices.
Playlists – Create customized playlists to match your mood or activity. Apple Music makes intelligent recommendations to add relevant songs to your playlists.
Radio stations – Apple Music Radio provides access to live radio stations covering different genres like hip hop, pop, country and more. You can also listen to Beats 1 live radio.
Overall, the Apple Music app provides Android users with a robust set of streaming and listening features comparable to what iPhone users get. You have full access to Apple Music’s catalog and personalization capabilities right from your Android device.
Sound Quality
Apple Music offers high quality audio streaming and downloads on both iOS and Android devices. For streaming, Apple Music uses the AAC audio codec at 256kbps, which provides CD-quality audio that is superior to lossy formats like MP3 1.
For downloading songs in Apple Music on Android, users have the option to download in lossless ALAC format at 16-bit/44.1 kHz. This provides uncompressed CD-quality audio. Downloaded lossless songs take up significantly more storage space on a device compared to smaller AAC files, but provide the highest fidelity listening experience 2.
Apple Music also offers Hi-Res Lossless audio at up to 24-bit/192 kHz for an even higher resolution experience on compatible devices. However, Hi-Res Lossless is not currently supported on the Android version of Apple Music.
Device Compatibility
Apple Music is compatible with most modern Android smartphones and tablets running Android 5.0 or later. This includes flagship devices from top manufacturers like Samsung, Google, LG, Motorola, OnePlus, and more.
According to Apple’s system requirements, Apple Music on Android requires a device with an ARMv7 or newer processor, 1GB of RAM, Bluetooth 4.0 or later, and Android version 5.0 or newer. Older devices may not be supported.
Some of the most popular Android phones and tablets confirmed to work with Apple Music include:
- Samsung Galaxy S series (S10 and newer)
- Samsung Galaxy Note series (Note 8 and newer)
- Google Pixel series
- OnePlus 8 series
- LG G series (G6 and newer)
- Motorola Moto G series (G6 and newer)
Android smartphone users on OS versions as old as 5.0 Lollipop from 2014 should be able to install and use Apple Music without issues. However, for the best experience, it’s recommended to use a modern Android phone running Android 9 or later.
According to Apple Music Android Release Date Details, Apple Music may not work properly on every single Android model. But generally, most flagship and mid-range Android devices from the past 5 years should fully support the app and service.
Limitations on Android
Compared to iPhone users, Android users experience some limitations when using Apple Music. One of the biggest limitations is the lack of Android Auto support, which means you cannot access Apple Music directly through your car’s infotainment system like you can with Spotify or other music services [1]. This makes it less convenient to control playback and switch between songs while driving.
Another missing feature is Siri integration. There’s no option to invoke Siri for hands-free commands like you can on iPhone. You’ll have to manually tap buttons in the app for all your controls. Android users also miss out on the seamless integration between Apple Music and features like Airplay which allow wireless streaming to speakers.
While the core Apple Music experience is similar across platforms, Android users may feel limited by the lack of deep OS-level integrations. However, Apple has made strides in recent years to improve the Android app with features like offline downloads and equalizer support [2]. So while some key capabilities are still exclusive to iPhone, Apple Music aims to provide a robust experience on both platforms.
How it Compares to Spotify, YouTube Music
When it comes to the major music streaming services, Apple Music faces stiff competition from Spotify and YouTube Music in areas like price, library size, and features.
In terms of price, Apple Music costs $9.99/month for an individual plan, the same as Spotify, while YouTube Music is slightly cheaper at $9.99/month. Both Spotify and YouTube Music offer free ad-supported tiers, which Apple Music lacks. However, Apple Music does provide more value for families with its $14.99/month family plan for up to 6 users, compared to Spotify’s $15.99/month for up to 6 users.
For library size, Spotify currently has the largest catalog of songs with over 82 million tracks, followed by Apple Music with over 75 million songs, and YouTube Music with over 60 million official songs. However, all three have expansive libraries that satisfy most listener’s needs.
When it comes to features, Spotify excels in social sharing and music discovery through playlists and recommendations. Apple Music showcases high-quality lossless audio, music videos, and exclusives like new album drops. YouTube Music uniquely leverages YouTube’s vast catalog of remixes, covers, and live performances. But all three offer similar core functionality like offline listening, curated playlists, radio stations, and customized recommendations.
Overall, choosing between the big three streaming services comes down to personal preferences around price, sound quality, and special features. Apple Music can compete well with its lossless audio, sizable catalog, and competitive pricing. But Spotify and YouTube Music also have their perks for subscribers.
Tips for Using Apple Music on Android
Here are some helpful tips for getting the most out of Apple Music on your Android device:
Enable downloads – You can download songs, albums, and playlists for offline listening in the Apple Music app settings. This is great for when you won’t have an internet connection.
Use Siri – If you have AirPods, you can use Siri to control playback, skip tracks, adjust volume, and more by holding down on one of the AirPod stems to activate Siri.
Create smart playlists – Use filters like genre, decade, mood, etc. to automatically generate smart playlists tailored to your preferences.
Follow friends – You can follow friends and see what they are listening to if they choose to share their activity.
Use Android Auto – Apple Music works with Android Auto so you can access it easily in your car.
Cast to speakers – Cast Apple Music to Google Cast-enabled speakers directly from the app.
Enable audio quality settings – You can adjust audio quality in settings to prioritize higher quality streaming or smaller file sizes.
Use Siri shortcuts – Create custom Siri shortcuts on your Android device to quickly play your favorite playlists, albums etc.
Summary
Apple Music for Android offers access to over 90 million songs on demand for $4.99/month for Students, $9.99/month for Individuals, and $14.99/month for Families (up to 6 accounts). An Android device running Android 5 or later is required. Key features like playlists, radio stations, music videos, lyrics, Dolby Atmos, and Lossless audio are available on Android. However, Spatial Audio is not supported. Apple Music on Android doesn’t offer offline downloads or Android Auto integration like Spotify does.
Overall, Apple Music provides a similar experience on Android as it does on iPhone, with a huge catalog of songs, personalized playlists, and social features. While it’s not quite as seamless on Android compared to iPhone, it can still be a great option for Android users who want access to Apple’s music service and features.