Why I Moved from Spotify to Apple Music

[kingcrown0107]

I am Japanese and used a translation, so it may seem strange.

After canceling Spotify Premium and spending some time without it, I decided to switch to another platform. I didn’t find many first-hand accounts like this, so I’m sharing mine in case it helps. To be clear, I want Spotify to improve.

1) Low payout to creators

Multiple reports indicate that Spotify’s share to creators is comparatively low among major music streaming services. The gap with Apple Music was disheartening. As a fan who cares about supporting artists, that gap weakens my incentive to keep using Spotify.

2) No royalties for tracks under 1,000 annual plays

This looks related to #1 but is a different issue. Because Spotify withholds royalties for tracks that get fewer than 1,000 plays per year, some distributors have begun removing those tracks. That undermines the ecosystem where lesser-known independent creators can grow. Artists I support have been affected. I understand the intent to curb artificial plays (bots, white noise, etc.), but I still wonder whether AI-assisted checks at upload/review time could stop abuse without penalizing legitimate small artists. Fighting fraud and failing to pay minors fairly are separate problems, and I can’t accept conflating them.

3) Misfired advertising

After I canceled Premium, the ads pushing me to re-subscribe felt off. One example claims you can’t play music in a place with no signal, as if streaming were the only way music exists. But music fundamentally has a primary source—like live instruments. Framing music as equivalent to streaming feels context-blind and, frankly, presumptuous.

For these reasons I left Spotify Premium and moved to Apple Music. The primary driver was the creator payout issue. Even if it’s hard to fix right away, that’s not a reason to delay switching. I sincerely hope Spotify improves.

[vaajy]

One person who moved to Apple Music in my country, he is active on Threads, already is back to Spotify Premium. He left for basically the same reasons as you and he owns everything Apple. There is simple no alternative. On the other hand I left Spotify in 2016 for Google Music after paying Premium since 2009 continuously.

I came back after one or two year in french service, which was good at first until you see the product in use. It was not good enough for me. Slow updated, many bugs still not fixed. Now I am at Spotify since 3 to 4 years and will not change as the price is 10 euros only when getting Gift cards at local stores. It simply works, even if I do not like everything in this app. Now I have big deal in life. I need to make money enough. I need to get rid at least.

One 10 euro payment out monthly. It is either Spotify or 10 euro donation. I got rid of the second one.

There's still 10 euro donation going even after that a month. My next step is to make expenses lower by using budget products. There is no way I can afford 2,50 € tooth paste tube 75 ml when you can grab at half price half more tooth paste from cheap brand. I am so tired of everything going up. I even stopped traveling, even in my country, few trips on my mountain bike is enough to give me trips.