5 reasons I broke up with Spotify, and the streamer that won me over instead

Name value is a big factor in getting somebody to sign up for a service, and is a big reason why Spotify is as ubiquitous as it is. There are quite a few alternatives to the platform, and you might’ve heard of names like Apple Music and Tidal, but there’s another, perhaps lesser-known option you can consider.

YouTube Music Premium is a completely underrated service if you’re looking for a way to stream music. One of the biggest reasons to stick with a particular streaming service is not wanting to leave behind your carefully curated algorithm, but if you’re looking for a switchup, YouTube Music Premium is worth your shot. A quick glance at the service shows it has quite a bit to offer, but you’ll need to stick with it for a little to get the algorithm tailored toward your listening preferences.

Here are just some of the factors that went into my decision to switch from Spotify to YouTube Music Premium, and they might just sway you, too.

1 A lower price

It’s cheaper than Spotify

What might be surprising to hear is that YouTube Music Premium comes in at a lower price than Spotify. A base YouTube Music Premium subscription costs $10.99 a month, while a Spotify Premium plan starts at $11.99. It’s just a difference of a dollar, but that’s a big difference for some people. With streaming services constantly raising their prices, saving a dollar here and there can be a big boon.

A YouTube Premium Music subscription is also included with YouTube Premium, but going down that path raises the price to $13.99. The appeal here is getting ad-free viewing on YouTube on top of your music. If you don’t watch a lot of YouTube, it’s probably not worth springing for, but it’s a nice benefit for people who like listening to music and browsing YouTube. Students can drop the price all the way down to $5.49 a month, and there’s also an annual plan available for $110. There are ways to get Premium for cheaper, so that’s worth looking into.

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2 Videos are included with the subscription

Some visual flair

While music is the main draw, YouTube Music Premium offers an advantage over other streaming services by giving access to videos too. This makes a lot of sense considering YouTube is a video platform, but if you’re ever bored with strictly audio-only listening, you can switch to watching videos. It’s a nice touch that adds a little bit of incentive to using YouTube over other music streaming services.

There are a lot of songs uploaded on YouTube that come attached with music videos, so there’s a long library to dig through. If you get tired of watching videos, you can swap back to an audio-only mode with the touch of a button.

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3 YouTube Music Premium has a wide selection of offerings

Lots and lots of music

Streaming services typically have all the popular music readily available, but YouTube has a long list of content readily available. The big bonus here is user-uploaded content can be listened to, so it gives you a good chance to catch a live performance even if it was never uploaded officially by the artist. Typically, this means lower quality, but it’s still a nice touch.

This gives you the chance to find some real deep cuts that might not be available on streaming services due to age or rights issues. Whatever the case, if you can think of it, and somebody uploaded it, you can listen to it on YouTube Music Premium. Songs uploaded without an artist’s permission are prone to copyright strikes though, so what’s here today might not be here tomorrow.

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4 You can upload your own music

Build up your library

If you have some old CDs you want to rip onto your PC to then upload to a YouTube music playlist, you can do that. The steps to make this happen are simple and easy to understand, and if you have already ripped the songs, the hard part is over.

1. Go to music.youtube.com.
2. Click your profile icon.
3. Select “Upload music” and pick the songs you want to upload.

If you’re an artist, this is especially handy as you can use this method and put your self-made music on the platform for people to listen to. It’s a nice touch that gives you access to more music than other services, and the process of making it happen isn’t all that difficult.

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5 A better algorithm, at least, according to some

Your mileage may vary

Depending on who you ask, you’ll hear the YouTube Music Premium algorithm is better than Spotify’s. Some people swear this is the case, but there are so many factors that go into a healthy algorithm. You won’t notice a perfect algorithm after a day, and that’s why it’s important to stick with a service for a while so it can get a good sense of what you like to listen to.

This might ultimately come down to personal preference, but if you’re a fan of how the regular YouTube algorithm works for you, then the odds are good that you will like what the YouTube Music algorithm looks like. Having a good algorithm hits different for people looking to branch out and listen to new music. If you already know your favorite artists, then having a good algorithm isn’t as important as it is for others.

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