Apple Music set to overtake Spotify in America


Apple Music is on track to have more U.S. subscribers than its main competitor, Spotify, by this summer, The Wall Street Journal reports. While Sweden-based Spotify continues to dominate the global music streaming market, Apple has seen a monthly growth rate of 5 percent in America, versus Spotify's 2 percent.
Part of Apple Music's successful push in the U.S. stems from the service coming preloaded on all of the company's devices, including iPhones and Apple Watches. When Apple Music's free and discounted trial users are factored in, the service has actually already surpassed Spotify in the States, although "neither company publicly breaks out figures for the U.S. or any other single market," the Journal writes.
Both services cost $9.99 a month, with Spotify also offering a free version and a catalog of 30 million songs. Apple Music has a slightly bigger library, with 45 million songs. Spotify has almost twice as many subscribers worldwide compared to Apple, 70 million as opposed to 36 million.
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Jeva Lange was the executive editor at TheWeek.com. She formerly served as The Week's deputy editor and culture critic. She is also a contributor to Screen Slate, and her writing has appeared in The New York Daily News, The Awl, Vice, and Gothamist, among other publications. Jeva lives in New York City. Follow her on Twitter.
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