Entertainment · head to head
Apple Music vs YouTube TV
Apple Music
Entertainment
All the ways you love music. All in one place.
- From
- $10.99/month
- Rated
- -
YouTube TV
Entertainment
Cable reimagined: live TV streaming with unlimited cloud DVR storage
- From
- On request
- Rated
- -
The short version
- Each has a real cost: Apple Music individual plan discount pricing (3 months for $1.99) applies only to new subscribers, then rises to $11.99 per month; YouTube TV base Plan streams to only 3 devices simultaneously; the 4K Plus add-on is required for unlimited concurrent streams, per tv.youtube.com pricing page (Aug 2026)
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Apple Music and YouTube TV actually diverge.
| Attribute | Apple Music | YouTube TV |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | $10.99/month | On request |
| Platforms | Ios, Macos, Windows, Android, Web | Web |
| Founded | 2015 | Unknown |
Identical on both: pricing model (subscription), free tier (No), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Entertainment).
What each one covers
Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.
Only in Apple Music
- Music streaming
- Offline downloads
- Spatial Audio
- Lossless audio
- Curated playlists
- Radio stations
- Music discovery
- Cross-device sync
Only in YouTube TV
Nothing recorded that Apple Music does not also cover.
What people use each for
The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.
Apple Music
- Music listeningnot YouTube TV
- Music discoverynot YouTube TV
- Playlist creationnot YouTube TV
- Offline listeningnot YouTube TV
- Family entertainmentnot YouTube TV
YouTube TV
No use cases recorded yet. See the YouTube TV review.
Where each one falls short
Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.
Apple Music
- Individual plan discount pricing (3 months for $1.99) applies only to new subscribers, then rises to $11.99 per month
YouTube TV
- Base Plan streams to only 3 devices simultaneously; the 4K Plus add-on is required for unlimited concurrent streams, per tv.youtube.com pricing page (Aug 2026)
- Base Plan is priced at $82.99 per month as of August 2026 per YouTube TV's own pricing page, with a discounted $67.99 rate only for the first 3 months
Pricing, plan by plan
Apple Music
$10.99/month- Individual$10.99/month
- 100+ million songs
- Ad-free listening
- Offline downloads
- Family$16.99/month
- Up to 6 accounts
- Individual profiles
- Parental controls
YouTube TV
On requestNo published plan breakdown. See the YouTube TV review.
Which should you pick?
Choose Apple Music if
- You need music streaming.
- You work on Ios, Macos, Windows, Android, Web.
- You also want offline downloads.
Choose YouTube TV if
Nothing in the data separates YouTube TV from Apple Music on the points above - pick on price and on how each one feels to use.
Questions people ask
- Is Apple Music or YouTube TV better?
- Neither clearly leads. Apple Music starts at $10.99/month and YouTube TV at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, Apple Music or YouTube TV?
- Apple Music starts at $10.99/month and YouTube TV at On request.
- Does Apple Music or YouTube TV run on more platforms?
- Apple Music runs on Ios, Macos, Windows, Android, Web. YouTube TV runs on Web.
- What is Apple Music best used for?
- Apple Music is most often used for music listening, music discovery, playlist creation, offline listening. Of those, music listening and music discovery are not what YouTube TV is typically brought in for.
- What can Apple Music do that YouTube TV cannot?
- Apple Music covers Music streaming, Offline downloads, Spatial Audio, Lossless audio.