YouTube Premium and Spotify Premium solve overlapping but different problems. YouTube Premium removes ads across all of YouTube and adds YouTube Music. Spotify Premium removes ads from what most people agree is the best music experience available. The right choice depends heavily on whether video or audio is your primary use case.
Spotify Premium
Spotify Premium wins for pure music. YouTube Premium is worth it only if you're a heavy YouTube watcher who'd also use YouTube Music.
Specs Comparison
| Spec | YouTube Premium | Spotify Premium |
|---|---|---|
| Monthly price | $13.99/mo | $11.99/mo |
| Family plan | $22.99/mo (6 users) | $16.99/mo (6 users) |
| Student plan | $7.99/mo | $5.99/mo |
| Ad-free YouTube video | Yes | No |
| Music audio quality | 256 kbps AAC | 320 kbps Ogg Vorbis |
| Offline downloads | Video + audio | Audio only |
| Music discovery | Good | Best-in-class |
Core Offering
YouTube Premium at $13.99/mo buys you ad-free YouTube, background playback on mobile, YouTube Music Premium, and access to YouTube Originals. The ad-free YouTube piece is genuinely valuable if you're watching a lot of long-form video — skipping 30-second pre-rolls on every video adds up.
Spotify Premium at $11.99/mo gives you unlimited ad-free music streaming, offline downloads, full shuffle control, and high-quality audio. That's the core loop, and it's excellent.
Music Quality
Spotify Premium streams at up to 320 kbps Ogg Vorbis, which sounds excellent on good headphones. YouTube Music Premium streams at up to 256 kbps AAC, which is technically lower but sounds comparable on most listening setups.
Spotify's music discovery is genuinely better than YouTube Music's. Discover Weekly, Daily Mixes, and concert recommendations are things YouTube Music has attempted to replicate but hasn't quite matched. Users on r/spotify consistently cite discovery as Spotify's strongest card.
Value at $14/month
YouTube Premium gives you more by volume — ad-free YouTube video is an enormous quality-of-life improvement if you use YouTube regularly. But if you mainly listen to music and don't care about removing YouTube ads, you're overpaying vs Spotify.
Spotify's student plan ($5.99/mo) and family plan ($16.99/mo for 6 accounts) offer strong value. YouTube Premium's family plan is $22.99/mo, which is steep.
YouTube Premium Strengths
- Ad-free across all of YouTube, not just music
- Background playback on mobile (huge for podcasters/music)
- Includes YouTube Music Premium
- Offline downloads for both video and audio
Spotify Premium Strengths
- Best music discovery algorithm in the industry
- 320 kbps streaming quality
- Cheaper ($11.99/mo vs $13.99/mo)
- Better family and student pricing
YouTube Premium Weaknesses
- At $13.99/mo, expensive if you don't watch much YouTube
- YouTube Music discovery lags Spotify
- Family plan is $22.99/mo — too expensive
Spotify Premium Weaknesses
- No video component — it's audio only
- Doesn't help with YouTube ads
- Audiobook inclusion has limited titles
Best For
- a: Heavy YouTube users who want to eliminate ads across all video content and get music as a bonus
- b: Music-first listeners who want the best discovery experience and don't care about YouTube ads
FAQ
Does YouTube Premium include YouTube TV?
No. YouTube TV ($72.99/mo) is a separate live TV subscription. YouTube Premium doesn't include live TV or cable channels.
Can I use YouTube Premium just for background playback?
That's actually one of the top reasons people subscribe. On Android and iOS, YouTube blocks audio playback when you switch apps without Premium. The $13.99/mo to fix that is a legitimate use case.