Despite launching nearly four years later, Apple Music’s subscriber count has reportedly surpassed that of Spotify. Citing a source said to be a US-based distributor, Digital Music News claims that it has seen a report which details the latest figures of several music streaming services, including Apple Music and Spotify. The report ranks Apple Music as the number one primarily on-demand music platform in the United States, finally dethroning Spotify.
The source requested that Digital Music News not share any precise numbers from the report in order to protect his or her identity, but both Apple Music and Spotify are said to have topped 20 million paying subscribers, with Apple Music taking a small (and likely growing) lead over Spotify after months of higher growth rates.
According to the publication, the new report also indicates that Apple’s growth rate in 2018 has far outpaced Spotify’s, which suggests that Apple Music’s lead will continue to grow in the coming months. The data was specifically referring to paid users as well, so no one still on either Apple or Spotify’s free trial was included.
Anyone who has been keeping up with this heated platform war shouldn’t be too surprised at the results. In February, The Wall Street Journal reported that Spotify’s monthly paid subscriber growth rate in the US was at 2% compared to Apple Music’s 5%. At that rate, it was inevitable that Apple Music would take the lead eventually.
Spotify still has a significantly larger subscriber base worldwide than Apple Music, but it’s worth keeping in mind that Spotify is celebrating its tenth anniversary this year. Apple Music, on the other hand, has only been around for three years. It will be interesting to see how Spotify responds if and when this news becomes official.
