Apple Music vs Shazam
Which is better in 2026? Five scores, side by side.
Apple Music is the better app overall, scoring 8.9 to 8.6. Apple Music wins on 2 of the 5 scores, Shazam on 2, with 1 tied.
iPhone and Mac users who want high-quality audio without ads
Music lovers who often hear a song and want to know what it is
Score by score
The details
| Feature | Apple Music | Shazam |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Music & Podcasts | Music & Podcasts |
| Category rank | #2 of 8 | #5 of 8 |
| Developer | Apple | Apple |
| Pricing | Subscription | Free |
| Usable for free | No | Yes |
| iPhone & iPad | ✓ | ✓ |
| Android | ✓ | ✓ |
| Mac | ✓ | ✓ |
| Windows | ✓ | — |
| Web | ✓ | — |
Strengths and weaknesses
Apple Music
- Lossless and Dolby Atmos at no extra cost
- No ads and less data-driven than free rivals
- Excellent lyrics and library management
- No free tier beyond a trial
- Discovery and recommendations trail Spotify
Apple Music pairs top-tier sound with tight Apple integration. Lossless and Spatial Audio come at no extra cost, the time-synced lyrics view is excellent, and it fits neatly into iPhone, Mac, HomePod and CarPlay. AutoMix blends one song into the next like a DJ. Recommendations trail Spotify's, and there's no free tier. Get it if you live on Apple devices and care about sound quality.
Full Apple Music review
Shazam
- Fast, accurate recognition even in noisy places
- Free with no ads
- Built into iPhone Control Center and the Mac
- Not a full music player
- Some features work best with Apple Music
Shazam does one thing better than anything else: it tells you what song is playing. Tap the button and it usually names the track within seconds, then shows lyrics and links to Apple Music or Spotify. Auto Shazam can keep listening in the background, and offline matches are saved until you're back online. It's free with no ads. Just don't expect a full music player.
Full Shazam review
