As a recent convert to Apple Music, there are a number of things I’ve been missing from Spotify. Most notably, the plethora of personalized and specific playlists. Thankfully, I’ve been able to find an equivalent for many of them.
One thing to remember is Apple Music and Spotify work very differently. An “80s Rock” playlist on Spotify is personalized to your taste, while the similar playlist on Apple Music is the same for every listener. In general, almost everything on Spotify is personalized, whereas Apple Music is much more static.
Release Radar = New Music Mix
One of Spotify’s core “Made for You” playlists is “Release Radar.” It’s a weekly playlist updated every Friday with new music from artists you follow, and artists Spotify thinks you’ll enjoy. Apple Music has a playlist called “New Music Mix” that essentially does the same thing, though Apple says it’s only “artists we think you’ll like.”
Discover Weekly = Discovery Station
“Discover Weekly” is another long-standing weekly personalized playlist on Spotify. Updated every Monday, Spotify describes it as “new music and deep cuts picked for you.” Apple Music’s closest equivalent is the “Discovery Station,” which is described as “a personalized radio station that suggests new music based on your listening habits and preferences.”
This Is = Essentials
Let’s say you want to listen to an artist’s essential music. On Spotify, you would look up their “This Is” playlist (This Is Fleetwood Mac). Over on Apple Music, you can find the same thing, but it’s called “Essentials” (Fleetwood Mac Essentials).
Artist Radio = Artist Station
Maybe you don’t want to listen to just one specific artist, but you want their vibe. That’s where Spotify’s artist radio playlists come in handy. It’s a mix of music from the base artist and other artists like them. On Apple Music, it’s called a “Station,” and you can create one from any artist, too.
Spotify DJ = Your Station
Spotify’s DJ uses AI to play music in themed segments intermixed with a digital voice that uses your name and tees up the next batch of music. Apple Music has nothing like this, but it everyone gets a personal “[Your Name] Station.” It’s similar to the DJ in that it rotates between familiar music and music it thinks you’ll like. Plus, you can just hit play and let it go all day.
Mood, Artist, and Decade Mixes
This one is pretty easy to figure out. Spotify has a bunch of personalized mixes on the “Made for You” tab. Mood Mixes, Artist Mixes, Genre Mixes, Niche Mixes, Decade Mixes, etc. Apple Music essentially has the same thing, but only the Mood Mixes are personalized. They include:
- Get Up! Mix
- Chill Mix
- Focus Mix
- Energy Mix
- Relax Mix
- Feeling Blue Mix
- Heartbreak Mix
- Love Mix
- Feel Good Mix
The artist, genre, and decade mixes are static playlists that look the same to everyone. Like Spotify, a mix is typically a playlist with a finite number of songs, whereas a “Station” will continue to play until you stop it.
Apple Music Can’t Match Everything
Unsurprisingly, Apple Music doesn’t have an answer for everything on Spotify. As mentioned, the two services simply function very differently. So, many of the highly personal features on Spotify can’t be matched on Apple Music. A few of those include the Daylist, Daily Mixes, On Repeat, Repeat Rewind, Daily Drive, and Friend Blends.
I know I’ve mentioned the core difference between Apple Music and Spotify a couple of times already, but it’s really important to keep in mind if you’re switching between the two. I heavily relied on Spotify’s personalized playlists, so Apple Music tends to feel a little barren. But once you understand Apple Music is more about seeking out specific artists and types of music, rather than having an algorithm feed you, it starts to make sense.
