Apple Music vs. Spotify: How Much Data Does Music Streaming Use?

How Much Data Does Streaming Use?

Music streaming is convenient, but it can quickly eat up your mobile data. Apple Music and Spotify both offer multiple streaming quality options, which impact how much data is used per hour.

• Low quality (24-96 kbps): Apple Music uses about 40MB per hour, while Spotify ranges from 10MB to 50MB.
• Normal quality (128 kbps): Apple Music consumes 80MB per hour, and Spotify uses 70MB.
• High quality (256 kbps): Apple Music uses 160MB per hour, and Spotify around 150MB.
• Very high (320 kbps): Only available on Spotify, using 200MB per hour.
• Lossless (1411 kbps) & Hi-Res Lossless (up to 9216 kbps): Exclusive to Apple Music, these can consume between 720MB to 2.7GB per hour—not ideal for mobile data.

If you’re streaming in high-quality settings, you can use hundreds of megabytes per hour, which adds up quickly on limited data plans.

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How to Reduce Data Usage

1. Download Music for Offline Listening

Both Apple Music and Spotify allow you to download songs and playlists, eliminating data use entirely when listening offline.

2. Adjust Streaming Quality

Lowering your streaming quality helps save data:

• Apple Music: Go to Settings → Music → Audio Quality and choose a lower option.
• Spotify: Open Settings → Audio Quality and select "Low" or "Normal."

3. Use Wi-Fi Whenever Possible

Streaming over Wi-Fi instead of mobile data can prevent unnecessary data usage.

4. Enable Data Saver Mode

Both apps offer Data Saver Modes to automatically lower streaming quality when using mobile data.

5. Monitor Your Data Usage

Check how much data Apple Music or Spotify is using in your phone’s settings under "Cellular Data" or "Data Usage."

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Stay Connected Anywhere with eSIMo’s eSIM Solution

Streaming music while traveling can lead to expensive roaming charges. With eSIMo’s eSIM solution, you get seamless global internet access without worrying about running out of data. Whether you're commuting or exploring a new country, eSIMo keeps you connected so your music never stops.

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Final Thoughts

For mobile data users, Spotify’s highest setting (320 kbps) uses about 200MB per hour, while Apple Music’s Lossless formats can consume over 2GB per hour. To reduce data usage, download music offline, lower your streaming quality, and use Wi-Fi whenever possible.

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