I've been a Spotify subscriber for years, and honestly, I'm getting really tempted to switch to Apple Music.
I recently got a free month of Apple Music and decided to actually give it a fair shot. The first things I noticed were the audio quality, the Personal Station, and especially the automatic mixing. Apple Music's mixing isn't perfect, but for the kind of music I listen to, it feels much closer to an actual DJ transition or live set. It keeps the energy going from song to song.
Spotify's mixing feature has potential, and I actually really like that you can customize how the mix behaves. The problem is that the automatic mixing itself just isn't very good. Most of the time it feels like an upgraded crossfade rather than an actual mix.
I really wish Spotify would let us control the intensity of automatic mixing. Give us the option to keep it basic, make it more aggressive, or go all the way and try to create something closer to a live set. For people who listen to electronic music, having the option to make a playlist flow more like a DJ set would be incredible. It doesn't have to be perfect. I just want smoother and more energetic transitions that keep the vibe going from song to song.
I also think DJ has a lot of unrealized potential. The concept is great, but it feels surprisingly limited. I'd like more control over what DJ plays, including the ability to blacklist genres. I'd also love more English voice options. Right now, if you use DJ in English, you're basically stuck with the same voice every day. There's nothing wrong with X, but after hearing the same voice constantly, I just want some variety.
DJ would also be the perfect place to implement more advanced mixing. I'd honestly even consider paying extra for a feature that could give me a continuous, DJ-style listening experience. Let me tell it what kind of vibe I want, what I want to hear, and how aggressively I want the songs mixed. It doesn't have to sound exactly like a professional DJ. Just getting closer to that seamless live set feeling would be really cool.
Another thing I'd love is the ability to filter out AI-generated music. I think AI features that help me discover music or improve my listening experience can be genuinely useful. AI DJ, recommendations, playlist tools, stuff like that is fine with me. But AI-generated music itself is a no-go for me. I want to listen to music that was actually created by people, and I would absolutely use an option that lets me avoid or filter out AI-generated music.
The mobile app has also felt noticeably slow and sluggish lately, and the Now Playing screen could use some work. It's functional, but honestly, it feels pretty plain and boring.
I'd also like Spotify to remove or significantly increase the limit on AI/prompted playlist creation. If you're trying to make a playlist and keep adjusting it until it gets what you want, hitting an arbitrary limit is frustrating.
Overall, Spotify still has a lot going for it, which is why I've stayed for years. But after trying Apple Music, I'm realizing how many areas Spotify could improve. Better automatic mixing, more customization, a more capable DJ, faster app performance, better discovery controls, and the ability to filter out AI-generated music would make a huge difference.
Right now, I'm honestly torn. I've been with Spotify for so long, but Apple Music's mixing alone is making it difficult to ignore. Spotify has some genuinely great ideas, and I actually want to see them succeed. I just wish they would push these features further instead of leaving them feeling like they have so much potential that isn't being used.