Apple Music is a popular music streaming service developed by Apple. It gives users access to over 90 million songs, making it one of the largest music libraries available today. But an important question around Apple Music is whether its library is truly unlimited. Does Apple Music give you access to any song you want to listen to? Or are there limitations to its catalog?
What Does “Unlimited” Mean for a Music Streaming Service?
When a music streaming service claims to have an “unlimited” library, it generally means users have access to a very large catalog of songs – usually tens of millions of tracks or more. However, no service likely has every single song ever recorded. There are always going to be some limitations.
So in reality, “unlimited” means users can access a huge library of music that satisfies the listening needs of most people. It does not necessarily mean every single song is available on-demand. There are always factors that prevent true universality, which we’ll explore next.
Factors That Limit Song Availability
There are a few key factors that prevent Apple Music or any service from truly having an unlimited music library:
Licensing Restrictions
Streaming services must obtain licenses from rights holders – whether record labels, publishers, artists, etc. – to make songs available on their platform. There are always going to be gaps where certain rights holders do not license their music.
For example, The Beatles did not license their music for streaming until late 2015. So before then, their catalog was missing from every service. Even today, there are well-known artists like Tool and Jimi Hendrix whose music is not fully available to stream.
Regional Restrictions
Licensing deals are often restricted by geographical regions. A song may be licensed for streaming in the U.S. but not in other countries. So the size of each service’s catalog varies depending on where users are located.
Catalog Changes
The content on streaming services fluctuates over time as licenses expire and new deals get made. So the library is constantly shifting as songs get added and removed. Just because a song is available one day does not mean it will still be there months or years later.
Personal Artist Choices
Some artists intentionally choose not to make their music available on streaming platforms, or they delay when their new releases get added. For example, Taylor Swift initially withheld her albums from Apple Music and other services.
Does Apple Music’s Library Live Up to “Unlimited”?
Given the limiting factors mentioned, no streaming service can be truly unlimited. But Apple Music does provide access to an extremely large library of music compared to competitors.
Some key facts about Apple Music’s catalog size:
- Apple Music claims a library of over 90 million songs.
- For comparison, Spotify states it has over 82 million tracks, while Amazon Music has around 90 million.
- Tidal claims a library of over 80 million tracks.
- Apple Music adds tens of thousands of new songs each day.
So by the numbers, Apple Music appears to have one of the largest music libraries available from major streaming platforms. The differences in catalog sizes between top services are usually marginal.
While Apple Music may not have some niche or rare tracks, its library is extensive enough to satisfy the vast majority of users. There is plenty of music available in all popular genres and from top artists both old and new.
Not All 90 Million Apple Music Tracks Are Available to Stream
However, there is an important caveat regarding Apple Music’s 90+ million song count.
Analysts estimate that only around 45 million of those tracks are available for on-demand streaming. The other half are there for playlist algorithmic purposes or only available for purchase.
This is still an extremely large on-demand catalog compared to competitors. But it illustrates how the “unlimited” claim deserves a closer look.
Factors That Limit Availability on Apple Music
Why aren’t all 90 million+ Apple Music tracks available for streaming? A few key factors limit how much of Apple’s catalog is on-demand:
Licensing Restrictions
As mentioned before, licensing issues impact what Apple Music can provide for streaming. Apple has to negotiate rights just like any service.
Ownership of Masters
Apple is missing some artists whose master recordings they do not own rights to, such as The Beatles (though they have many Beatles covers). This will limit some availability even if streaming rights are possible.
Exclusive Releases on Other Platforms
Some major artists like Taylor Swift, Beyonce, and Frank Ocean have done exclusive album releases with Apple Music competitors for periods of time. During the exclusivity window, those albums are not available on Apple.
Apple’s Own Exclusive Limitations
At the same time, Apple Music has its own exclusive releases that are not available on other platforms. So exclusivity deals between streaming services limit universality.
Non-Streamable Content
Apple owns rights to a massive music catalog through iTunes that is focused on downloads and purchases rather than streaming. Much of this is not licensable for streaming.
Does Apple Music Have Song Gaps?
The fact that only around half of Apple Music’s advertised catalog is available to stream means there are definitely gaps in its on-demand library.
Common examples of music you cannot stream on Apple Music include:
- The Beatles (though they have Beatles covers)
- AC/DC
- Garth Brooks until recently
- Most Jimmy Buffett albums
- Many jazz classics
- Early Kanye West albums like College Dropout
- Most Tool albums
Again, the important context is that competitors like Spotify have similar song gap issues while offering smaller overall catalogs. No service has full access to stream every song.
But Apple Music’s library is extensive enough that most casual listeners will never notice significant holes. The gaps are more obvious to hardcore music fans searching for rare or niche content.
Does Apple Music Stream in Lossless Quality?
One important consideration around Apple Music’s catalog size is sound quality. While they offer a huge song library, most of that is only available in standard lossy formats like AAC 256 kbps.
Apple does offer lossless audio quality through its Apple Lossless Audio Codec (ALAC). However, lossless streaming requires significantly more bandwidth and storage.
So only a fraction of Apple Music’s catalog is available for streaming in lossless CD-quality or hi-res. Tidal and Amazon Music HD currently lead for lossless music libraries.
Again, this may not matter to casual listeners. But audiophiles should not assume everything sounds lossless on Apple Music.
How Is Apple Music’s Library for Discovery?
Aside from catalog size, an important consideration is how good Apple Music is for discovering new music and artists – especially niche genres.
Overall Apple Music offers:
- Editorial playlists for new music discovery curated by experts
- Personalized recommendations based on listening data
- Browse by genre with featured new releases
- Radio stations for passive listening
Given Apple’s resources and music industry connections, their human-curated discovery is second only to Spotify in terms of scope.
However, users report Apple Music’s algorithmic recommendations are not as sophisticated as Spotify’s. But they are likely improving over time.
For discovery, Spotify’s algorithms and social features give it an edge. But Apple Music offers enough tools for most users to find new music. Power users may wish to have both.
Is Apple Music Getting More “Unlimited”?
While Apple Music does not have an infinitely large catalog, they are constantly expanding their licensed streaming library:
- Apple added 7 million songs in 2021 alone.
- They continue to add more niche and back catalog music.
- Lossless streaming rolled out in 2021.
- Discovery features are evolving.
So Apple Music’s library is getting more unlimited over time. Holes are being filled, and audio quality is improving.
Does Apple Music’s Library Satisfy Most Listeners?
For the vast majority of music fans, Apple Music offers more than enough content and discovery options, even if limitations exist.
Casual listeners will likely never bump up against the edges of Apple’s large catalog. Even power users can access tens of millions of songs for endless playlists.
Unless you are an audiophile or have very niche tastes, Apple Music’s effective library size feels unlimited. The sound quality could be better, but you can stream almost any mainstream music you want.
Should You Choose Apple Music or Spotify?
When it comes to catalog size and discovery, Spotify currently has an edge over Apple Music. However, Apple’s library is still extensive enough to please most users.
It often comes down to personal preference on interfaces, playlists, and other factors. Both services are improving over time.
If you own Apple devices and love human-curated playlists, Apple Music may be the better choice. But Spotify is superior for social sharing and algorithms.
For most casual users, the libraries are comparable enough that it is not a big differentiator. Trial both to determine your preference.
The Bottom Line
While not infinitely large, Apple Music’s streaming library is realistically “unlimited” in that it satisfies the vast majority of users with tens of millions of songs available. Holes exist, especially for audiophiles and niche genres, but Apple Music’s catalog compares well to leading competitors. Improvements to library size and audio quality continue to make Apple Music more unlimited all the time. But no service can license absolutely every song. Apple Music comes reasonably close for most listeners.