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Apple Music vs Spotify: Privacy and Security for Users

Explore how US-based Apple Music and Swedish Spotify handle your data. Find out which service prioritizes your privacy and security needs today.

Last updated: February 19, 2026โ€ขReviewed by Built in EU Team

Should You Switch to Spotify?

What You Gain

Gain EU-based privacy, vast music and podcast library

Privacy advantage
Trade-offs

Fewer curated playlists and radio stations

Apple Music has more features
Bottom Line

Switch for better privacy; stay if you value curated content

At a Glance

Data Location
๐Ÿ‡บ๐Ÿ‡ธUS

US data laws

๐Ÿ‡ธ๐Ÿ‡ชSE

GDPR protected

Pricing

Apple Music

freemium

Spotify

freemium

Migration
Medium difficulty~1-2 hours

Privacy & Compliance Comparison

Critical data sovereignty factors at a glance

CriteriaApple MusicSpotify
Server Location
US, EUEU
GDPR Compliance
Partial (SCCs)Full
Open Source
E2E Encryption
OptionalOptional
Data Portability
PartialFull export

CLOUD Act Notice

Apple Music is a US company and must comply with CLOUD Act data requests, even for data stored in EU data centers. Spotify is not subject to US jurisdiction.

Switching from
Apple Music logo

Apple Music

๐Ÿ‡บ๐Ÿ‡ธ

Apple Music

VS
Switching to
Spotify logo

Spotify

๐Ÿ‡ธ๐Ÿ‡ช

Spotify

US Data Storage

Data subject to US CLOUD Act and may be accessed by US authorities

EU Data Protection

Data protected under GDPR with EU-only data residency

Certifications & Compliance

No certifications listed

EU-Based
GDPR Compliant

Reasons to Switch

  • โœ“Spotify offers a vast library of 100M+ tracks.
  • โœ“Access to exclusive podcasts not on Apple Music.
  • โœ“Spotify's Discover Weekly suggests new music.
  • โœ“GDPR compliance ensures strong data protection.

Things to Consider

  • !Migration from Apple Music may lose playlists.
  • !Spotify lacks Apple's lossless audio quality.
  • !Learning Spotify's interface can be challenging.
Migration difficulty:
Medium
~1-2 hours

Migration Overview

Full guide
Difficulty
Medium
Time Estimate
~1-2 hours

Depends on data size and complexity

Quick Steps

1

Create Spotify account and configure settings

2

Export and prepare data from Apple Music

3

Import data, test integrations, and migrate users

Note: Switching may require adapting to different interfaces and features.

Other alternatives to Apple Music

Ready to make the switch?

Start using Spotify today and take control of your data privacy.