Spotify is the better choice for dedicated music listening with offline playback and personalized playlists, while Instagram excels in social sharing, content creation, and live video streaming with music integration.
| Attribute | Spotify | |
|---|---|---|
| Music library size and variety | Over 100 million songs and 7 million podcast titles, wide variety including mainstream and niche content. | Users can search for music and share a 30-second preview of any song in Instagram's music library through group chats or a broadcast channel. It is possible to add music to Reels, Stories, and other video content. |
| Audio quality (bitrate and codecs) | Ogg Vorbis codec, up to 320 kbps for Premium users, 96-160 kbps for free tier. | Instagram uses AAC (Advanced Audio Coding) for its audio codec. Instagram recommends an audio bitrate of 128kbps and the AAC audio codec. The platform supports a 48kHz rate maximum, with 1 or 2 channels (mono or stereo). |
| Offline playback availability and storage management | Unlimited downloads for offline listening with Premium, not available with Free Spotify. | There is no mention of offline playback availability or specific storage management for music within Instagram itself in the search results. |
| Personalized playlists and music recommendations | Data-driven personalized playlists like Discover Weekly, Daily Mix, and Release Radar. | Instagram has introduced a "Blend" option for Reels, creating a shared feed of recommended Reels with friends or group chats. The Blend feed combines Reels based on each member's activity on Instagram, including the Reels they watch and interact with. |
| Social sharing features | Share songs, albums, and playlists within the app and on social media platforms. Collaborative playlists and Spotify Codes available. | Instagram allows users to share content to other social networks like Facebook and Twitter. Instagram has a feature to create and join group profiles where members can share posts and stories in a dedicated, shared profile. Content shared to a group profile is only visible to group members. Instagram is testing a feature that allows users to connect with friends over shared interests by saving posts to a collaborative collection in group or 1:1 DMs. Instagram has a "Blend" option for Reels, which enables users to create a shared feed of recommended Reels with a friend or group chat. |
| Video content integration (e.g., Reels, Stories) | Video ads and story feature available. | Instagram Reels is a short-form video feature. Reels can be up to 90 seconds long and allow users to add music, on-screen text, and visual effects. Instagram Stories are short clips that can be viewed on a profile or a follower's main feed. Stories videos can be up to 60 seconds long. Instagram Live allows users to stream live videos to their followers. Live videos appear in the Stories section of the app and are available for viewing for up to 24 hours after the live session ends. |
| Direct messaging and group chat functionality | Direct messaging feature was removed due to low engagement. | Instagram Messenger allows users to send direct messages to each other. Users can have private conversations, share photos, videos, and posts, and create group chats. Instagram allows users to create group chats with up to 32 people. Instagram is introducing new DM features such as message translation, music stickers, scheduled messages, pinned content, and group chat QR codes. The new message translation feature allows users to translate messages right in their DMs. Users can pin specific messages to the top of any 1:1 or group chat. Users can share a personalized QR code for each of their group chats, making it easier to invite new people to join the conversation. |
| Content creation tools (filters, effects, editing) | Not available. | Instagram provides tools to create and edit videos, add filters, text, emojis, and drawings to posts and stories. Third-Party Apps: Canva, CapCut, VSCO, Adobe Photoshop & Lightroom. |
| Live streaming capabilities | Integrated live audio streaming via Spotify Live, allowing creators to stream and interact with fans. | IG Live is a feature on Instagram that allows users to stream live videos to their followers. IG Live allows for real-time engagement. Viewers can comment and like during the live session, and the broadcaster can respond to these comments. Instagram Live Producer allows users to stream to Instagram directly through streaming software like OBS or Streamlabs. |
| Ad frequency and intrusiveness | Frequent ad interruptions on Free Spotify, roughly every few songs or 30 minutes. Around three minutes of advertising per hour. | Instagram displays advertisements and promotions on the service. Instagram's main motive for collecting user data is to personalize the ads that show up on a user's feed. Ad targeting changes are made based on personal account info, usage patterns, and location. Most Instagram ads are approved within 1 to 24 hours. |
| Data privacy policies and user control | Privacy policy in place, users have rights and controls over their personal data, including access, modification, and deletion. | Instagram collects a broad range of personal information from people using the site. Users retain ownership of their data. Processes to access, review, and modify user data are available. Instagram's terms state they will not rent or sell a user's information without consent but may share non-personal information with third-party organizations, service providers, affiliates, and advertising partners. Users can control how their data are displayed. Instagram has account settings that allow users to control who can see and access their profile. Users can download a copy of their data, including posts, comments, messages, and profile information. Instagram complies with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) in the European Union by allowing users to access, delete, and export their data. Instagram's data privacy tools and practices allow compliance with the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) by giving users the right to request access to their personal information, opt out of the sale of their personal information, and delete their data. Instagram uses commercially reasonable safeguards to help secure a user's information. |
| Subscription cost and features | Premium Individual: $11.99/month, Premium Duo: $16.99/month, Premium Family: $19.99/month, Premium Student: $5.99/month. Premium plans offer ad-free listening, offline downloads, and higher audio quality. | Instagram Subscriptions allow content creators to monetize their accounts by offering exclusive content and benefits to their most dedicated followers. For a monthly fee, followers can access premium content such as subscribers-only Reels, live streams, and broadcast channels. The subscription fees range from $0.99 to $99.99 monthly. Subscribers get exclusive content such as Livestreaming, Stories, Reels, Posts, Group Chats, and Broadcast Channels. Creators will see a subscriber badge next to users who have subscribed to their content. |