Music streaming has become one of the most popular ways people listen to music nowadays. The two biggest names in music streaming are Spotify and Boomplay. But which one is better? This comprehensive guide compares Boomplay and Spotify on features, content, availability, pricing, and more to help you decide which music streaming service is right for you.
With music streaming services, you can listen to millions of songs from your phone, computer or tablet instantly without having to buy individual tracks or albums. Spotify and Boomplay are two of the top contenders when it comes to on-demand music streaming.
Boomplay is an African music streaming and download service created in 2015 that has quickly become massively popular across the continent. Spotify, which started in 2008, is the world’s most popular music streaming app with over 422 million monthly active users worldwide.
So if you’re trying to figure out which app best fits your needs as a music lover, this comparison guide has got you covered. We’ll compare and contrast key features like content libraries, audio quality, pricing, availability and more. Let’s dive in!
Content Libraries
The most important factor for any music streaming app is its content – how many songs and albums does it give you access to?
Boomplay boasts a catalog of over 60 million songs, mostly from African and international artists. This includes big name stars like Davido, Wizkid, Burna Boy and Tiwa Savage. They also have deals with all the major record labels like Universal Music Group, Warner Music Group and Sony Music Entertainment.
Comparatively, Spotify has an absolutely massive library of over 82 million tracks and 4 billion playlists. They have licensing deals that give them an extensive global music collection covering just about any genre, artist or album you could want to listen to.
So in terms of pure content library size, Spotify wins hands down. But Boomplay still has an impressive collection focused on African music that you won’t always find on other platforms.
Audio Quality
Audio quality is also an important consideration – especially if you care about hearing music in high fidelity.
Boomplay streams music at 128 kbps for regular users. Their “Boomplay High Quality (Hi-Fi)” streaming tier for paying subscribers delivers high quality 256 kbps audio.
Spotify uses the Ogg Vorbis format to stream at 96 kbps for free users and up to 320 kbps for Premium subscribers.
So Spotify has the edge for audio quality, offering better bitrates and up to 320 kbps for Premium subscribers. But both services allow you to hear music at decent quality levels.
Availability and Supported Devices
In terms of what devices you can use to access the services, both Boomplay and Spotify offer broad compatibility:
- Boomplay can be used through the web player on PC/Mac as well as mobile apps on Android, iOS and Windows Phone.
- Spotify is also accessible through the web player and mobile apps on Android, iOS, Windows, Xbox, PlayStation and various smart TVs and devices.
Spotify has a small edge given its support on additional gaming platforms and TVs. But both work across mobile, desktop web and apps.
For availability, Spotify is accessible in over 178 markets worldwide. Boomplay is focused mainly across Africa in countries like Nigeria, Ghana, Kenya, Tanzania, Cote d’Ivoire, Cameroon and more. Boomplay does also operate in Italy and the United Kingdom.
So Spotify definitely has the upper hand for reach, being available in many more countries globally. But Boomplay has done well to expand rapidly throughout Africa.
Pricing and Plans
How much do these services cost? Let’s compare the pricing and plan options:
Boomplay
- Free tier – listen with ads, limited skips
- Premium – $4.99 per month with no ads, unlimited skips and downloads
Spotify
- Free tier – listen with ads, limited skips
- Premium – $9.99 per month with no ads, unlimited skips and downloads
- Family Plan – $15.99 per month for up to 6 users
- Student Plan – $4.99 per month with similar perks as Premium
Boomplay offers a very affordable Premium plan at just $4.99 per month compared to Spotify’s $9.99. For budget-conscious users, Boomplay provides better value.
Spotify does offer nice upgrades like the Family and Student plans. But in terms of basic paid streaming, Boomplay has the more attractive offer at half the price of Spotify Premium.
User Interface
How intuitive and easy to use are the apps’ interfaces?
Boomplay’s interface across mobile and desktop is clean and minimalist. Navigation is simple with tabs to access music by genres, top charts, newly added songs and more. Creating playlists and viewing song queues is straightforward. The black and green color scheme looks slick.
Spotify also keeps their interface simple but effective. Tabs across the top allow jumping between Search, Your Library, Premium and more. Playlists and recent listening history are easily accessible. Like Boomplay, it’s visually minimalist while making music navigation seamless.
Both apps are well designed to make playing music and digging into libraries smooth experiences. The interfaces are responsive and optimal for the platform no matter how you access them.
Discovery and Playlists
A huge part of these streaming apps is being able to easily find new music and having playlists curated for you based on your tastes.
Boomplay recommends music to discover through tabs for new releases, top charts, popular playlists and more. Their personalized playlist feature creates mixes based on your listening data and preferences. There are also expertly curated playlists for different genres, moods, activities and more.
Spotify excels in music discovery with homepage tabs highlighting recommended albums, artists and playlists fit for your tastes. The Discover Weekly and Release Radar playlists introduce you to new music each week based on what you’ve been listening to. Genre and mood playlists are endless. Overall, Spotify is unmatched when it comes to music curation and discovery through playlists.
In sum, you’ll find tons of great playlists and music recommendations on both. But Spotify has the upper hand at using data and algorithms to deliver personalized playlists tailored exactly to your listening habits.
Social Features
The ability to connect with friends and see what they’re listening to makes music streaming more fun. Let’s see how Spotify and Boomplay stack up here:
Boomplay has decent social components. You can follow other users to see their profiles and playlists. The Feed section shows recent activity from artists and friends you follow. You can share songs, albums or playlists to social platforms. But there are no options to directly message friends or see real-time listening activity.
Spotify has broader social integration. You can follow friends and see their real-time activity in the Friend Feed. Direct messaging lets you share songs and playlists. Users can make collaborative playlists. Spotify’s social environment fosters better music discovery through friends.
Spotify has a clear advantage enabling friend connections and music sharing on their platform. Boomplay takes more of a music-first approach focused on streaming content over social interactivity.
Podcasts and Other Content
Beyond music, these services provide some additional content like podcasts:
Boomplay is focused exclusively on music streaming, though they do have some exclusive interview audio content with artists.
Comparatively, Spotify has made big moves into podcasting. As of 2022, Spotify has over 4 million podcast titles, making it one of the top podcast platforms. This gives Spotify an edge for users interested in podcast listening in addition to music.
FAQ’s About Boomplay and Spotify
Which has the bigger music library?
Spotify has the bigger overall music library with over 82 million songs compared to Boomplay’s 60 million. But Boomplay has more African music specifically.
Which has better audio quality?
Spotify streams up to 320 kbps for Premium subscribers which is better than Boomplay’s 256 kbps max.
Which app has more users?
Spotify dominates with over 422 million monthly active users vs about 60 million for Boomplay.
Which has better playlists and music discovery?
Spotify’s advanced algorithms for personalized playlists give it the advantage for music discovery.
Which works on more devices?
Spotify works across more platforms like Xbox, PlayStation, and smart TVs in addition to standard smartphones and computers.
Which offers podcasts?
Only Spotify has ventured into offering podcasts, making it a one-stop shop for both music and podcasts.
Which is more affordable?
Boomplay’s $4.99 per month Premium plan undercuts Spotify’s $9.99 plan. So Boomplay provides better value.
Which is better for African music?
Boomplay remains the top choice if African music is your priority, thanks to their licensing deals and music team’s expertise.
Conclusion
So which music streaming service reigns supreme?
For users focused solely on African music, Boomplay can’t be beat with their massive catalog of local artists and affordable pricing. The streamlined interface also makes playing your favorite African hits seamless. Music discovery features tailored to African tastes are spot on.
But Spotify still comes out on top overall thanks to their unrivaled global music library, superior social and discovery features, high quality audio options, and broad device support. Spotify brings the full package together for an unparalleled music streaming experience. Their mass popularity and brand recognition speaks for itself.
So while Boomplay puts up a good fight, overall Spotify remains the most robust and well-rounded music streaming option for most users. But for those focused solely on African music, Boomplay can’t be beat.
The choice between Boomplay and Spotify comes down to your listening priorities and budget. Hopefully this comparison helps point you toward the best music streaming service for your needs. Let us know if you have any other questions!
Let us know in the comments if you have any other questions about choosing between Boomplay and Spotify. And don’t forget to share this guide with friends to help spread the word.