The TL,DW; https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZRpYTpxLtkU
1st - Apple
2nd - Amazon and Deezer
3rd - Qobuz
4th - Tidal
5th - YouTube
6th - Spotify
7th - Spotify CR
See video for testing procedure. Just one mans test but the most objective comparison I have seen.
I'm glad to see apple do well as I am a fan of their infrastructure and use iphone. Fanboy or not, they make nice hardware and it works seamlessly together.
(I also recommend their email/icloud subscription as well, somethings are worth paying for)
As someone who has used windows and android for most of their life, I will say that apple is better by a mile, unless you want a "gaming" PC or something else PC specific then a Windows box still has an edge simply for GPU compatibility. If I bought an apple watch tomorrow, I wouldn't have to do shit, everything that is on the phone or mac will be on that watch as soon as I sign in.
This is relevant because it allows me to edit my music lists at home on the desktop, then it just exists on the phone. I download to not waste data and so it works everywhere. People always say "I can do blah blah with my ....", It's not the same, I don't have to purchase, download or manage 3rd party apps. I was startled when I signed into my first mac and see my text messages pop up on the computer. Let me tell you texting is easier with a keyboard and more convenient than continually picking up the phone. Same with pictures. (I recommend just syncing pictures with WiFi as to not use unnecessary mobile data.)
Before I signed up to Apple music I used to rip FLAC torrents from Pirate Bay etc, but for the $12 a month Canadian or whatever I pay it's not worth it to pirate. This is much easier and less than the price of a CD per month. I usually have at least two 10 hour playlists on my phone, how much would that have cost back in the day?
Is apple AAC comparable to FLAC? That is certainly a debate that deserves it's own conversation.
Aside from one particular Bob Dylan album (Together through the years) I've found literally everything else that I have ever searched for on Apple. I consider it more or less complete for my intents and purposes.
Now lets wait for someone to say Spotify sounds more musical.  Well it certainly does has a lot of harmonic distortion lolololol
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