iTunes Radio vs. Spotify vs. Pandora

Spotify, iTunes Radio, and Pandora all meet the needs of a high school student searching for music to calm them down, boost their motivation to do homework, or to jam out in their free time. All three are very well established, providing music streaming based on a certain artist or song. While they provide the same service, all three brand’s layout are distinct. The layout, and how accessible it is are factors in why high school users use a certain brand for music.

iTunes Radio has yet to build a strong brand, competing with long-time companies, such as Spotify and Pandora. Spotify and Pandora have gathered many loyal users, and it’s hard to compete with brands who are well-known. Also, iTunes Radio can only be streamed on apple products, while Spotify and Pandora can be downloaded on any type of device.  So I took to the students of High School West to set the record straight.

In a poll of 42 participants:

Pandora: 38%

Spotify: 45%

iTunes Radio: 17%

So it seems iTunes Radio has yet to catch up with the consistent use of Spotify and Pandora. Maybe in a couple years, iTunes Radio will be the most used, but for now, Spotify and Pandora stake the top spots.