CUPERTINO, CA (CelebrityAccess) — Apple Music has surpassed rival streaming service Spotify in terms of paid subscribers in the U.S., according to a report in the Wall Street Journal.
In February, Apple Music had 28 million paid subscribers in the U.S., while Spotify had just 26 million, the WSJ reported, citing sources familiar with the matter.
The report also noted that Apple Music’s worldwide growth rates have exceeded Spotify’s and the latest figures appear to underscore the success of Apple’s shift to a services model, which seeks to bundle paid subscription services for iPhone users that include Apple Music.
While the shift in North America is a banner headline for Apple Music, overall subscribers figures still favor Spotify. In February, the streaming service reported it had 96 million paid users worldwide, and 207 million users total when adding in people using Spotify’s ad-supported tier.
Apple, which does not have a ‘freemium’ option, has just 56 million paid subscribers worldwide, according to a report in the Financial Times.
