Not really competitors
Raza Songs is a player for music you already own, served from your Mac. Apple Music is a subscription to a streaming catalog. The question isn't which is better. It's which one you're missing.
| Raza Songs | Apple Music | |
|---|---|---|
| What it plays | Music in folders on your Mac: MP3, M4A and M4B | A streaming catalog, and your own songs if you add them |
| Cost | Free today. Any future price would be a one-time purchase | A monthly subscription |
| Account | None | An Apple Account |
| Discovering new music | No. It plays what you own | Yes. This is what it's for |
| Where the music lives | Your Mac, in your own folders | Apple's servers, with downloads on your devices |
| If you stop paying | Nothing changes. The files are yours | Downloaded catalog music stops playing |
| Your own files in the cloud | Streamed from your Mac, not uploaded | Matched or uploaded to iCloud Music Library, which needs a subscription |
| Getting your own files onto the iPhone | Nothing to add. The library is streamed from your Mac | The Music app has no add-a-folder option on iPhone. Files arrive by Finder sync, or through iCloud Music Library with a subscription |
| Tag editing | From your iPhone, written back to the file's own tags | Edits live in the Music library |
| In the car and on speakers | CarPlay and AirPlay | CarPlay and AirPlay |
| Needs the Mac on | Yes, it's the server | No |
| Formats | No FLAC, WAV or OGG | Wide catalog and format support in its own service |
When Apple Music is the better choice
You want to discover new music, explore a huge catalog, or listen away from home without keeping a Mac on. Raza Songs doesn't replace that and doesn't try to.
When Raza Songs is
You've built a collection over years, from ripped CDs and purchases and downloads, and you'd like it on every device in the house without a subscription standing between you and your own music. It's also the choice if you'd rather your music keep playing whatever happens to a service.
Many people use both
A streaming service for finding things, Raza Songs for the library you own. If you don't have your music in files yet, here's how to rip your CDs, and how to play your own songs on your iPhone without a subscription.