In its inaugural study of streaming music brands, J.D. Power rates Apple Music highest in customer satisfaction with a score of 834 out of 1000. The recently refreshed Apple service, which scored particularly well in performance and reliability, content, and ease of use, edged out rival Spotify, which scored 824. The study found that overall satisfaction of customers who pay for their service is 19 points higher than those who consume for free.

As the streaming community grows, so does satisfaction; however, satisfaction in all measures is lower among customers who are not engaged. Additionally, the study found that exclusive content improves customer advocacy. “Nearly three-fourths (74%) of customers who listen to exclusive content say they ‘definitely will’ recommend their provider vs. 54% of those who do not who say the same," it reads.

Ultimately the study found that while customer experience is affected by multiple factors (content, cost, device accessibility), it’s especially impacted by the customer’s level of engagement with a service. Added Kirk Parsons of J.D. Power, “The key to success, however, is increasingly becoming how well streaming music brands create a viable music ecosystem that can not only support multiple types of devices, but also facilitate listeners’ social sharing and following of playlists with others.”

The study was fielded in June and July 2016 and is based on responses from 4,482 customers.