Steel yourselves, Apple Music mania is about to hit.

The new streaming service is set to launch as part of Apple iOS 8.4 upgrade, which is expected to hit our shores overnight after launching in the UK on Tuesday.

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Those of us who are Spotify devotees are probably wondering whether to make the switch.

Sure, Apple’s new baby has had plenty of pre-launch attention thanks to one Miss Taylor Swift, but how does it stack up to the current darling of the streaming world?

Here are the basics:

Price

Apple Music: Free for first three months then $US9.99 ($A13) a month in the US.

Spotify: Free with ads or $US9.99 ($A13) for the premium service.

Content

Apple Music: Library offers more than 30 million tracks from the iTunes catalogue, including Taylor Swift.

Spotify: Also offers millions of songs but no Taylor Swift after the singer removed all her albums in a row over royalties.

Background

Apple Music: Founded in the USA last year after Apple bought Beats Music and launches in the UK on Tuesday.

Spotify: Founded in Sweden in 2006 and now has more than 60 million users.

Special features

Apple Music: Includes a 24-hour radio station, Beats 1, presented by former BBC Radio One DJ Zane Lowe.

Spotify: Learns about users’ tastes in music and connects with Facebook so that users can see what their friends are listening to.

Availability

Apple Music: Not available on Android phones until northern hemisphere autumn.

Spotify: Available on all devices.

– with AAP