Many have scoffed at Apple’s decision to offer a music streaming service that charges $9.99 when its closest competitor, Spotify, offers an all-important, advert-supported free option. Apple Music may have secured a p.r. victory by landing Taylor Swift (her music remains absent from Spotify), but what you’re really getting for that money becomes clear even before you listen to a single song.

The app first asks what genres and artists you like. By tapping in your preferences, you essentially create a virtual music nerd, ready to recommend you things based on its encyclopedic knowledge and library of 30 million songs.

You’re instantly given dozens of playlists to dip into. If you tell the app you like Billie Holiday, you’ll get curated playlists featuring cuts from Ella Fitzgerald, Dinah Washington and Nina Simone. If you say you like Rihanna and dance music, you’re given a selection of the Barbadian pop star’s finest remixes. The more you listen, the more the service gets to know your tastes.

Also sweetening the deal is Beats 1, a radio service programmed by a variety of experts, such as ex-BBC DJ Zane Lowe and hip-hop don Ebro. Beats 1 is another justification for the monthly fee even if it’s a more haphazard way of finding new sounds.

Creating and sharing playlists of your own is an integral part of the service, while song-based radio stations are an even less labor-intensive way of keeping the music you like coming.

Apple has been derided for arriving late to the streaming game, but by watching what has worked and failed for the competition, being tardy might actually work in its favor.

There’s nothing to lose by taking advantage of the service’s three-month free trial (something Tidal doesn’t offer). But be warned that Apple won’t tell you when time’s up, so it’s best to turn off the auto-renewal option, as there’s a good chance you may forget. Apple is no doubt banking on exactly that.

But the truth is, even after the free sample, you probably won’t want to lose your nerdy new friend.

Apple Music

$9.99 per month, $14.99 for the family plan

The good: Excellent personalized curation and recommendations

The bad: Social media component Connect — which, like Facebook or Twitter, will let artists share their work directly with listeners — is currently a wasteland

Tidal

$9.99 per month, or $19.99 for high-quality audio

The good: Exclusive content, such as videos and new music, and the only place to hear the entire Prince catalog

The bad: Glitchy user experience.

Pandora One

$4.99 per month, or $55 per year

The good: Selection of playlists is broad

The bad: Overall song selection is limited to a mere 1 million

Spotify

$9.99 per month for premium, ad-free service

The good: Still free for people who can put up with ads. Like Apple, a catalog of around 30 million songs

The bad: No Taylor Swift!