Apples eponymous music streaming service has over 10m subscribers, managing to reach the milestone in just six months, compared to the six years it took Spotify to build a user base of similar proportions.

According to the Financial Times, some analysts are predicting that Apple Music could overtake Spotify as the leading music streaming service by as soon as 2017. Currently, Spotify boasts approximately 26m paying subscribers, but also offers a free service supported by audio and display advertising.

Apple Music debuted in June 2015, launching in over 100 countries with a free trial period. According to Tim Cook, CEO of Apple, the service had 6.5m paid users in October, with an additional 8.5m users taking advantage of the free trial.

Even if Apple Music doesnt manage to overtake Spotify, most experts are confident that it will become the second largest music streaming service by the end of 2016, overtaking other rivals like Deezer, Rdio and Tidal.

Subscription-based streaming media is increasingly becoming a battlefield for tech firms, with online retailer Amazon combating Netflix with its Prime streaming service, and YouTube recently launched an ad-free subscription version of its app which also gave users access to Google Play.

Still, Apples closed ecosystem gives it a considerable advantage when it comes to entering this fray, with every iPhone, iPad and Mac including a copy of Apple Music, and the free trial encouraging owners to give the service a chance.