In light of recent price increases in music streaming services, I decided to explore the top five platforms in-depth to determine which one is the best. After conducting a thorough analysis, including comparing pricing tiers, song libraries, features, user options, and overall feel, I’ve come to a conclusion: Essentially, they are all very similar.
This means that when it comes to music streaming services, the top contenders often offer similar music catalogs, pricing structures, and features. The choice between them largely depends on personal preferences, such as user interface design, platform exclusives, or integration with other apps and devices.
Differences among streaming services are subtle
The primary purpose of a music streaming service is to offer the convenience of playing your desired music at any time, without the need for physical media like CDs, all at an affordable price. This might seem commonplace now, but it was once a futuristic concept, especially for someone like me who used to spend my modest earnings on CDs.
The five music streaming services in question—Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon Music Unlimited, Tidal, and Pandora—share common features. They all grant access to a vast catalog of approximately 100 million songs, allowing you to stream music on various devices like desktop computers, smartphones, or through Bluetooth speakers. Furthermore, they provide options to download music for offline listening and offer different pricing tiers to cater to varying levels of service, with monthly fees that are roughly equivalent (except for Tidal’s higher-priced top tier).
Unlike streaming platforms for movies, which often compete based on exclusive content, the music streaming services discussed here do not restrict access to specific songs. For instance, you can listen to “Black Sabbath” from the album “Black Sabbath” by Black Sabbath on Spotify, Apple Music, or Tidal, and the experience will be transformative regardless of your choice.
However, these services are not identical. They do have subtle differences, such as variations in user interfaces and music recommendation algorithms. While these distinctions exist, they are relatively minor. Instead of attempting to determine which service is the “best,” it is more practical to discuss which type of user would find each service appealing based on their unique characteristics.
Spotify: The best streaming service for social people
Spotify, founded in Sweden in 2006 and introduced in the US in 2011, stands as the largest and perhaps the most renowned music streaming service worldwide. With a user base exceeding half a billion individuals, Spotify offers a platform for music, podcasts, radio, and audiobooks, accessible on computers, smartphones, and virtually any streaming-capable device. It’s this extensive audience that positions Spotify as the top choice for those seeking to connect with others. The substantial subscriber count allows for broader playlist sharing, collaborative group playlists, visibility into your friends’ listening habits, the ability to share your year-end statistics on Twitter, and more. While other services offer equivalents to many of these features, attempting to share a Tidal playlist with someone reveals the advantage of a Spotify account.
Some critics of Spotify point to its lower quality playback as a potential drawback, although whether it’s genuinely inferior is a subjective matter.
Here are some key statistics for Spotify:
- Price: Spotify offers a premium tier for individual users at $10.99 per month. For two people, it’s $14.99 per month, for up to six users, it’s $16.99 per month, and students can access it for $5.99 per month. Additionally, Spotify provides an ad-supported “free” tier.
- Selection: The platform boasts a library of over 100 million tracks.
- Music quality: Spotify’s premium tier delivers music in AAC and Ogg Vorbis formats at up to 320 kbit/s.
Apple Music: The best music streaming service if you’re on a budget
It’s almost unbelievable to declare an Apple product as the most budget-conscious or no-frills option, but that’s precisely the case here. Apple Music’s Voice membership comes in at $4.99 per month, roughly half the price of Spotify. For this modest sum, you gain access to Apple Music’s extensive catalog without any pesky commercial interruptions. However, there’s a catch: your navigation is limited to Siri. You can use Siri, either by voice command or “type to Siri” text input, to create radio stations, playlists based on songs or moods, and perform basic functions. Still, you’re unable to create or edit playlists, listen to music offline, enjoy playback on a non-Apple device, or access higher quality sound. But if your mindset is simply “I want to listen to my songs,” then Apple Music Voice is a remarkable steal at just five dollars per month.
Apple Music’s individual plan is significantly more comprehensive and aligns with other premium tiers. It offers music downloads, lossless playback, and the ability to play music from your iTunes library, even including CDs you ripped back in 2003. However, Apple’s music organization system has been a source of frustration since the early iTunes days, and Apple Music doesn’t entirely resolve this issue.
Here are the details for Apple Music:
- Prices: Voice membership is priced at $4.99 per month, while Apple Music’s Individual tier is $10.99 per month. The Family tier costs $16.99, and the Student option is available for $5.99 per month.
- Selection: The platform boasts a library of over 100 million tracks.
- Highest quality playback: Apple Music streams music in AAC and ALAC formats at up to 192kHz.
Amazon Music Unlimited: The best music streaming service for students
If you’re a student, Amazon’s offers are fantastic. After a 6-month free trial, Amazon Prime is available at half-price, and Amazon Music Unlimited costs just $0.99 per month, granting you full access to its extensive music library and features, including 100 million songs, playlists, podcasts, and recommendations – all for less than a dollar.
For those who aren’t students and are seeking a streaming music service, you might already be shelling out $139 annually to Amazon for free shipping. In that case, trimming a dollar from your monthly expenses by opting for Amazon Music Unlimited at $10 per month instead of paying $11 for Spotify or Apple Music might be appealing. Alternatively, you might find the cost difference negligible. However, it’s challenging to pinpoint precisely why, but if you prioritize coolness, Amazon Music Unlimited tends to be viewed as the least trendy music streaming service.
Here are the key details for Amazon Music Unlimited:
- Prices: The base price for Amazon Music Unlimited is $9.99 per month for Prime Members, while non-Prime members pay $10.99. The family plan, which accommodates up to six profiles, is $16.99 per month, available with or without Prime. For Amazon Prime’s student accounts, the cost is just $0.99 per month. (It’s important to note that these plans are separate from Amazon Music Prime, which is free for Prime members but comes with playback control restrictions and lower-quality streaming.)
- Selection: Amazon Music Unlimited boasts a collection of 100 million tracks.
- Highest quality streaming: Amazon claims that its Ultra HD streaming offers quality “better than CD quality.” It uses 24-bit audio with a sample rate of up to 192kHz.