Music streaming services have kicked radio off the curb. People just want to stream interruption-free music while commuting, working out, studying, or something else altogether. People now want a music platform with no BS, just an intuitive music player. Fortunately for music lovers, there are tons of music streaming services. This can make it difficult to choose the right music service.
In this blog post, we will compare different music streaming options. Hopefully, you’ll be able to find a new favorite music streaming service.
Best Music Streaming Service for 2023
Here’s our list of the best music streaming services that you can choose in 2023.
1. Spotify
Spotify is a pioneer music streaming service and is popularly known. It comes with numerous music features. It offers a huge online library of music. It is not only a place where you can get access to music but it also includes podcasts. It has its own weekly playlist, stations, etc. It has an easy-to-use interface and can be accessible on mobile as well.
What We like:
- Like other competitors, it offers many important features in its free version.
- Easy connectivity AV receivers and wireless speakers.
- Create your own custom playlists and access them even while you are offline.
- It allows you to follow your favorite artist and singers and their upcoming updates.
We don’t like:
- Advertisements can be annoying in the free version.
- You can’t access every song using the free version of it.
- No lossless audio option
Best for: People looking for a reliable all-around service, especially those who enjoy creating, browsing, and sharing playlists for various situations.
Price:
- Cost of a monthly premium: $9.99
- Various Plans: Family ($15.99/month), Duo ($12.99/month), and Students ($4.99/month)
- 60-day free trial period
2. Apple Music
Apple Music is the go-to music streaming service for iOS users. It is one of the biggest music streaming platforms. However, last year it increased its price, which made several users switch to Spotify. Regardless, Apple Music proudly boasts around 80 million users. Apple Music ranks right after Spotify in the context of subscribers.
What we like:
- It offers spatial audio for just $11. Spatial audio is an interactive and dynamic soundscape to bring music quality to the next level.
- It combines your iTunes library with tunes you don’t own, with a desire for a tune locker.
- Developer makes its algorithms expert so that it finds appropriate results based on the desire.
What we don’t like
- The user experience can be more exciting for Android or PC users.
Best for: Those who are wrapped up in the Apple world, or who sincerely desire awesome cost for money.
Price:
- Monthly Price: $10.99
- Family ($16.99/month), Student ($5.99/month), and Voice ($4.99/month) are other plans.
- 1-month free trial period
3. Amazon Music
Amazon Music is an amazing prime music service platform that offers unlimited streaming of limited music. It has around 55 million subscribers around the world. It comes with both free and prime membership. Users can choose on their recommendation.
What we like:
Amazon Music comes with a cheaper price as compared to the above three services.
- It helps in lyrics by showing it automatically when the music is played.
- Hi-res and spatial audio make it unique from the competitors.
- At no extra charge, it offers Sony 360 Reality Audio and Dolby Atmos.
- Offers free song stations for Amazon Echo, Echo Dot, and Amazon Tap (includes ads)
What we don’t like:
- Artist profiles don’t have biographies
- This platform no longer consists of a music locker
Best for: Amazon Prime subscribers who desire to retail a few bucks on a first-rate song catalog and higher-quality streams.
Price:
- Cost of a monthly premium: $9.99
- Various Plans: Family ($15.99/month), Duo ($12.99/month), and Students ($4.99/month)
- 60-day free trial period
4. Tidal
Tidal is a streaming subscription music service. It has around 5 million users. It comes with tens of millions of pieces of music. It offers podcasts, music videos, and exclusive music.
What we like:
- It’s a high-fidelity music stream.
- It offers Dolby Atmos sound like its other competitor.
- Comes with lots of video content, music videos, and live streams.
- Better insight about artists and spotlight on their coming announcement.
What we don’t like:
- The mobile app and web player can be complex compared to its competitors.
- The music catalog isn’t as exhaustive as Spotify Premium.
- There’s a free tier available, but you have to pay for your favorite artists while in the top tier.
Best for: Those who care deeply about sounding great and discovering new, up-and-coming artists.
Price:
- Free program: (US only)
- Premium subscription costs $19.99 per month (HiFi), $9.99 per month (HiFi Plus)
- Various Plans: Student HiFi/HiFi Plus is available for $4.99/$9.99 per month;
- Family HiFi/HiFi Plus is available for $14.99/$29.99 per month; Military HiFi/HiFi Plus is available for $5.99/$11.99 per month; First Responder HiFi/HiFi Plus is available for $5.99/$11.99 per month.
- 1-month free trial period.
5. YouTube Music
Chances are almost everyone has heard the name YouTube Music. It even replaced the fan favorite Google Play Music on android devices.
While YouTube Music can be considered an upgrade over Google Play Music, it hasn’t managed to gain the same fan following. YouTube Music provides lots of music related to your taste and choice. It offers a variety of music like Jazz, Hip Hop, Rock, and more. It crossed around 30 million subscribers around the world.
What we like:
- It puts a lot of attention on its discovery features.
- It has an extensive catalog not only of official songs but of remixes, live performances, covers, and music videos.
- It comes with a very intuitive user interface.
What we don’t like:
- Can not download your music on your device.
- No lossless audio option
- It’s strictly a music streaming service, does not contain video streaming.
Best for: Official singles, new albums, top songs, the latest music videos, and personalized music.
Price:
- It costs $9.99 per month with a one-month free trial or $14.99/month for up to 5 household members.
- It is cheaper than its competitors like Apple.
6. Deezer
Deezer is available in more than 185+ nations. It offers around 90 million songs in the music library. The software is sophisticated and user-friendly.
If we are to go by user reviews, it’s clearly a much-loved music streaming platform. But based on personal experience, there could be some things that need severe improvement. Some songs are only available as a 30-second preview if you’re on the free version, which is highly annoying. There’s no much library for podcasts, and audiobooks.
Regardless, it’s a great music streaming service, and deserves to be ranked on this list.
What we like:
- Bitrate cap: 1141 kbps (High Fidelity)
- all content is arranged in smaller grid layouts and detailed categories.
- HiFi streaming, a sizable music library, and access to podcasts, radio, and audiobooks are all provided by Deezer
- The software is sophisticated, clean, and user-friendly.
What we don’t like:
- Some songs are limited to 30-second previews on Deezer Free version.
- Limited availability for podcasts, audiobooks, and radio
- The highest “HiFi” audio quality is lower than other platforms
- Separate 360 Reality Audio app is required.
Best for: Those who want a well-designed user interface, lyric translation feature and more.
Price:
- Cost of the monthly premium: $10.99; if paid annually, $8.24;
- Various Plans: Family ($17.99/month), Students ($5.49/month)
- 1-month free trial period