As a Latino in the U.S., I’ve always loved listening to Spanish music. In the past, I used to buy CDs but then came MP3 and iPods, and suddenly, I could carry my favorite album around and listen to it from anywhere. Well, a few years later, online music streaming platforms changed the music landscape. Not only could we listen to any song, but there was no storage restriction as well.
Now, there are tons of music streaming platforms and a few of them are a class apart. And in this article, I share everything about those online music streaming platforms. So, let’s start:
- YouTube Music:
Platforms Available On:
Android, iOS, PC, Smart Home Devices
- Features:
Most music streaming apps only play audio songs, but on YouTube Music, you can watch videos as well as listen to music.
You may also find some songs with no video available. But the following features make up for it. Curating a playlist on YouTube Music is no big deal. Besides that, you can find live performances or concerts of your favorite artists on YouTube Music. Also, an “Explore” section on YouTube Music lets you listen to some really captivating songs.
- Unique Selling Point:
There’s one feature of YouTube Music that makes it stand out from the other streaming apps. Sometimes, we keep on repeating some lyrics, but can’t remember the song’s name, and hence, the search goes on. With YouTube Music, a single lyric of that song should be enough to find it!
The lyrics-based searches aren’t very common in other online music streaming apps. And looks like YouTube is the one to take this feature to perfection. Just hit the search bar with a single line and let YouTube Music find the whole song for you, simple.
- Free vs. Subscription:
Even without a subscription, there’s nothing that could stop you from accessing YouTube Music and its podcast library. However, ads may ruin your experience.
Before every song, an ad pops up. You can skip the app after several seconds, but it may still be a little frustrating for some users. Plus, free users cannot play the YouTube Music app in the background (unless you are using the app from a desktop). Finally, users also don’t have much control over the playlist in the free version of YouTube Music.
Besides a two-month free trial, YouTube Music Premium is priced at $13.99 a month. YouTube Music offers a family plan as well for $22.99 a month that lets you add up to 5 users. Plus, a student plan for $7.99 a month is also available.
Disclaimer: Prices may vary from time to time and depend on the user’s location as well.
There are no traces of any ads on YouTube Music Premium. You can listen to your favorite songs in the background, on repeat, and download them offline as well. There’s also no stopping you from skipping directly to the song you want to listen to on the premium version!
- Audio Quality:
Although YouTube Music offers 48Kbps AAC, 128Kpbs AAC, and 256Kpbs AAC bit rates, high-quality streaming is available for premium users only. This shouldn’t be a problem for free users because even at low or medium quality, the streaming is pretty good. That being said, the audio and video quality may drop on a spotty internet connection. As I’ve been using Xfinity and streaming my favorite tracks on YouTube and other platforms, I haven’t noticed a drop in either audio or video quality. If you’re looking to make a switch to a new ISP, you may find Spectrum internet plans quite affordable for the quality they offer.
- Spotify:
Platforms Available On:
Android, iOS, PC, Smart Home Devices
- Features:
Spotify is an audiophile’s heaven. It’s because over 100 million songs are available on Spotify with around 6 million podcasts. So, there’s plenty of music to enjoy on this music streaming platform.
Coming to its features, Spotify is one of the most intelligent music streaming apps, because it leverages AI to understand users’ choices.
Playlists can be shared with anyone, but that isn’t the best part. Spotify will curate some playlists based on your music taste and history. This way, you’re likely to find many songs that match your taste. Also, if you’re at the gym or at a wedding, Spotify lets you filter out the relatable songs from public playlists curated by other users or Spotify itself.
- Unique Selling Point:
Social integration, like collaborating with friends or Spotify Wrapped Annual Roundup, must be its standout feature. Although music streaming apps are gradually accepting this idea, Spotify is way ahead.
With collaborative playlists and group listening, you can create playlists, add songs, and share the playlist with your friends or family. Also, people you share the playlist with may also add their favorite songs so you get to experience different music tastes and a variety of different songs.
- Free vs. Subscription:
Just like YouTube Music, Spotify also has a free and premium version.
The free version is quite limited as it bounds the user in multiple ways. Firstly, a free user cannot shuffle songs or stream their playlist in an order. Secondly, they cannot replay or forward the song. They have to listen to the whole song before reaching their favorite part of it. Thirdly, ads may pop up frequently whenever a song ends. Lastly, the free version doesn’t work without an internet connection.
Although Spotify has a 1-month free trial, the Premium Individual plan costs $11.99 a month. Other plans such as Premium Duo, Family, and Student plans are priced at $16.99, $19.99, and $5.99 a month respectively.
Disclaimer: Prices may vary from time to time and depend on the user’s location as well.
While there are no ads on Spotify Premium, you can play any song or listen to podcasts on-demand. Also, there’s no restriction on songs’ shuffling and you can play it as many times as you want. Premium users can also download songs and listen to them offline.
- Audio Quality:
As Spotify has two versions; free and premium, the sound quality depends. For instance, if you’re using free Spotify, the maximum quality you can get is 160Kbps AAC. On the other hand, premium users can enjoy songs at a bit rate of 320Kbps AAC. That’s as high as it goes on Spotify.
- Apple Music:
Platforms Available On:
iOS devices, Android, PC, and smart home devices.
- Features:
Apple Music is head and shoulders with Spotify music library. It may not offer the social features that Spotify has, but there is a lot that you can do on Apple Music.
Apple Music discovery tool seems smarter than any other music streaming app. It provides a lot of curated playlists and music videos. Users who love to explore music and new artists may find Apple Music more useful.
If you’re surrounded by Apple devices, Apple Music may be the best option. You can easily integrate this music streaming app to your iOS devices. However, Android users don’t have to look away because they can access Apple Music without any hindrance.
- Unique Selling Point:
Apple Music’s sound quality should be its USP. Unlike most music streaming apps, this streaming platform has plenty that elevates the sound quality.
The lossless audio, spatial audio, and Dolby Atmos support take the sound quality to a whole different level with Apple Music. You may feel like listening to a song right in the recording room.
- Free vs Subscription:
It’s rare for a music streaming app not to have a free version. Well, Apple Music doesn’t have any free version and you have to pay to play anything on Apple Music.
However, you can still use Apple Music without paying a dime. If you’ve already purchased or synced some tracks, you can listen to them without any cost. There are no ads in Apple Music, even if you don’t pay for its services.
About its subscription, you may find Apple Music a bit cheaper than the rest of the music streaming apps. Apple Music lets you enjoy the songs free for the first month only. After that, there are three plans to choose from.
First is the Student Plan which comes at a price of $5.99 a month. Second is the Individual Plan which costs $10.99 a month. Last is the Family Plan which lets you add up to 6 people and costs $16.99 a month.
Disclaimer: Prices may vary from time to time and depend on the user’s location as well.
- Audio Quality:
Apple Music claims to deliver top-notch sound quality. That may very well be the case since Apple Music has lossless audio that enhances the sound quality. Plus, spatial audio and Dolby Atmos support are also present to elevate the songs’ quality.
Besides AAC, Apple Music’s entire catalog uses ALAC, which takes the audio quality from 44.1kHz to 192kHz. In short, Apple Music’s sound quality is one of the best among top music streaming apps.
- Amazon Music Unlimited:
Platforms Available On:
iOS devices, Android, PC, and smart home devices.
- Features:
Amazon Music (the free version) is no less than any music streaming app when it comes to music library. However, it’s best for users who are already immersed in the Amazon ecosystem. Users can access around 100 million songs, that too in HD and Ultra HD quality.
Amazon Music Unlimited (the premium version) has multiple features. Some of the best ones are its Karaoke-style lyrics that come with most songs. Also, you can find thousands of cool AI-generated playlists of any genre you want. Besides HD and Ultra HD quality music, Amazon Music Unlimited also offers spatial audio features to further enhance your listening experience.
- Unique Selling Point:
Amazon Music Unlimited is more focused on quality streaming. For that, they’ve introduced HD, Ultra HD, and CD-quality tiers for their users. Its services are quite tempting for users who are more concerned about a song’s quality. Plus, you can listen to all the newly released music tracks without ads on Amazon Music Unlimited.
Free vs Subscription:
Amazon Music Unlimited doesn’t come without a cost. People looking to enjoy the best quality songs without paying anything should seek Amazon Music. Some top features like HD, Ultra HD, or spatial audio are missing on Amazon Music.
Amazon Music Unlimited is the real deal, especially with such budget-friendly plans to choose from. The family plans start at $16.99 a month and let you add up to 6 people. You can enjoy ad-free high-quality music. If you’re an Amazon Prime member, you can avail Amazon Music Unlimited for $9.99 a month. Otherwise, it may cost you $10.99 per month.
Disclaimer: Prices may vary from time to time and depend on the user’s location as well.
- Audio Quality:
As stated above, Amazon Music users cannot listen to HD or Ultra-HD songs. However, if you’re using Amazon Music Unlimited, be ready to have a blast because you’ll get 850Kbps AAC on HD and a whopping 3,730Kbps streaming quality at 24-bit.
Now, as we’ve discussed some of the best music streaming apps, let’s see how you can choose the best one for you and your family.
How to Choose the Best Music Streaming Service?
Following are the few things that should be kept in mind while choosing what music streaming app is best for you:
- Ease of Use: See what app is the easiest in terms of finding songs, albums, or podcasts.
- Sound Quality and Data Consumption: You may want a high-quality sound. However, it may consume more data as well. So, keep that in mind and hit the balance when choosing a music streaming app.
- Pricing and Plans: See how much each app costs you. Ask yourself; if the free version suffices your needs. If yes, don’t go for any paid plans. Also, figure out if you’re the only person going to use the app because individual plans often cost more than family plans.
- Supported Platforms: Note that the devices you already own will go best with which streaming app. For example, if you have an Echo Dot, Amazon Music Unlimited may be the best option to choose.
- Additional Features: Every music streaming app has its own USP. See what USP suits you best and provides more features.
Before winding up, here’s a little suggestion; avail one-month free trial period that most streaming apps provide. You can try out different apps for yourself and then decide which app you want to stick with. As there are a lot of sterling music streaming services online, it may be one of the best ways to know which app is the music to your ears.
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