With new features like podcasts and spatial music, competition between Spotify, Apple Music and YouTube Music is keener than ever.
Streaming is the most convenient and popular way to listen to your favorite songs, and it no longer means you have to compromise on sound quality. A growing number of providers include lossless and spatial Dolby Atmos audio, but with so many different music services on offer, how are you supposed to choose?
If you're shopping around for a new music provider -- inspired by developments such as Joe Rogan versus Neil Young, for example -- the two things you need to consider most are monthly cost and compatibility. Though prices have been more stable at around $10 a month -- not something I can say with live TV streaming -- there have been some other big changes recently, including the addition of hi-res music. Most of the services have music catalogs of over 60 million songs, so that's not really an issue, and they enable you to stream from your phone, computer or speaker, though some are better at this than others.
Spotify is a pioneer in music streaming and is arguably the best-known service. It offers a number of curated music discovery services, including its Discover Weekly playlist, and is constantly implementing new ones, such as Stations. It's also ramped up its nonmusic content with a push toward podcasts, which indirectly led to folk-rock icon Neil Young leaving the service.
When it comes to choosing a service, it's a close race between Spotify Premium and Apple Music, but Spotify still wins as the best music streaming service overall. This is thanks to a fun, easy-to-use interface, an extensive catalog and the best device compatibility. Spotify also offers the best free tier: Without paying a dime or providing a credit card number, you can stream Spotify Connect to numerous Wi-Fi devices.
Meanwhile, Spotify missed the deadline of late 2021 for its new HiFi (lossless) tier, and the company can't say when it will be coming. Meanwhile, competitors like Apple Music, Amazon Music Unlimited and Tidal are now offering lossless or even Dolby Atmos music at no extra charge. In addition, Spotify hiked prices on a number of plans in 2021, even though the base price remains $10 a month in the US.
The Good
- Free version is impressively robust
- Spotify Connect simplifies connecting to wireless speakers and AV receivers
- Easy to build your own playlists and sync them for offline listening
- Allows you to follow artists and be alerted when they release new music or announce an upcoming show
- Now includes podcasts
The Bad
- Advertisements in the free service can be intrusive
- You can't listen to specific songs in the free tier, just a mix based on the requested music
- No lossless option
- Podcasts have begun to overshadow music in importance
Best for: People who want a solid all-around service, and especially for people who love to make, browse and share playlists for any scenario.
Apple Music runs second to Spotify in terms of subscribers, but surpasses its rival in a few key areas. It offers a friendly interface, over 90 million tracks, and compatibility with both iOS and Android devices. Yes, it has spatial audio albums at no extra charge, but these 1,000 tracks are dwarfed by the rest of the catalog.
Not surprisingly, Apple Music is the best choice if you've invested heavily in the Apple ecosystem. If you own an Apple HomePod or Mini, it is the default subscription service to summon music with your voice. Apple Music also makes the ideal companion for an iPod Touch, which, after 20 years, is still a thing. There's also a ton of curated playlists, many handcrafted by musicians and tastemakers, but it lacks the robust sharing options built into Spotify.
Apple Music is the only one of our top three with a digital locker to store your own library of songs -- YouTube Music, below, is the other music locker option. There are two ways to upload your music: for free with a Music subscription, but with DRM; or $25 a year for iTunes Match, which will let you download again even without a Music subscription.
The Good
- Spatial and hi-res music included for your $10 a month
- Combines your iTunes library with music you don't own, with a choice of music lockers
- Human music experts and algorithms help find music you'll want to hear based on what you play
- You can control what you hear or search for new music using Siri on Apple HomePod or other Apple devices
The Bad
- The Android app and experience isn't as fun as the iOS one
- Doesn't work with old iPods (except the iPod Touch)
Best for: Those who are wrapped up in the Apple world, or who simply want excellent value for money.
Qobuz offers hi-res audio streams too, and unlike Tidal you don't need a specialized MQA decoder to listen to them. They can sound great on an Android phone or a high-end music system. It may not offer Dolby Atmos music, but the current catalog of songs on other services isn't that impressive anyway.
The service offers two plans -- the hi-res Studio Premier ($13 monthly or $130 yearly) and the $180 annual Sublime Plus. Uniquely, the service offers its own hi-res download store, and if you sign up for Sublime you get a discount on purchases.
At 70 million tracks, Qobuz's streaming catalog rivals Tidal's and Spotify's in number, though it may not have the most obscure artists. Qobuz generally steers towards hi-res recordings so it is especially suited to jazz and classical fans, though its rock selection is fairly robust. The fact that it's cheaper than Tidal, and doesn't require a specialized equipment to listen in 24-bit/192Hz, makes Qobuz our favorite service for serious music lovers.
The Good
- The app is really clean and fun to use
- Ability to listen to 24-bit music without needing a specialized decoder
- One of the more affordable hi-res services
- Offers a download store as well
The Bad
- May be some gaps in the catalog
- No spatial audio
Best for: Audiophiles who want hi-res music for a decent price plus the ability to buy and download albums.
Also worth considering
Now partly owned by Jack Dorsey's Block, Tidal has introduced some important changes recently: namely that it now has a free tier called, naturally, Tidal Free. The company also offers the $10 Tidal HiFi plan, which includes lossless playback, and the premium $20 Tidal HiFi Plus tier.
Tidal HiFi Plus may be the most expensive of all the services, and while it offers hi-res and Dolby Atmos mixes, it now has another good reason for this. Tidal's main hook has always been that its higher subscription price translates to better payouts to artists -- especially musicians who aren't at the top of the pop charts. The service will now pay your top streamed artist each month a 10% cut of your subscription fee. Even if you only stream one song all month the full $2 will go to them. Forget fractions of a cent for a play; with enough spins from enough people, this could mean serious money for your favorite band.
While Tidal used to be the best option for audiophiles, Qobuz has caught up by promising arguably better sound quality (no MQA decoder required), a cheaper price and some recent improvements in its catalog. Based on my own experience, Tidal still trumps it for breadth -- and it now exceeds 80 million tracks, including longtime holdouts Metallica. If you're an audiophile, a fan of urban music or a mix of both, then Tidal should appeal to you.
The Good
- High-fidelity music streams including Dolby Atmos surround mixes
- Lots of video content, including concert livestreams
- Profiles and record reviews on every page, plus up-and-coming artist spotlights
- Free tier, while its top tier offers payouts for favorite artists
The Bad
- The mobile apps and web player aren't as straightforward as some others
- The catalog isn't as exhaustive as Spotify Premium
- Most high-res music uses MQA, which needs a specialized decoder
Best for: Musically inclined purists who care deeply about sound quality and discovering new, up-and-coming artists.
Amazon Prime Music comes "free" as part of a Prime membership, but users can choose to upgrade to Music Unlimited. In addition to an expanded catalog, the step-up now includes the original HD service at $8 for Prime members, or $10 if you don't have Prime. Music Unlimited now gives you access to millions of lossless tracks as well as 1,000 "spatial" remixes, which can be played on Dolby Atmos soundbars, Android or iOS devices and the Amazon Echo Studio. In terms of usability, the Music Unlimited interface is also more powerful than before with playlists, genres and podcasts all accessible from the main page.
The Good
- Cheaper than the top three if you're an Amazon Prime member
- Lyrics automatically pop up on the "now playing" screen
- Hi-res and spatial audio from Sony 360 Reality Audio and Dolby Atmos at no extra charge
- Offers free music stations for Amazon Echo, Echo Dot and Amazon Tap (includes ads)
The Bad
- Artist profiles don't have biographies
- The service no longer includes a music locker
Best for: Amazon Prime members who want to save a few bucks on a decent music catalog and higher-quality streams.
0 Comments
Post a Comment