Music Streaming Guide: Which Service Is Best for You?
The post Music Streaming Guide: Which Service Is Best for You? appeared first on Consequence.
There has never been more music to listen to, nor have fans ever faced greater choices on how they’ll listen. While YouTube Music and Spotify take up most of streaming’s bandwidth, deep-pocketed rivals such as Apple Music and Amazon Prime are making a push for your eardrums, and disruptors from Tidal to Qobuz hope to stand out by tweaking or improving the listener experience.
So which is best? Well, that depends a lot on your needs. Are you mindful of artist payout rates, or more concerned about your own wallet? Do you crave a top-shelf audio experience? Do you care about podcasts? Is there ever a reason to bust out Pandora?
Consequence is here to help. Our streaming guide ranks eight of the best and most popular streaming platforms on a wide variety of criteria, from the easily quantifiable (how much does it cost?) to more poetical concerns (how good is the sound of the drum break on Phil Collins’ “In the Air Tonight?”). Read on to find the platform most suited to your needs. — Wren Graves
Spotify
Price
There’s an array of pricing tiers on Spotify — a free account comes with ads, and a student account (the cheapest ad-free paid option) costs $4.99 a month. From there, a standard individual account runs at $9.99 a month, and a family plan with six accounts is quite a deal at $15.99 a month. Spotify also recently launched a tier perfect for couples called Duo, which keeps accounts separate but runs as one combined payment. The first two months are free, the following two months are $9.99, and official pricing kicks in at $12.99 a month.
Podcasts?
Yes! Spotify is actually one of the most well-known platforms for podcasts, and offers features that introduce users to similar pods they might enjoy.
Audio Quality
Well, Neil Young said music on Spotify “sounds like a pixelated movie.” Spotify’s audio quality isn’t the very worst option, but it certainly doesn’t elevate or prioritize the listening experience.
How Good Does the Drum Break on “In the Air Tonight” Sound on This Service?
Pretty solid, but mostly because it’s a great drum break. Spotify gets no credit!
Artist Payouts
This is where things get really rough for Spotify. It’s notoriously one of the worst options for artist payouts, with the latest data from a 2023 report from Ditto Music reporting $0.003 – $0.005 per stream on average. Per stream! Apply that to a reasonably streamed musician — let’s look at Gracie Abrams, for example. Her song “I should hate you” has been streamed 4.1 million times, but applying that streaming rate equates to a total payout of $1,230, which has to be split under publishing requirements. Think about smaller and emerging artists who have never cracked a million on a track; artist payouts are not something people can depend on here.
Biggest Strength
Perhaps the best thing about Spotify is its algorithmic capabilities. Throughout the year, the Discover Weekly playlist is able to get deep on new music a user might enjoy, and often gets it right; the Release Radar keeps people in the loop on musicians they already enjoy. Spotify is able to blend taste profiles between artists and listeners, allows people to download their playlists and listen offline, and generally makes things fun for the user. Then, there’s the marketing gem that is the annual Spotify Wrapped adventure, something people look forward to engaging with and sharing. Hype builds to extreme levels towards the end of the year, and social media is flooded with screenshots of user data and playful analytics.
Biggest Flaw
Once again, that artist payout is an enormous downside to Spotify’s model. There are so many great things about the platform from a user experience perspective, but it’s not necessarily the place to go for anyone who likes to support their favorite artists with their wallet.
Subscribe if you…
Are obsessed with lists, algorithms, and data insights about your own habits. — Mary Siroky
Tidal
Price
If you read the Price section on Spotify then boy will this sound familiar. Tidal also offers a free ad-supported a tier and a student plan for $4.99, and the first paid plan (the HiFi plan) also starts at $9.99 for individuals, though the first family plan comes in one dollar cheaper than Spotify at $14.99/month. Notably, Tidal also offers the HiFi Plus package which promises Master Quality Authenticated sound for $19.99 for one person and $29.99 for up to six devices.
Podcasts?
You know how pizza sauce is technically made from fruit? Tidal technically has podcasts.
Audio Quality
The free tier is Spotify on a worse app. The HiFi tier is a significant upgrade over Spotify and YouTube Music, and the HiFi Plus is as good as streaming gets.
How Good Does the Drum Break on “In the Air Tonight” Sound on This Service?
HiFi: Hell yeah! Those drums slap.
HiFi Plus: [Editor’s note: No report was possible because our reviewers instantly blacked out, though one person recalled a communion with a higher power described as “touching the face of God.”]
Artist Payouts
Here’s where Tidal really shines. According to a report from Producer Hive, Tidal is the only major streaming platform to average more than $.01 per stream. It is far and away the industry leader in getting artists paid.
Biggest Strength
Only Qobuz can compete with Tidal when it comes to audio quality, and Tidal is in a league of its own for artist payouts. Add it together, and Tidal is pretty clearly the best platform for honoring the artist’s labor.
Bonus Track: Tidal does a better job than most platforms at showing a song or album’s credits. Want to know who produced that beat or who was playing that guitar? Tidal makes it easy.
Biggest Flaw
During testing the app would occasionally freeze if a song were paused for a long period of time, though the latest software update seems to have fixed that issue. Beyond that, the playlist and discovery features are pretty uninspired, and the platform doesn’t make it very easy to learn what new music came out this week. Tidal is for people who know what they want to listen to, not for people hoping to explore.
Subscribe if you…
Crave a premium listening experience that rewards artists for their labor. — W.G.
YouTube Music
Price
YouTube Music also has a free tier for online streaming. For ad-free and offline streaming, including the option to download songs directly to your device, YouTube Music offers a premium tier for $9.99 a month. Individuals can also subscribe to their annual premium plan for $99.99, which provides you with all the premium benefits at a discounted rate for 12 months. For families, YouTube Music’s Family Plan is offered at $14.99 a month, where you’re allowed to add up to 5 members of your household to your premium plan. Lastly, YouTube Music’s Student Plan is offered at $4.99 a month, with the first month free.
Podcasts?
Podcasts with video components are often uploaded to YouTube directly and therefore accessible through YouTube Music, but as a platform-wide strategy, no.
Audio Quality
The audio quality offered on YouTube Music is similar to that of Spotify — i.e. not overwhelmingly good.
How Good Does the Drum Break on “In the Air Tonight” Sound on This Service?
Perhaps not as comprehensive and detailed as it should.
Artist Payouts
YouTube Music pays artists $0.008 per stream, meaning it would take 125,000 streams to reach $1,000 in royalties.
Biggest Strength
The promise of accompanying visual components — especially in this day and age, where even Spotify is trying to take a page from TikTok’s book — is an intriguing strength. Its design and overall user experience is also great, and encourages discovery, building an extensive library of music, and serving up songs that are similar to your tastes.
Biggest Flaw
Podcasts and audiobooks are not very easy to find on YouTube Music, if they’re there at all. The strategy is music-and-visuals-forward, which means anything else falls to the wayside. That includes full albums, which sometimes take some extra clicking to access. Furthermore, YouTube Music does not have as big of a top-down editorial focus like Spotify does — similar to the way YouTube’s platform works, there’s a more community-focused approach to playlists and mood-oriented collections.
Subscribe if you…
Enjoy taking in video content in addition to passively listening to music. The connection between YouTube as a whole and their music platform should be appealing to those who spend a lot of time on the website, and can help provide intriguing visual content to supplement your interests. — Paolo Ragusa
Amazon Music
Price
Amazon has three different tiers of their music platform: Free, Unlimited, and Prime. The free version only requires an Amazon account and features a wide library of songs and podcasts — but not all. Similar to Pandora, there’s a skip limit — meaning when you listen to a radio or playlist, there are only so many songs you can skip in a row.
Amazon Music: Free also has ads. Unlimited, on the other hand, is priced at $8.99 and currently offering three months free for a limited time only. With the unlimited plan, you have access to Amazon’s full music and podcast library on or offline, unlimited skips, and an ad-free listening experience. Unlimited also offers student plans ($5.99 per month with the first month free), a family plan ($15.99 per month with the first month free), and a single device plan, designed to play on an Amazon Echo or Fire TV ($4.99 per month with the first month free).
The last tier is Prime, which is included with your Amazon Prime subscription (you don’t need to be a Prime subscriber for the other two tiers). Amazon Prime is $15.99 per month, and the Prime Music platform includes the same ad-free library as the Unlimited tier — so if you’re already paying for Prime, you essentially have the Unlimited tier.
Podcasts?
Yes! Amazon Music has an extensive podcast library.
Audio Quality
The audio quality is solid, but again, not in the same realm as Qobuz or even Tidal. Also, speakers matter— most Amazon Music streamers will use Alexa or Fire TV to stream, which isn’t exactly the ideal way to listen.
How Good Does the Drum Break on “In the Air Tonight” Sound on This Service?
Coming from Alexa, it’s a little weak — but on good quality headphones, it gets the job done.
Artist Payouts
Amazon Music is on the lower end of payouts, offering $0.004 per stream. An artist would need 250,000 streams to earn $1,000 in royalties.
Biggest Strength
Amazon Prime is already a very popular platform for shopping and streaming TV and movies, so it’s definitely a strength that they essentially offer unlimited music streaming with the package. Podcasts and audiobooks are also very well-represented on Amazon music.
Biggest Flaw
The free tier isn’t much, considering the skip limit, reduced library, and frequent ads. The unlimited tier, on the other hand, has a wide-ranging library, but it feels much closer to radio-esque services like Pandora. The design, as well as the slightly confusing fact that they’re offering three separate tiers, isn’t as intuitive either. Lastly, subscribing to Amazon Music also hinges on your feelings about Amazon — putting more money in Jeff Bezos’ pocket may or may not be a dealbreaker.
Subscribe if you…
Already have Amazon Prime. Amazon’s library is huge, and the connection to actually purchasing physical records or merchandise from artists via Amazon is a nice plus. However, there seems to be a larger focus on using Amazon Music as a radio a la Pandora rather than building your own library of songs, so if that’s the type of music streamer you are, it’s a good fit. — P.R.
Apple Music
Price
Apple Music will run listeners $10.99 a month for an individual account, which features ad-free listening to the entire Apple Music catalog, downloads, and original radio programming. Also available are the Student Plan (the same access for $5.99 a month) and the Family Plan (up to six personal libraries for $16.99). In 2021, Apple introduced the Voice Plan (4.99 a month) as well, which skips frills like on-device downloads, Spacial Audio, and more. Instead, it simply grants users access to the music library through Siri.
Unlike some of its counterparts, Apple Music does not offer a free tier.
Podcasts?
Yes… and no. Apple Music does include original radio programming, but you won’t be able to find your favorite true crime podcast anywhere on the app. It’s hard to say Apple gets a hard no in this category, however, as Apple merely separates its music and podcast services. Apple Podcasts is free and continues to be one of the largest podcasting platforms in the industry. You’ll just have to use another app on your phone.
Audio Quality
Apple Music’s audio quality stands fairly tall in comparison to services like Spotify. The service supports up to 24-bit/192kHz, Spatial Audio with Dolby Atmos, and lossless audio files. But, there’s a catch. To fully max out Apple Music’s capabilities, you’ll need either a digital-to-analog converter (DAC) or a nice pair of wired headphones – just don’t expect to plug those wired headphones into a standard headphone jack if you are using an Apple device.
How Good Does the Drum Break on “In the Air Tonight” Sound on This Service?
Can’t imagine Phil complaining!
Artist Payouts
Better than most. Paying out roughly $.008 cents per stream, artists’ revenue tends to add up a lot quicker than Spotify’s average of three-tenths to one-half of a penny.
Biggest Strength
Frankly, Apple Music’s biggest strength is its all-around package. It might not take the number one spot in any one category, but it averages out to be more consistent across the board, making good marks in everything from audio quality to payouts to its user interface. When paired with iTunes integration (important for any users holding on to their purchased digital library), it’s an appealing choice for those who have any level of investment in Apple’s ecosystem.
Biggest Flaw
Integration with devices that don’t come from Apple. The service works remarkably well on iPhones, iPads, and Macs, but if you have been able to resist joining Apple’s armada thus far, Apple Music likely isn’t going to be your exception.
Subscribe if you…
Have an iPhone and hate Spotify. — Jonah Krueger
Deezer
Price
If you are looking to get your deez’ on, Deezer has quite a few options for how to do so. At the bottom, there’s the free tier, which resembles Spotify’s free option in its limitations: ad breaks, no offline listening, and shuffle-only. Then comes the Premium account, which rids you of those pesky advertisements and allows you to play any song you wish for $10.99 a month.
Pay for a Premium account on an annual basis and they’ll knock off 25% (marked down to $8.24 a month), or prove you’re a student and they’ll cut the price in half (down to $5.99 a month). In case you are looking to spend more money instead of less, the Family Plan runs for $17.99 a month, granting all of the access of a Premium account to six individual accounts.
Podcasts?
You can move on over to the podcasts tab, and search for your favorite show. Just don’t hold out too much hope that you’ll actually find that show, as the selection is noticeably more limited than that of Apple or Spotify.
Audio Quality
Deezer offers two playback options, 128kbps and 320kbps, which are pretty standard as far as streaming services go. However, shell out $14.99 a month (four bucks more than a standard Premium account), and you can take full advantage of Deezer HiFi, which opens up the platform’s library of lossless FLAC files. These FLACs will bump that quality up to 16-bit/44.1 kHz, as good as you can expect from online streaming.
How Good Does the Drum Break on “In the Air Tonight” Sound on This Service?
If you’re paying $10.99, pretty good. If you’re paying $14.99, very good.
Artist Payouts
When measured by average payout per stream, Deezer is in the middle of the pack at $0.0064. What is unique about Deezer, however, is its model of payment. Rather than break up its pool of revenue based on the percentage of streams any given artist claimed like, say, Spotify, the service pays for each stream. The straightforward model is surprisingly novel in the world of major streaming platforms.
Biggest Strength
Deezer’s greatest strength is its usability. It’s on par with streaming services that boast many times its users in nearly every category, and for many, the user interface may prove to be even more intuitive. Especially in comparison to the so-called “TikTok-ification” of Spotify, Deezer is clean, simple, and easy to understand. It’s for the minimalist in us all.
Biggest Flaw
Frankly, it just can’t compete with the sheer size of its most notable competitors. While undoubtedly vast, the music library is certainly less expansive than Apple Music or Spotify, and the gap becomes even more apparent when it comes to podcasts. It’s to be expected with an underdog. It simply doesn’t have the same resources, capital, or notoriety.
Subscribe if you…
Appreciate the simpler things in life, are a third-party voter. — J.K.
Pandora
Price
The free tier, quite honestly, doesn’t offer much — users are able to skip and search songs, but after watching ads; personalized stations are just about the only feature users have access to on this plan. Pandora Plus, at $4.99, expands things with unlimited skips, ad-free stations, and downloadable music, but doesn’t allow for playlisting. Pandora’s premium feature, at $9.99, is the most inclusive on that front, and this plan is offered discounted to $4.99 for students and $7.99 for members of the military. Lastly, a $14.99 premium family plan allows for maximum features on up to six lines.
Podcasts?
While all levels of Pandora subscription have access to podcasts, it’s a bit different from “following” or subscribing to a pod of choice. Instead, users add podcasts they enjoy to their collection and track them from there.
Audio Quality
Interestingly, according to a report from SoundGuys, the maximum bitrate for Pandora Premium is 192kbps, while Spotify Premium’s offers up to 320kbps. Essentially, this means Spotify’s sound quality is better, which is saying something, since Spotify’s isn’t close to the best on this list.
How Good Does the Drum Break on “In the Air Tonight” Sound on This Service?
If one of the channels happens to shuffle by this song, enjoy it, but it’ll probably sound a bit better elsewhere.
Artist Payouts
Oof — according to 2022 data on RootNote, Pandora pays a bummer of an average $0.00133 per stream. That’s $1,300 for a song that hits a million streams!
Biggest Strength
Pandora’s best functionality is probably in the fact that it can be thrown on for folks who just don’t want to think too much about it. It’s more similar to a Sirius radio station at its core than a customizable streaming service.
Biggest Flaw
The user experience isn’t the top priority for Pandora. The fact that a paid tier doesn’t allow for people to create their own playlists says a lot, but is also reflective of where Pandora started, which was in the “channel” format.
Subscribe if you…
Don’t want to think about curating, queueing up songs, or sound quality. — M.S.
Qobuz
Price
There are two tiers of subscription — a Studio level, which starts at $10.83/month, and allows for unlimited “studio quality” streaming of over 100 million tracks, as well as access to the service’s editorial content and offline listening. The Sublime tier, starting at $15.00/month, includes the same features as a Studio subscription, with the additional option to get discounts of “up to 60%” on high-resolution album purchases. For both Studio and Sublime tiers, there’s the option of Solo subscriptions (one account per subscription), Duo subscriptions (two accounts per subscription), or Family subscriptions (six accounts per subscription).
Podcasts?
None. For better or for worse, Qobuz is focused on music alone.
Audio Quality
Billing itself as having the “best sound quality available for streaming,” every track you stream on Qobuz includes specifics about the level of playback you can expect (16-bit CD Quality and higher) and yeah, it all just sounds incredible, with a richer and deeper experience across the board, especially in comparison to other services.
How Good Does the Drum Break on “In the Air Tonight” Sound on This Service?
Extraordinary. Tears in your eyes. You listen, and you are this gorilla. You are infinite.
Artist Payouts
Not publicly available. Per a Qobuz spokesperson: “Like most streaming services, Qobuz pays rights-holders a contractual pro rata share of all the money we collect for streaming. We don’t pay per stream. That said, since we have no free tier… creators report seeing a high per-stream payout in the accounting they receive from their distributors. In addition, Qobuz continues to grow our download store business, which can drive significant unit sales revenue for creators.”
Biggest Strength
As mentioned above — the sound quality, without question. Though it’s also worth calling out the human touch, as Qobuz features a fair amount of human-generated editorial in terms of playlists as well as actual coverage like album reviews, interviews, and artist retrospectives, which during sampling was well-written and presented elegantly within the app.
Biggest Flaw
While the songs might sound amazing, the overall app experience needs a lot work — basic functionality like double-clicking on a song to make it play wasn’t present in the desktop experience, and overall both the mobile and desktop apps felt clunky in their design, while lacking many of the features present on Spotify.
Subscribe if you…
Care about audio quality above all else, as there’s no denying the focus that Qobuz puts on servicing a rich auditory experience. Otherwise, there’s probably a dealbreaker or two lurking here for you, whether it be the lack of podcasts, the app functionality, or the missing features. Still, there’s every possibility that down the line, Qobuz will address some of these issues, and become the new must-have service you want to tell all your friends about. In that event, please know this: It’s pronounced “ko-buzz.” — Liz Shannon Miller
Music Streaming Guide: Which Service Is Best for You?
Consequence Staff
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