Music streaming services such as Spotify, Apple Music, Tidal, YouTube Music, Qobuz, and Deezer have dramatically changed the way we discover, listen to, and share music, allowing us to do it wherever and whenever we want.
But the current music streaming service landscape is vast. Each contender houses immense music libraries that boast every conceivable artists, album, playlist, and podcast, all coming at you with just as many interface designs and features like song lyrics, offline downloads, AI DJs, hi-res audio formats, and much more.
To help you decide which of these music titans is best for you, we’ve put together this roundup of the best music streaming services, focusing on criteria like subscription cost, user experience, and track quality. Let’s get things started.
Spotify
The best for most people
- Excellent UI
- Best-in-class discovery
- More than 100 million songs
- The biggest podcast network
- Fun special features
- No hi-res option
- Glitchy performance at times
| Specs | |
|---|---|
| Plans (monthly): | Free / Individual: $11 / Duo: $15 / Student: $6 / Family: $17 |
| Library Size: | More than 100 million tracks |
| Quality: | 160kbps to 320kbps |
When it comes to music streaming, Spotify is definitely one of the most recognizable brands on the planet. Launched in 2006, the platform is available across the globe, and is home to more than 100 million songs and growing. Spotify is also the world's biggest podcast platform. Whether you’re rocking an iPhone, a Google Pixel, a laptop, or you're in your car, there’s a good chance that Spotify is going to be compatible with your hardware.
Beyond the music archive, Spotify offers several different subscription options, including individual, family, and student plans, as well as a free version with ads. Spotify Premium users also receive unlimited track skips, 320kbps audio quality, and offline downloads for up to 10,000 songs across five devices. The company is also really good at keeping its user interface familiar and reliable from one hardware type to another.
Spotify is also great for sharing. Thanks to integrations with social platforms like Facebook and Instagram, your circle of pals will get to see what you’ve been jamming out to lately. You’ll even have the option of sharing songs with others and even creating collaborative playlists you can all add to. And if you’re all about listening to tunes with the help of Alexa, Google Assistant, or Siri, you’ll be glad to know that Spotify is a big staple of just about every smart ecosystem out there.
So, where does the service struggle? Track quality, for one. Unlike platforms like Tidal and Qobuz that place a big emphasis on hi-res audio, Spotify’s tracks are capped at 320kbps, which only the most critical of audiophiles will notice. But if you just want a music streamer that offers tons of genres, playlists, and fun social features, Spotify is going to be your best bet.
Apple Music
Perfect for Apple users who want hi-res audio
- More than 100 million songs
- Excellent hi-res options
- Great interface
- Competitive pricing
- No free tier
- Can’t keep downloaded songs if you cancel
| Specs | |
|---|---|
| Plans (monthly): | Individual: $11 / Student: $6 / Family: $17 |
| Library Size: | More than 100 million tracks |
| Quality: | 256kbps AAC, 16-bit/44.1kHz, 24-bit/48kHz, 24-bit/192kHz |
Some folks will remember Apple’s original foray into digitized music from a little platform called iTunes that launched back in 2000. Paving the way for Apple’s streamlined interface and big music library, iTunes eventually evolved into Apple Music in 2015. A fierce competitor to rivals like Spotify and Tidal, Apple Music is simple to use, boasts a library of more than 100 million tracks, is available across multiple platforms, and even offers hi-res listening options.
Apple Music also lets you test the waters before enrolling in one of its many subscription options. With a one-month free trial, you’ll have plenty of time to get a good lay of the land, at which point you’ll need to shell out for a monthly subscription, which runs $6 for students, $11 for an Individual plan, and $17 for the Family plan.
Every tier gives you access to full playback controls, recommended music based on your listening habits, and some nice visual treats for your phone, tablet, and computer screens. We’re talking immersive album artwork, line-by-line lyrics, and intuitive search tools that make finding songs and artists a breeze.
As far as track quality is concerned, Apple’s audio far exceeds Spotify’s 320kbps cap, with lossless ALAC tracks that can get as high as 24-bit/192kHz. Apple Music also uses the smaller AAC format with resolution up to 256kbps and offers many tracks and albums in Dolby Atmos, which Apple brands as Spatial Audio. And while you’ll be able to share tracks with friends and family, Apple Music doesn’t offer the same social integrations as Spotify.
If you’re familiar with the design and UI of devices like the iPhone, iPad, MacBook, and Apple TV, you’re going to feel right at home using Apple Music. Both desktop and mobile interfaces are clean, simple, and easy to navigate, with just about everything you could need right at your fingertips. Plus, there are all kinds of smart speakers (such as Sonos and Apple's HomePod) and smart displays that offer native Apple Music support.
Tidal
Audiophile quality with wide device support
- More than 110 million tracks
- Some of the best hi-res tracks in the game
- Includes offline listening
- Works with many different types of devices
- Awesome playlist curations
- Expensive
| Specs | |
|---|---|
| Plans (monthly): | HiFi: $11 / HiFi Plus: $20 / Student: $6 / Family: $16 |
| Library Size: | More than 110 million tracks |
| Quality: | 320kbps, 16-bit/44.1kHz, 24-bit/192kHz |
When it comes to top-notch music streaming quality, Tidal is one of the best names in the business, bar none.
Renowned for its focus on excellent sound quality, Tidal's HiFi subscription tiers give you access to an immense library of CD-quality 16-bit/44.1kHz tracks. And if you really want to crank up the quality, you can invest a few extra dollars in the ultimate HiFi Plus plan, which opens the doors to 24-bit/192kHz content and offers it in formats including HiRes FLAC, Dolby Atmos, Sony 360 Reality Audio, FLAC, and Master Quality Authenticated (MQA). Not all of Tidal's artists and albums are in hi-res, but there's a good chance that several artists you enjoy have at least some hi-res offerings in the archive.
Diehard fans will also enjoy Tidal's dedication to additional content, including videos and real-time streams, making for a more immersive musical experience. We're also big fans of its artist-generated playlists.
In terms of cross-platform compatibility, Tidal is also available on a range of popular devices, from iOS and Android hardware to smart speakers, smart displays, streaming devices, and even native AV support from audio brands like Sonos and Harman Kardon through Tidal Connect. From apps to desktop versions, Tidal's UI is clean, ultra-navigable, and tethered to your preferences.
While its HiFi Plus plan is certainly on the pricey side, you can try Tidal for free for the first 30 days of a new membership. The platform also offers discounts to students, military, and first responders.
If supreme audio quality and talented curation are what you're looking for, you should give Tidal a try. Plus, you'll be hard-pressed to find many of these hi-res tracks elsewhere.
Qobuz
Audiophile quality for a little less
- Big hi-res music library
- Inspired editorial content
- Can purchase songs and albums without a subscription
- Friendlier cost than Tidal
- Free trial for Studio plan
- Lacks social listening features
| Specs | |
|---|---|
| Plans (monthly): | Studio: $11 / Sublime: $15 / Family: $18 |
| Library Size: | More than 100 million tracks |
| Quality: | 16-bit/44.1kHz, 24-bit/192kHz |
A close competitor to Tidal, Qobuz is another music streaming platform that goes all in on the hi-res catalog. It is home to over 100 million tracks in lossless CD quality, and more than 240,000 albums in hi-res audio. Qobuz streams audio using high-quality FLAC files ranging from 16-bit/44kHz to 24-bit/192kHz, translating to some seriously good sound. Whether you're listening through a pair of speakers or a pair of headphones, Qobuz tracks are going to sound about as good as it can get.
As far as subscription costs go, Qobuz is also a little cheaper than Tidal, one of its main rivals. For $11 per month, the Studio plan includes offline listening and a beautiful mobile and desktop interface packed with extra content. This includes artist bios, reviews, feature op-eds, how-to guides, and more. And for $15 per month, the Sublime plan adds up to a 60% discount on many hi-res purchases.
Oh, and we can't forget this gem. You can pay to download Qobuz hi-res tracks and albums without a monthly subscription.
On the downside, Qobuz does not have Dolby Atmos tracks like Apple Music, Tidal, and Amazon Music, and there are no podcasts or video content.
Amazon Music
Excellent value, hi-res audio, great for Prime customers
- Huge music library
- Lots of hi-res tracks and albums
- 90 day free trial
- Discounted plans for Amazon Prime members
- Or a discount for owning an Echo device
- Complicated subscription options
- Amazon Music only has shuffle mode
| Specs | |
|---|---|
| Plans (monthly): | With Prime: $10 / w/o Prime: $11 / Family: $17 / Single Device Owner: $6 |
| Library Size: | More than 100 million tracks |
| Quality: | 320kbps, 16-bit/44.1kHz, 24-bit/192kHz |
Amazon Music is a unique streaming option, especially for those of us who are already paying for Amazon's $139 annual Prime membership (or $15 per month). Like many platforms we've covered up to this point, Amazon Music offers both CD quality and lossless audio formats, Dolby Atmos and 360 Reality Audio tracks, a large music library, and some awesome smart home integrations (especially for Alexa-powered devices). The "unique" descriptor is mainly aimed at Amazon Music's pricing, though, which is complex, to say the least.
Are you an Amazon Prime member? Great! That means you'll be able to get the ad-free Amazon Music Unlimited (AMU) for $10 per month, as opposed to the non-Prime member subscription tier, which costs $11 per month. If you're interested in nabbing Amazon Music Unlimited and just so happen to own an Echo speaker, you can sign up for the Single Device Owner plan. It only costs $6 per month, but you'll only be able to use AMU on that one device. Oh, and there's also an AMU Family Plan for $17 per month ($169 per year) that covers up to six users.
The pricing isn't impossible to understand, but figuring out which option makes the most sense for you and yours can be confusing. Plus, Amazon technically has two different music streaming options: Amazon Music Unlimited and Amazon Music Prime. The latter is built into your Amazon Prime membership and gives you access to Amazon's entire music library, but playback is limited to shuffle mode, and you won't be able to listen to any hi-res tracks either.
Whether you're listening with Amazon Music Unlimited or Amazon Music Prime, Amazon Music looks great on mobile and desktop platforms. Unlimited subscribers also benefit from video content, offline downloads, and a fun scrolling lyrics feature.
Deezer
Somewhere in the Goldilocks zone
- Robust music library
- Offline downloads
- Includes video content and podcasts
- CD-level quality
- Can upload your own MP3s on desktop
- No hi-res
- Can’t upload MP3s using mobile devices
| Specs | |
|---|---|
| Plans (monthly): | Free / Premium: $12 / Family: $20 / Student: $6 |
| Library Size: | More than 120 million tracks |
| Quality: | 128kbps, 320kbps, 16-bit/44.1kHz |
Deezer lives in the Goldilocks zone of music streaming options. It offers a bigger library than competitors like Spotify and Apple Music and has CD-quality music, but it doesn’t touch the top-shelf hi-res content you’ll find on platforms like Tidal and Qobuz. Price-wise, though, it’s weirdly more expensive than everyone except Tidal, but Tidal gives you hi-res. Its individual plan is $12 per month, and for that, you get access to unlimited listening, lyrics, video content, offline listening, and a few other features.
Deezer is also one of the only streaming platforms that lets you upload your own tracks. While the quality is limited to MP3, and you won’t be able to do any uploading with a mobile device, it’s nice to have the ability to spread your own library across multiple gadgets.
Deezer used to have a HiFi plan that was $15 per month, but now its 16-bit/44.1kHz FLAC tracks are built into its Premium and Family plans. As mentioned, this is lower quality than top-tier plans from the likes of Tidal and Qobuz, but it still packs quite a punch. Deezer free tier customers can only access MP3 files up to 128kbps, though.
As for Deezer’s UI across desktop and mobile platforms, both versions are geared toward easy navigation through playlists, genre labels, and similar search criteria. There are also several recommended categories and an excellent podcast library to check out.
Deezer does a nice job at checking several of the most important boxes for what makes up a solid music streaming service. Hi-res devotees may want to look elsewhere, but we definitely think Deezer is worth trying out, so make the best of that 30-day free trial!
YouTube Music
The best of music and YouTube is all here
- Terrific music library
- Simple pricing model
- Intuitive user interface
- Cool community upload features
- No hi-res tracks
- No editorial content
| Specs | |
|---|---|
| Plans (monthly): | Free / Premium Individual: $11 / Family: $17 / Student: $5.50 |
| Library Size: | More than 100 million tracks |
| Quality: | 256kbps |
Last but not least, we have YouTube Music. A rebranding and consolidation of multiple Google/YouTube paid services that came before it (including Google Play and YouTube Red), YouTube Music is your one-stop-shop for everything ... music-related. Subscribers will have access to over 100 million tracks, podcasts, an intuitive lyrics tool, excellent playlists, and much more. Right off the bat, though, we'd like to let our hi-res fans know that YouTube Music caps its track quality at 256kbps.
That doesn't mean you should look away, though. In fact, we think YouTube Music has a lot going for it when it comes to overall desktop and mobile interfaces. Navigating from one panel to the next is fast and easy, with most of what you'll want to be listening to housed under the "Home" and "Library" tabs. The former is a hub for recommended content based on your listening habits, while the latter is the storage site for all your personal playlists, favorited songs and albums, and other user-specific features.
It's also a thrill to watch YouTube Music sync up to your local time of day and weather conditions. These factors affect the type of music that the platform will recommend.
Regarding pricing, there's only one paid subscription plan: YouTube Music Premium. This paid tier removes ads for desktop and mobile listening, grants you offline downloads, and gives you a sweet feature called Smart Downloads. When enabled, this lets YouTube Music automatically download your favorite songs, artists, and albums for offline listening and even adds in recommended tracks and albums.
And, of course, YouTube Music is packed with video content. When you search for a song or artist, you will get officially licensed media and see video results for YouTubers covering the song, lyric videos, and more.
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