The best music streaming services in 2024

The fact is that the current range of music streaming services is very extensive. Each provider has huge music libraries with all kinds of artists, albums, playlists and podcasts, all equipped with just as many interfaces and features such as song lyrics, offline download, artificial intelligence, high definition audio formats and much more.

To help you decide which of these music giants is best for you, we've compiled an overview of the best music streaming services, focusing on criteria such as subscription price, user experience, and song quality. Let's start.

Spotify

Best for most users

Pluses

• Great UI
• “Best-in-class” track search
• Over 100 million songs
• The largest podcast network
• Fun special features

Cons

• No "hi-res" option
• Occasional problems with the operation of the platform

In the field of music streaming, Spotify is certainly one of the most recognizable brands in the world. Launched in 2006, the platform is available worldwide and contains more than 100 million songs and counting. Spotify is also the largest podcast platform in the world. Whether you're using an iPhone, a Google Pixel, a laptop, or you're in your car, there's a good chance that Spotify will be compatible with your hardware.

In addition to 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 get unlimited track skipping, 320kbps audio quality and up to 10,000 tracks offline from five devices. The company is also very good at maintaining a user interface that is familiar and reliable across different types of hardware.

Spotify is also great for sharing. Thanks to integration with social networks like Facebook and Instagram, your friends will see what you've been listening to recently. You'll be able to share songs with others and even create shared playlists that everyone can edit. If you like to listen to music with the help of Alexa, Google Assistant or Siri, you will also be happy to know that Spotify is part of almost all these smart ecosystems.

Where does the service have problems? The quality of the songs, for example. Unlike platforms like Tidal and Qobuz, which place a heavy emphasis on high-definition audio, tracks on Spotify are limited to 320kbps, which only the most critical audiophiles will notice. But if you just want a streaming music player that offers lots of genres, playlists, and fun social features, Spotify will be your best bet.

Apple Music

Perfect for Apple users who want high quality sound

Pluses

• Excellent hi-res options
• Great interface
• Over 100 million songs
• Competitive price

Cons

• No free option
• Downloaded tracks are deleted when the subscription is terminated

Some of us still remember Apple's initial foray into the field of digital music with the small iTunes platform, which began its journey in 2000. iTunes, which paved the way for Apple's simplified interface and large music library, evolved into Apple Music in 2015. Apple Music is tough competition from rivals like Spotify and Tidal, it's easy to use, has a library of over 100 million songs, is available on multiple platforms and even offers "hi-res" listening options.

Apple Music also offers a trial period before you decide on one of the many subscription options. With a one-month free trial, you'll have plenty of time to familiarize yourself with the offering, after which you'll need to pay a monthly fee of $6 for students, $11 for an individual plan, and $17 for a family plan.

Each tier gives you access to full playback control, recommended music based on your listening habits, and some nice visual additions to your phone, tablet, and PC screens. We're talking in-depth album art, line-by-line lyrics, and intuitive search tools that make finding songs and artists easy.

In terms of track quality, Apple Audio goes well beyond Spotify's 320kbps limit, with ALAC lossless tracks capable of up to 24bit/192kHz. Apple Music also uses the smaller AAC format with a resolution of up to 256 kbps, and offers many tracks and albums in the Dolby Atmos format, which Apple refers to as surround sound. 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 user interface of devices like the iPhone, iPad, MacBook, and Apple TV, you'll feel right at home in the Apple Music app. Both the desktop and mobile interfaces are clean, simple and easy to navigate. Everything you need is at your fingertips. In addition, there is compatibility with all types of smart speakers (such as Sonos and Apple's HomePod) and smart displays that offer native support for Apple Music.

Tidal

Quality for real audiophiles and compatibility with many devices

Pluses

• Great playlist editing options
• One of the best "hi-res" tracks among the competition
• Over 110 million songs
• Compatibility with a wide range of devices
• Includes the ability to listen without an internet connection

Cons

• The price

When it comes to high quality music streaming, Tidal is undoubtedly one of the best in the field.

Famous for its focus on excellent sound quality, Tidal's HiFi subscription gives you access to a huge library of 16-bit/44.1kHz quality tracks. But if you want to really improve the quality, you can spend a few extra dollars on the top HiFi Plus plan, which opens the door to 24-bit/192kHz content in formats such as HiRes FLAC, Dolby Atmos, Sony 360 Reality Audio, FLAC and Master Quality Authenticated (MQA). Not all artists and albums on Tidal are in HD, but there's a good chance that several of the artists you love have at least a few HD clips in their archives.

True fans will also enjoy Tidal's dedication to additional content, including videos and live streams, allowing for a more immersive music experience. We're also big fans of musician-curated playlists.

In terms of cross-platform compatibility, Tidal is also available on a wide 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 via Tidal Connect services. From the apps to the desktop versions, Tidal's user interface is clean, highly transparent, and tailored to your preferences.

Although their HiFi Plus plan is definitely more expensive, you can try Tidal for free for the first 30 days of your new membership. The platform also offers discounts for students and some other specific user profiles.

If you're looking for premium audio quality and talented curators, you should try the Tidal platform. In addition, many high-quality tracks will be hard to find elsewhere.

Qobuz

Another slightly more affordable option for audiophiles

Pluses

• Quality editorial content
• A large hi-res music library
• Possibility to buy songs and albums without a subscription
• A cheaper alternative to the Tidal service
• Free trial for the Studio plan

Cons

• Lack of sociability

A close competitor of the Tidal platform, Qobuz is another big player in the music streaming market that focuses on “hi-res” music. It offers more than 100 million songs in lossless CD quality and more than 240,000 albums in "hi-res" quality. Qobuz streams audio using high-quality FLAC files from 16-bit/44kHz to 24-bit/192kHz, which of course means excellent quality. Whether you're listening through speakers or headphones, tracks will sound their best on that respective platform.

In terms of subscription costs, Qobuz is also slightly cheaper than Tidal. The Studio plan for $11 per month includes offline listening and a beautiful mobile and desktop interface with additional content. This includes artist bios, reviews, articles, user guides and more. And for $15 a month, the Sublime plan adds up to 60 percent off many high-definition purchases.

But we mustn't forget one more piece of candy. You can pay to download Qobuz HD songs and albums without a monthly subscription.

The downside of the platform is that it doesn't have Dolby Atmos tracks like Apple Music, Tidal, and Amazon Music, and it doesn't have podcasts or video content.

Amazon Music

Excellent user experience, "hi-res" audio, great choice for Prime users

Pluses

• Huge music library
• A large selection of "hi-res" tracks and albums
• 90-day free trial
• Discount for Amazon Prime subscribers
• Discount for Echo owners

Cons

• Complicated subscription options
• Amazon Music only has a “shuffle” mode

Amazon Music is a unique streaming service, especially for those who already pay Amazon's $139 annual Prime membership fee (or $15 per month). Like many of the platforms we've covered so far, Amazon Music offers CD-quality audio formats, Dolby Atmos and 360 Reality Audio tracks, a large music library, and some great smart home integrations (especially for Alexa-enabled devices). The word "unique" is mainly intended to understand the prices of Amazon Music, which are complicated to say the least.

Are you an Amazon Prime subscriber? Excellent! This means that for $10 a month, you'll be able to get Amazon Music Unlimited (AMU) ad-free. Non-members will pay $11 per month for a regular subscription. If you're interested in Amazon Music Unlimited and you own an Echo speaker, you can subscribe to the plan for one device owner. This only costs $6 per month, but you'll only be able to use AMU on one device. There is also an AMU family plan for $17 per month ($169 per year) that includes up to six users.

Pricing isn't impossible to understand, but figuring out which option makes the most sense for you can be overwhelming. Additionally, Amazon technically has two different music streaming services: Amazon Music Unlimited and Amazon Music Prime. The latter is built into Amazon Prime membership and gives you access to Amazon's entire music library, but playback is limited to random mode, and you won't be able to listen to high-quality tracks.

Whether you're listening to music with Amazon Music Unlimited or Amazon Music Prime, the Amazon Music app looks great on mobile and desktop devices. Amazon Music Unlimited subscribers also enjoy video content, offline downloads, and a fun text scrolling feature.

Deezer

The golden mean

Pluses

• A robust music library
• The possibility of downloads without an Internet connection
• Contains video content and podcasts
• CD quality level

Cons

• No "hi-res" music

Deezer offers an even larger music library than competitors like Spotify and Apple Music, as well as CD-quality music, but it doesn't offer the "hi-res" music you find on platforms like Tidal and Qobuz. Deezer is unusually expensive compared to the others, except for Tidal, which is more expensive but offers "hi-res" music. Its individual plan costs $12 per month, and for that you get access to unlimited listening, texts, video content, offline listening, and a few other features.

Deezer is also one of the few music streaming platforms that allows you to upload your own tracks. While this limits the quality to MP3 and you won't be able to download songs from your mobile device, it's nice to be able to spread your library across multiple devices.

Deezer used to offer a HiFi plan that cost $15 a month, but now its 16-bit/44.1kHz FLAC tracks are included in the Premium and Family plans. As mentioned before, the quality is worse than the most advanced players like Tidal and Qobuz, but the quality is still high. Users of the free version of Deezer can only access MP3 files with a speed of up to 128 kbps.

As for Deezer's user interface on desktop and mobile platforms, both versions are tailored for easy navigation of playlists, genre tags and similar search criteria. There are also several recommended categories and a rich podcast library.

Deezer does a good job of meeting several of the most important requirements for a good music streaming service. Hi-res music fans may want to look elsewhere, but we think Deezer is definitely worth a try, so take advantage of the 30-day free trial!

YouTube Music

The best that music and YouTube have to offer together

Pluses

• The ultimate music library
• A simple pricing model
• Intuitive user interface

Cons

• No "hi-res" music
• No editorial content

We finally got to the YouTube Music platform. YouTube Music is an amalgamation of many of the paid Google/YouTube services that came before it (including Google Play and YouTube Red) and is a one-stop shop for everything related to… music. Subscribers will have access to over 100 million songs, podcasts, an intuitive lyrics tool, great playlists and much more. We would like to inform high-quality music lovers that the quality of songs on YouTube Music is limited to 256 kbps.

But that doesn't mean you should give up right away. In fact, we think YouTube Music has a lot going for it when it comes to overall desktop and mobile interfaces. Switching from one plan to another is quick and easy, and most of the content you want to listen to can be found in the "Home" and "Library" tabs. The former is a hub for recommended content based on your listening habits, while the latter is a repository for all your personal playlists, favorite tracks and albums, and other user-specific features.

It's also exciting to see how the YouTube Music app syncs with local time and weather conditions. These factors influence the type of music the platform will recommend.

In terms of pricing, there is only one paid subscription plan available: YouTube Music Premium. This paid tier removes ads for desktop and mobile listening, allows for offline downloads, and gives you a sweet feature called Smart Downloads. When enabled, the YouTube Music app can automatically download your favorite songs, artists, and albums for offline listening, and even add recommended songs and albums.