While they are often known as music streaming services, audio streaming platforms have a much greater diversity of content. This includes podcasts, audiobooks and even multimedia content with a dynamic user experience. There are many options out there with vast libraries of audio content to choose from, an archive that is both inexhaustible and ever increasing. All of this content and the diversity of streaming options available means choosing what is best for you can be overwhelming. Many offer different advantages in terms of music discovery, playlists, interface, price and other factors.
oneHOWTO helps you decide what is best for you by sharing the best audio streaming services in the world right now. Doing so will help you discover new music, podcasts, audiobooks and other audio content which could change your life.
Spotify
Spotify is a digital platform where you can listen to music, podcasts and even audiobooks directly from the internet. You can download content to listen offline, but most users stream the music actively. Spotify is the world's biggest music streaming service and this is in no small part thanks to its vast library containing millions of songs from all genres and (almost) all artists.
Another key reason why Spotify is so popular is due to its discovery functions. These allows users to find music similar to what they already like, explore new releases, be recommended classics and generally discover a wide range of music options. These are all personalized to you thanks to the data it registers as you use it.
You have the option of free plans with ads, Individual Premium, Duo, Family, and Student. Just create an account, search for a song, artist, album or playlist. Press play and the content is there for you.
Learn more about the usage of this audio streaming service with our article explaining how many megabytes Spotify uses.
Apple Music
Apple Music is Apple's music streaming service and is second in popularity only to Spotify. It has a huge catalog of over 100 million songs and focuses heavily on offering high sound quality. This includes spatial and lossless audio, making it a preference for audiophiles. Another popular feature is its seamless integration with Apple devices, although it also works on Android and Windows operating systems.
It doesn't have a free ad-supported option like Spotify, but it does offer a free trial period which can be 1 month or more depending on the promotion being offered. It also has different plans such as Individual, Family and Student. This makes it perfect if you already use other Apple products. It has a great selection of classical music, even providing a separate app for this genre. Something that tips it over the edge for some uses is that Siri can play music for you without even having to touch a device.
For those of you who like to use audio digital assistants, you may want to check out our article providing funny things to ask Alexa.
Amazon Music Unlimited
This is Amazon's premium music streaming service. It has a huge catalog, just as comprehensive as Spotify or Apple Music with more than 100 million songs. It allows you to listen to music without ads in high quality, and even with spatial sound. It is not to be confused with Amazon Music Free , the free option which is much more limited, nor the one that comes with Prime. Amazon Music Unlimited is the most comprehensive.
Amazon's audio streaming service is noted for its very good audio quality, which includes high resolution options,, It works great with Echo and Alexa devices. Sometimes there are special deals for Prime members, such as 3 months free or more. And if you already have Amazon Prime, you can access Amazon Music Prime which is free with your subscription, but it has fewer features and doesn't let you just choose any song.
Tidal
TIDAL is a music streaming platform known for offering high-quality audio and a fairer approach to artists. It was launched by a group of musicians including Jay-Z, Beyoncé and others, although there are many other developers and investors involved. It is distinguished by its focus on quality and exclusivity.
HiFi Plus quality is spectacular if you have good headphones or sound equipment. You can use it on iOS/Android, Mac/PC, web browsers and compatible devices like Sonos, Roon, Chromecast, Apple CarPlay, Android Auto and Hi-Fi audio equipment. If you're a demanding music lover, this is the platform for you. It endeavors to provide fairer compensation for artists and makes exclusive content and offers available to its users such as material not released on other platforms and concert offers.
Keep in mind that this platform doesn't offer a free plan, only a 30-day trial. Its recommendation algorithm isn't as advanced as Spotify's. If you don't have good sound equipment, you might not be able to take full advantage of its potential.
YouTube Music
It's an increasingly popular option is YouTube Musi, especially if you already use YouTube for other media or you are a fan of finding rare music. This includes little-known artists or alternate versions and remixes of your favorites. YouTube Music is Google's audio streaming service. It lets you listen to songs, albums, playlists, music videos, concerts, remixes, and more, all in one app. The best part is access to everything on YouTube, but in music mode.
It features smart search, allowing you to search by lyrics, mood or other signifiers. The interface is very simple and visual. You can use it on iOS/Android, the web players, smart TVs, Google Home/Nest and Android Auto/Apple CarPlay. Keep in mind that the free version is more limited (no background playback) with this platform. It doesn't have HiFi quality like TIDAL or Apple Music. And if you're not a big user of the Google ecosystem, you might not get the most out of it.
Now that you know the best audio streaming platforms, you might also be interested in this article on the most downloaded apps in the world.
If you want to read similar articles to Best Audio Streaming Services in the World, we recommend you visit our Internet category.