Find the best music streaming app for you
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There are plenty of alternatives to Spotify that offer different features and artists.
We’ve searched all the options and picked out some of the best platforms for streaming music or podcasts.
These services are available on numerous platforms, but some may not be available in every country worldwide.
Best for Apple Users: Apple Music
Integrates very well with all Apple devices.
No free plan option.
Some limitations with listening offline.
If you own Apple devices, Apple Music is an obvious choice.
While there’s no free plan, it does offer an extensive trial period to check it out.
Podcasts are also ably catered for here.
Spatial audio features in conjunction with your Apple hardware mean it sounds great, too.
It’s a well-designed rival to Spotify.
Just watch for quirky limitations if you want to listen offline.
Best for Amazon Customers: Amazon Music Unlimited
Free trial.
Some ultra HD quality tracks.
Not quite as many tracks as competitors.
There are millions of podcast episodes, too, so there’s no shortage of options.
Searching is easy, with ultra HD quality tracks also available in the results.
Best for Uploading your Own Collection: YouTube Music
Smart algorithms.
Limited high fidelity music.
YouTube Music offers a free trial, which is always welcome news.
Once in, it offers some intelligent algorithms to ensure your playlist recommendations suitably fit your tastes.
That includes support for high-fidelity tracks, but it’s limited compared to other online options.
Best for Discovering New Artists: Bandcamp
New music you won’t have heard of before.
Helps support independent artists.
Interface could be clearer.
Bandcamp is for the music fan who loves to discover new artists before everyone else.
However, it offers some lesser-known names and is entirely free to check out.
Its interface is delightful to look at but not exactly as straightforward as others out there.
Best for Remixing Music: SoundCloud
Millions of songs and podcasts.
Can create your own remixes.
No free plan available.
SoundCloud offers the best of many worlds.
It also has more regular features like unlimited downloads, high-quality audio, and intelligent recommendations.
Best for Great Recommendations: Deezer
Deezer flow algorithm is great.
Available in hundreds of countries.
Limited number of podcasts.
Not as high fidelity as some.
It works better than some competitors and has a reasonable price, too.
High-fidelity music is available, but it’s not as high-end as elsewhere.
Still, with 73 million songs, you won’t run out of choices fast.
Best for High-Fidelity Music: Tidal
Extensive audio library.
High-fidelity audio as standard.
Tidal is the best streaming service for high-fidelity music bar none.
It offers over 80 million tracks with its basic HiFi plan offering up to 1,411kbps quality music as standard.
Spend a little more, and you get up to 9,216kbps which is sure to delight audiophiles.
Best for Podcasts: Pandora
Simple to use.
Some issues with buffering.
That includes plenty of podcasts and comedy, so there’s something for every mood.
It has a clever algorithm set up via thumbs up or down with extensive search features backing it up.
Some reports say it’s not as stable as Spotify, but you’ll rarely notice an issue.
There isn’t one streaming service that beats all other streaming services.
Each offers different pros and cons, artist options, and other functionality.
Much of the decision-making process depends on what you value most from listening to music or podcasts.
