In this technological era, music streaming is a well-known phenomenon by which most people use to listen to their favorite music and other tunes. There are lots of music streaming services in the market. So, choosing one of them feels more complex than ever. You need to consider not only the music library but also the audio quality, podcast integration, exclusive content and so on.
To help you out, we have spent countless hours testing, listening and comparing the music streaming apps, from their user interface to their audio compression codecs. Now, look at the detailed technical review to find out the best music streaming service according to your needs.
Part 1. Our Top Picks at a Glance: 5 Best Music Streaming Services
In this part, we would like to show you the quick answer. Please check out our top recommendations for the best music streaming apps.
1. Spotify: Best Overall Music Streaming Service
It is unbeatable for its music discovery, device compatibility, and feature-rich ecosystem.
2. Apple Music: Best for Apple Users & Sound Quality
It has seamless integration with the Apple ecosystem and exceptional value with included Hi-Res Lossless and Spatial Audio.
3. Tidal: Best for Serious Audiophiles
It is the top choice for people who prioritize uncompromising audio fidelity and artist-centric features.
4. Amazon Music Unlimited: Best for Prime Members & Smart Homes
It has excellent value for existing Amazon Prime subscribers with strong Alexa integration.
5. YouTube Music: Best for Music Video Fans
Take advantage of YouTube's unparalleled library of live performances, covers, and music videos.
Part 2. How We Evaluate and Rank These Music Streaming Services
You may wonder how to test and rank these music services. In fact, our recommendations are based on hands-on testing across five key factors that matter most to listeners.
1. Audio Quality
We test those music streaming sites on a range of hardware, from standard consumer earbuds to high-fidelity headphones connected to an external DAC, to evaluate the perceptible differences between compressed, Lossless, and Hi-Res streams.
2. Music Library & Discovery
Besides assessing the size of the catalog, we take the effectiveness of the music apps' discovery tools, including algorithmic radio, personalized playlists, and human-curated content.
3. User Experience (UX)
A music streaming service should be easy for users to find, play, and organize music. So, we evaluate the design, speed, and intuitiveness of their mobile and desktop apps.
4. Device Compatibility
We test how well the music streaming apps integrate with a broad ecosystem of devices, including smart speakers, cars, TVs, and smartwatches.
5. Value
We weigh their monthly cost against the features offered, including audio quality, family plans, and any bundled extras.
Part 3. Detailed Review of 5 Top Music Streaming Services
1. Spotify: Best Overall Music Streaming Service
Spotify gives you the liberty for free version via which you can use to get access to the library on your tablet, mobile or computer. The free version, however, has some limitations, like not being able to use the service via Google Home or any smart home device. Simply get a Spotify Premium monthly subscription for $11.99 and play your music on any device as you listen without ads. Its true strength lies in its powerful algorithm and vast ecosystem, making music discovery and sharing effortless and enjoyable.
User Interface and Experience: Spotify's interface is the industry standard, intuitive, fast, and consistent across every platform, from its mobile apps to its desktop client. It is natural to create playlists, browse new releases, and discover music.
Social Features: Spotify's social features, like collaborative playlists and the viral year-end 'Wrapped' summary, create a sense of community that other services struggle to replicate.
Device Integration: Spotify offers a Spotify Connect feature to users to seamlessly control and transfer playback between phone, laptop, smart speaker, gaming console, and more. This feature is a major reason why users get locked into the Spotify ecosystem.
Audio Quality: For years, the compressed Ogg Vorbis format 320kbps has been Spotify's main weakness. This is lower than the standard quality on Apple Music and Amazon Music. But now, Spotify has rolled out its long-promised Lossless tier as part of the standard Premium plan in some countries, offering streams up to 24-bit/44.1kHz. This closes a significant gap, though it still falls short of the true Hi-Res offerings from Tidal and Qobuz.
Best For: Spotify is a great choice for users who like to discover new music, create and share playlists with friends, and listen to Spotify on other devices with Spotify Connect feature.
2. Apple Music: Best for Users Who Use Apple Devices and Prefer Superior Sound Quality
Apple Music has so far become a favorite for many users for its over 100 million songs in Hi-Res Lossless quality and Spatial Audio at no extra cost. But it doesn't offer a free and ad-supported tier to users like some other music streaming services.
User Interface and Experience: Apple Music is seamlessly integrated with iPhone, iPad, Mac, and Apple Watch. You can ask Siri to play song from your device. The user interface is a bomb, with lots of notations like bouncing balls that denote artists. Furthermore, this service is adept at curating playlists as per your preferences. But its recommendations algorithm is not as good as Spotify's.
Audio Quality: Apple Music's entire catalog is available in CD-quality (16-bit/44.1kHz) Lossless audio and Hi-Res Lossless (up to 24-bit/192kHz). To listen to the highest quality streams, you will need a wired pair of headphones and an external Digital-to-Analog Converter (DAC). Furthermore, its implementation of Spatial Audio with Dolby Atmos creates an immersive and 3D soundscape on compatible tracks that can be a game-changer, especially on headphones like the AirPods Pro.
Best For: Apple Music is great for Apple device users who prefer superior audio quality.
View also: How to Convert Apple Music to MP3
3. Tidal: Best for Serious Audiophiles
Tidal music streaming service, compared to others, is a clear dichotomy which suits those with high-quality taste and artist-first ethos.
User Interface and Experience: Tidal's app has a sleek and dark interface that puts music front and center. It offers detailed liner notes and track credits, a feature music purists will love. While its recommendations are solid, the platform feels more like a digital record store than a discovery engine. It rewards active listening and exploration over passive and algorithm-fed consumption.
Audio Quality: Tidal offers CD-quality lossless FLAC (16-bit/44.1kHz) and Hi-Res FLAC (24-bit/192kHz). The Hi-Res FLAC format is open-source, requiring no special hardware for playback (unlike the now-defunct MQA format it previously used). For audiophiles with high-quality DACs and headphones, the difference is palpable, with greater detail, dynamic range, and clarity. Besides, Tidal supports both Dolby Atmos and Sony 360 Reality Audio. By the way, for audiophiles who want to keep Tidal music offline permanently in high quality, it is recommended to use a dedicated tool to download Tidal music to FLAC files.
Best For: Tidal is the top music streaming site for users who have good audio equipment and can hear the difference between compressed and lossless files
View also: How to Download Music from Tidal to Computer and Phone
4. Amazon Music Unlimited: Best for Prime Members
Amazon climbed to the top by using its huge Prime membership and strong position in the smart home market. Like Apple, it now offers high-quality audio at no extra charge, making it a great deal, especially for people already using Amazon products.
View also: How to Capture Amazon Prime Music to MP3
User Interface and Experience: The Amazon Music app works well, but isn't as smooth or refined as Spotify or Apple Music. It can sometimes feel cluttered and a bit slow. However, it really shines with Alexa voice control, its connection with Echo devices is seamless, making it the top pick for people who like using voice commands to play music.
Audio Quality: Amazon calls its hi-res lossless audio 'Ultra HD', offering streams up to 24-bit/192kHz. The Ultra HD catalog is huge and, like Apple Music, is included at no extra cost. This makes it a great deal, delivering sound quality similar to Tidal but often for less money. What's more, it supports Spatial Audio through Dolby Atmos and Sony 360 Reality Audio.
Best For: It is best for heavy Amazon users and Prime subscribers.
5. YouTube Music: Best for Music Video Fans
YouTube Music's biggest advantage is its link to YouTube's massive and diverse library. Alongside official songs, it offers millions of live performances, remixes, covers, and music videos you won't find anywhere else.
User Interface and Experience: The app has a clean design, and one of its best features is the ability to switch between a song's audio and its official music video with just one tap. Its Google-powered search makes it easy to find songs even if you only remember a few lyrics. However, its playlist and music discovery features still lag slightly behind other music streaming sites.
Audio Quality: YouTube Music only streams at a maximum of 256kbps using the AAC format, which is efficient and sounds decent for most people, but it falls short of the CD-quality audio its competitors provide. With no Lossless or Hi-Res option, it's not ideal for listeners who care deeply about sound quality.
Best For: YouTube Music is ideal for those who value variety, music videos, and rare live performances over top-tier audio quality, offering a unique ad-free YouTube experience in one package.
Part 4. Compare 5 Best Music Streaming Apps
Above is the detailed review of the top 5 music streaming services. Now, you can take a glance at their comparison table to make up your mind.
| Features | Spotify | Apple Music | Tidal | Amazon Music | YouTube Music |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Price | Start from $11.99/month | Start from $10.99/month | Start from $10.99/month | Start from $10.99/month | Start from $10.99/month |
| Max Audio Quality | Lossless | Hi-Res | Hi-Res | Hi-Res | 256kbps AAC |
| Spatial Audio | ❌ | Dolby Atmos | Dolby Atmos, 360RA | Dolby Atmos, 360RA | ❌ |
| Free Tier | ✔ | ❌ | ❌ | ✔ | ✔ |
| Standout Feature | Spotify Connect | Ecosystem Integration | Artist Payouts | Alexa Integration | Video Library |
| Best For | Discovery | Apple Users | Audiophiles | Prime Members | Video Fans |
Part 5. FAQs about Music Streaming Services
Which Music Streaming Service Pays Artists the Most?
Tidal is known for paying artists more per stream, while Spotify and Apple Music offer lower rates but can generate significant revenue due to their massive user bases.
Which Streaming Music App Has the Biggest Music Library?
Apple Music, Spotify and Tidal claimed that they have a library of more than 100 million songs. While YouTube Music offers a vast collection of live versions, covers and remixes.
Are There Any Free Music Streaming Sites?
Yes. Spotify and YouTube Music offer a free and ad-supported plan to users to access their full music libraries limitedly.
Which Music Streaming Service Can Stream Music in Dolby Atmos?
Apple Music, Tidal and Amazon Music Unlimited support to stream music in Dolby Atmos Spatial Audio.
Which Is the Best Music Streaming App for Classical Music?
Apple Music is a great choice for playing classical music as it has a dedicated Apple Music Classical app.
Part 6. Conclusion
In fact, the best music streaming service is based on your needs.
If your priority is effortless music discovery and compatibility with every device you own, Spotify remains the undisputed champion.
For those within the Apple ecosystem or seeking the best value in high-resolution audio, Apple Music is the clear winner.
For the dedicated audiophile who demands uncompromising sound quality, Tidal is in a class of its own.
You can follow this guide to narrow down your top one or two choices, then take advantage of their free trials to enjoy music you like.
If you still don't know which one to choose from and want to listen to music offline, then a third-party tool like AudFree Streaming Audio Recorder can help you. It can save music from multiple streaming music apps with original quality for offline playback.
Charles Davis
Chief Editor
