More Insider Sign Out. Sign In Register. Sign Out Sign In Register. Latest Insider. Check out the latest Insider stories here. With new features like podcasts and spatial music, competition between Spotify, Apple Music and Amazon Music is keener than ever. All the cool kids are talking about a vinyl resurgence and squabbling over the best turntables , but streaming is still the most convenient and popular way to listen to your favorite songs. Streaming can sound great too, especially on services that include lossless and spatial Dolby Atmos audio , sometimes for no extra charge.
So which streaming music service is best for you? I've checked out the biggest names, including Spotify , Apple Music , Amazon Music , and YouTube Music , as well smaller contenders like Tidal , Qobuz , Deezer and Pandora Premium to see how each platform stacks up for your subscription buck. While most offer music catalogs of over 60 million songs and let you stream from your phone, computer or other device, each has its own unique pros and cons.
In this roundup we've left out services that only play music in a radio format Pandora, Rdio, Napster Unradio and don't allow you to select your own songs. Read more: Apple Music vs. Spotify: Comparing the top music streaming services. If you don't want to rebuild your playlists and library from scratch when you switch, you have two main options -- a music locker service such as YouTube Music, or the library import tool Soundiiz.
So which music streaming services offer the best combination of price, sound quality and library size? Read on to find an in-depth look at each of the services and a feature comparison, along with a full price breakdown in the chart at the bottom of the page.
We'll update this list periodically. And if you want the TL;DR, these are the top three. Spotify is the pioneer in music streaming and arguably the best-known service. It offers a number of curated music discovery services, including its Discover Weekly playlist, and is constantly implementing new ones, such as Stations. It's also ramped up its non-music content with a push towards podcasts. It's a close race between Spotify Premium and Apple Music, but Spotify wins as the best music streaming service overall thanks to a fun, easy-to-use interface, an extensive catalog and the best device compatibility.
Spotify also offers the best free tier: Without paying a dime or providing a credit card number, you can stream Spotify Connect to numerous Wi-Fi devices. Best for: People who want a solid all-around service, and especially for people who love to make, browse and share playlists for any scenario.
Read our Spotify review. Apple Music runs a close second to Spotify. It offers a friendly interface, over 75 million tracks and compatibility with both iOS and Android devices.
Yes, it has spatial audio albums for no extra charge, but these 1, tracks are dwarfed by the rest of the catalogue. Not surprisingly, Apple Music is the best choice if you've invested heavily in the Apple ecosystem. If you own an Apple HomePod or Mini , it is the default subscription service to summon music with your voice.
Apple Music also makes the ideal companion for an iPod Touch , which, after 20 years, is still a thing. There's also a ton of curated playlists, many handcrafted by musicians and tastemakers, but it lacks the robust sharing options built into Spotify.
Apple Music is the only one of our top three with a digital locker to store your own library of songs -- YouTube Music, below, is the other music locker option.
Best for: Those who are wrapped up in the Apple world, or who simply want excellent bang for buck. Read our Apple Music review. Qobuz offers hi-res audio streams too and unlike Tidal you don't need a specialized MQA decoder to listen to them. They can sound great on an Android phone or a high-end music system. It may not offer Dolby Atmos music, but the current catalog of songs on other services isn't that impressive anyway.
Uniquely, the service offers its own hi-res download store and if you sign up for that second plan you get a discount on purchases. But also not an iTunes killer. Here are three reasons why iTunes is here to stay -- at least for a while.
You can't really multitask with Rhapsody. You can't listen off-line. Rhapsody can't save songs for off-line listening, which is especially rough for Touch owners, or jet-setting iPhone owners.
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