In the words of Friedrich Nietzsche, “Without music, life would be a mistake.” This sentiment resonates with many today. However, with traditional radio falling short for some, there are a plethora of music streaming platforms, each offering unique features and pricing structures. This guide will assist you in selecting the best option for your musical needs. (See also: Purchase or Subscribe: Maximizing Savings on Your Favorite Media)
1. Amazon Music Unlimited
Amazon Music Unlimited boasts a vast library of millions of tracks, ensuring you’ll discover music you’ll love. The platform allows users to create personalized playlists or stations inspired by specific songs or artists.
The service offers exclusive discounts for Amazon Prime members, college students, and users of Alexa-equipped devices. If you own an Amazon Echo, Echo Dot, Echo Show, or Amazon Tap, simply instruct, “Alexa, try Amazon Music Unlimited.” (See also: 20 Ways Amazon’s Alexa Can Simplify Your Life)
Pricing
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Free 30-day trial available.
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For non-Prime subscribers: $9.99 per month or $79 per year for an individual plan; $14.99 per month for a Family Plan (up to six members).
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Prime members benefit from a reduced rate of $7.99 per month or $79 per year for an individual plan, and a Family Plan at $14.99 per month or $149 per year (includes two complimentary months).
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Echo device owners can subscribe for $3.99 per month per device.
Note for Prime members: You already have access to more than 2 million songs ad-free and on-demand through Prime Music. (See also: 7 Amazon Prime Benefits You Might Have Overlooked)
Apple Music
Apple Music stands out as a frontrunner with its library of 40 million tracks, underpinned by a substantial financial backing of over $250 billion, allowing the company to forge exclusive agreements with artists. For instance, Chance the Rapper’s Coloring Book was exclusively available on Apple Music for its initial two weeks. The service also includes on-demand shows hosted by various DJs and artists, including Pharrell Williams and Mike D from the Beastie Boys.
Seamless integration with your existing iTunes library is a strong feature, allowing you to sync all your purchased music and uploads via iTunes Match, as well as songs ripped from CDs, which is beneficial for those already invested in Apple’s music format.
Moreover, Apple Music is compatible with vehicles equipped with CarPlay.
Pricing
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Free 90-day trial available.
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Individual subscription: $9.99 per month.
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Student plan: $4.99 per month, valid for up to 48 months with verification required.
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Family plan: $14.99 per month, requires iCloud Family Sharing (supports up to six users on a maximum of 10 devices each).
Bandcamp
If you’re searching for indie music beyond mainstream sounds, Bandcamp offers a treasure trove of alternative genres. In fact, as of 2016, over 7,500 albums were classified as vaporwave on the platform!
Bandcamp empowers fans to support emerging artists directly, with users contributing a staggering $236 million to indie musicians through the platform. Additionally, it serves as a marketplace for artists, offering both digital and physical merchandise, including popular formats like cassettes and vinyl records. Users can also craft a personalized page to showcase their music collections.
Pricing
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Listening is generally free unless the artist opts for paid access.
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Purchasing a song or album grants unlimited streaming through either the Android or iOS app or any web browser.
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Pricing can vary significantly by artist; some allow flexible, pay-what-you-want options.
Google Play Music
With a collection of over 35 million songs, Google Play Music is a leading player in the streaming arena. The free version allows users to enjoy radio stations interspersed with ads and also permits up to 50,000 personal uploads without advertisements. Subscribers to paid plans receive additional perks like YouTube Red, which eliminates ads from all YouTube content, enables music streaming while using other apps, and allows offline listening.
Pricing
iHeartRadio
Having promoted itself widely, iHeartRadio now boasts over 100 million users tapping into a rich library of 20 million songs and 800,000 artists.
You can access radio stations from various regions such as DC101 for Washington, D.C.’s alternative rock or POWER 106 for the latest hip-hop hits in Los Angeles. Paid subscriptions offer features like saving songs from live broadcasts and the ability to replay them instantly.
Pricing
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Free 30-day trial available.
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iHeartRadio Plus: $4.99 per month.
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iHeartRadio All Access: $9.99 per month (this plan includes offline listening, unlimited access to tracks, and the ability to create playlists without limitations).
Napster
Believe it or not, Napster is still operational and has combined forces with Rhapsody to create a unified brand servicing 34 countries, granting access to more than 30 million songs.
This service enables Rhapsody members to access their entire music libraries, playlists, and favorites. All subscription plans include the option to toggle between adult and kid-friendly music.
Pricing
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unRadio plan: Enjoy a free 14-day trial, then $4.99 per month (ad-free, offline listening across up to four stations, unlimited skips and replays, along with superior audio quality).
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Premier +1 plan: $14.99 per month (includes Rhapsody Premier features plus streaming in two locations simultaneously).
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Premier plan: Free 30-day trial, then $9.99 monthly.
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Family plan: Pricing starts at $14.99 per month (covers up to five users).
Pandora
Pandora has been a fundamental service for Millennials seeking online music, with a catalog spanning 30 to 40 million tracks.
Engagement with the app through song preferences allows it to refine and enhance music suggestions for users over time.
Pricing
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Free option available with advertisements.
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Plus plan: Free 30-day trial, $4.99 per month thereafter (no ads, up to four stations available offline, unlimited skips and replays, plus premium audio quality).
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Premium plan: Free 60-day trial, then $9.99 per month (ad-free, unlimited skips and replays, ability to search and play any song, create playlists, and offline music downloads with enhanced audio quality).
SoundCloud
SoundCloud is an excellent platform for fans of independent artists. It provides a clean interface similar to Myspace, facilitating easy access to music, insight into what others are listening to, and interaction with both users and artists. Numerous artists, including Drake, often preview their music here before it launches on other streaming services.
Pricing
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Free tier: Enjoy access to over 120 million tracks with advertisements.
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Go plan: Seven-day free trial, then $4.99 per month for web or Android access, or $5.99 for iOS (no ads and offline listening enabled).
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Go+ plan: Thirty-day free trial, after which it costs $9.99 monthly for web or Android access or $5.99 for iOS (ad-free, offline capability, plus full access to over 150 million tracks).
Spotify
Since its inception in 2006 in Sweden, Spotify has evolved into the benchmark for music streaming worldwide, enabling users to discover music through a variety of parameters. You can search for music by track, album, artist, or label.
Spotify allows you to share tracks, artists, or albums through your Spotify profile or various social media platforms. It features exclusive artist sessions (over 1,465 to date!) available for anyone to enjoy for free. The service is also fully integrated with PlayStation Music.
Pricing
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Free tier: Listen to all tracks but with ads included.
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Premium plan: Free 30-day trial, then $9.99 per month (ad-free, unlimited skips, offline listening, and enhanced audio quality).
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Student plan: Just $4.99 per month (same features as Premium; verification is required and available for up to 12 months at this discounted rate).
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Family plan: Available for $14.99 per month, requires iCloud Family Sharing (supports up to six users).
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PlayStation users: For PlayStation 3 and newer, can use the free ad-supported version or benefit from a premium two-month plan for just $2.00, followed by the regular pricing of $9.99 monthly.
Tidal
Launched as the first artist-owned streaming platform, Tidal was co-founded by Jay Z and features several high-profile artist owners including Beyoncé, Madonna, and Rihanna among others.
Membership offers exclusive access to special content, including track releases, music videos, and special editions curated by the artists who run the service. Users may also opt for music streaming in FLAC format, which delivers a higher quality than typical MP3 files.
Pricing
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Free 30-day trial for all plans offered.
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Premium plan: $9.99 per month.
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HiFi plan: $19.99 per month (provides High Fidelity audio quality).
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Family Premium plan: $14.99 per month.
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Family HiFi plan: $29.99 monthly (covers up to five users).
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Student Premium plan: $4.99 per month.
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Student HiFi plan: $9.99 monthly.
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Military Premium plan: $5.99 monthly.
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Military HiFi plan: $11.99 monthly.
Note: Some plans may offer discounts when you commit to paying for six months in advance, such as lowering the Premium plan cost to $8.49 per month.
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