3 Best Music Streaming Services

While some people still play compact discs in their vehicles to and from work or appointments, music streaming is the preferred method of music consumption for many. 

According to Statista, the music streaming segment in the United States is on pace to reach revenue of $12.11 billion this year and could expand at a 4.85% compound annual growth rate to reach $13.97 billion by 2027. 

One thing that’s music to the ears of music lovers is that many music streaming options exist. Which is the best one? That depends on which one has more of the type of music you can dig. So, the answer is largely subjective. 

That said, here are three of the best music streaming services.

1. Spotify

Spotify gets high marks from music lovers for its best-in-class features and deep music catalog. The subscription costs can be high, but Spotify is widely considered the industry leader. If you don’t feel like paying, you can listen for free. But that means dealing with commercials.

One reason Spotify is so popular is that you can access it anywhere. Whether at home in front of your computer, on the train with your smartphone, or in the car with your in-dash navigation unit featuring Apple CarPlay and Android Auto integration, you can consume Spotify content.

Spotify, through its collaboration with Musixmatch, also offers auto-scrolling lyrics so you can sing along with your favorite artists. If you’re an audiophile, Spotify might not cut it. The reason is Spotify lacks HiFi-level audio — and that’ll be crystal clear to audiophiles. 

Using Spotify, you also can’t record audio. So, while Spotify has its benefits, it’s just one option.

2. Apple Music

Another popular music streaming service is Apple Music. Whether or not you have an iPhone or iPad, you’ve likely heard about Apple Music. It’s well-known and offers a wide variety of tunes.

While it hasn’t reached Spotify’s level of success yet, Apple Music has grown into one of the premier streaming services platforms. Like other popular streaming platforms, Apple Music offers playlists that suggest tunes based on your listening preferences. 

If sound quality is a deal-breaker, Apple Music offers better overall sound quality than Spotify through its lossless and high-res audio. It has a catalog of around 100 million songs, meaning you won’t run out of content to enjoy. Unlike Spotify, there are no podcasts. It’s all about the music.

3. Tidal

Yet another option for music streaming platforms is Tidal. It offers high-quality audio, exclusive albums, and curated playlists. Tidal focuses on bigger artists. So, you’ll sometimes see A-listers release their albums on Tidal ahead of doing so on other platforms.

You can choose Tidal Free if you’d like to take the music streaming service on a test drive before committing to a paid subscription. Going this route, you’ll have access to all the songs and curated playlists, but you can’t play music on demand and must deal with ads. 

Is music quality vital to you? Tidal is a better option than Spotify if this is the case. That said, try both Tidal and Spotify to see if you can detect a difference. Looking at some Reddit threads, many music lovers have difficulty discerning any difference in sound quality. Considering the premium price Tidal charges, you might wish to go with the lower-cost options Spotify offers if you can’t detect any sound quality difference between the two music streaming platforms.

These are some of the top options for music streaming platforms. If you enjoy streaming on your computer, it pays to have a good machine to work with. An older computer might compromise your ability to enjoy music. If your computer is worse for the wear, looking at new laptops may be a good idea. 

You can find a machine that’ll allow you to enjoy streaming music.