The Best Music Streaming Services

The Best Music Streaming Services

Across the leading platforms, the biggest differences today aren’t catalog size but features and experience: audio quality (lossless and hi‑res), spatial/immersive mixes, AI‑assisted discovery and playlisting, integrated video, accessibility features, and how well each service fits your devices and household. Our six top picks are still neck and neck on core listening, but they now differentiate on these perks and ecosystem fit.

It all comes down to the perks. The best music streaming service should offer up the content you want, the way you want it — whether that means AI playlist generators, live radio, exclusive artist programming, high‑fidelity audio, or seamless video. Our top picks offer a little bit of everything, from prompt-based playlists and music videos in-app to lossless and spatial audio on Apple Music and Amazon Music Unlimited. Read on to see what makes each one unique, or jump down to our music streaming service buying guide for help figuring out which platform is best for you.

The 6 Best Music Streaming Services

The Best Music Streaming Service: Summed up

Note: The comparison snapshot below reflects legacy values. For current market context, see Spotify’s latest investor update, YouTube’s 100M Premium + Music milestone, and MIDiA Research’s subscriber estimates.

* Free options vary by device and plan and are generally ad-supported (for example on select Alexa devices or apps).

** HiFi audio is included with Amazon Music Unlimited (HD/Ultra HD).

Best Full Service Streaming Platform

Apple

Apple Music

View plans

Pros

Downloaded music integration
Apple ecosystem
Beats 1
Lyric search
Variety of plans

Cons

Confusing interface
No free version

Return to top

Why we chose it

Downloaded music integration

Before there was streaming, there was iTunes (now called Apple Music.) Although streaming services have made music cheaper and more accessible, many people still have vast libraries that they’ve downloaded and built up over the years. If you’re a devoted music buyer, Apple Music is the best choice for integrating a pre-owned song catalog with your music streaming service. The iCloud Music Library allows you to access your entire music collection on the go, even if it’s not downloaded to your device. This is head and shoulders above Spotify’s “local files” feature, which only lets you listen to downloaded music from the device it was originally stored on.

And you don’t have to be an iPhone user to get in on the action. The Apple Music app is available on the Google Play store for Android users. However, Droid customers won’t have access to Apple Music’s voice command feature, which currently only works through Siri.

Apple ecosystem

Apple Music has grown into one of the world’s largest music services, though Apple no longer provides up-to-date subscriber counts. Independent market analysis places Apple Music in the top tier globally with roughly ~100 million subscribers (estimate). What Apple gets right is deep ecosystem integration and quality: lossless and Hi‑Res Lossless plus Spatial Audio at no extra cost, tight device integration across iPhone, Mac, Apple Watch, HomePod, and hands‑free control with Siri. Apple has also added accessibility features like Music Haptics, which lets users feel music through refined vibrations — a notable benefit for deaf or hard‑of‑hearing listeners.

Beats 1

Along with easy device and iTunes integration, Apple’s live radio helps set Apple Music apart. The flagship global station features artist-led shows and exclusive programming alongside genre channels. It’s a place to discover new music, listen to commentary from your favorite artists, or enjoy a steady stream of quality tunes without having to choose what to listen to. It’s available to paying and non-paying users alike, but only subscribers can listen to shows on demand.

Lyric search

The latest iterations of Apple Music include synced lyrics and reliable lyric search — so when you can’t remember why “Joe McCarthy, Richard Nixon, Studebaker, television” are running through your head, Apple Music’s search bar will remind you that they’re the lyrics to “We Didn’t Start the Fire” by Billy Joel. In our experience, Apple’s lyric search is right on the money and returns exactly what you’re looking for.

Variety of plans

Apple Music offers individual, family, and student plans, plus the option to bundle services with Apple One. Prices have changed industry‑wide since 2020, and regional pricing varies, so check Apple for the latest details on Music and Apple One bundles.

Apple Music plans compared

Points to consider

Confusing interface

Apple music is fairly easy to set up and control, especially if you’re used to working with Apple products. However, the platform has a few navigation quirks that threw us off. For example, the desktop player is difficult to maneuver. It has no real “home” screen to center you, so once you’ve clicked through a few tabs it can be hard to find a page you want to revisit. The app also lets you create stations based on songs, artists, or albums, but doesn’t actually take you to that playlist (unlike Spotify, which lets you view the station’s queue and select tracks). All in all, we found Spotify’s interface just a bit more intuitive and customizable than Apple Music’s.

No free version

Users can try Apple Music free for a time, but after that it’ll cost you. Pricing is broadly similar to other top picks for ad‑free listening. If you want to save money and don’t mind commercial breaks or limitations, you might prefer Spotify or YouTube Music — both of which have an unlimited, ad‑supported free option.

Best for New Music Discovery

Spotify

Spotify

View plans

Pros

Diverse discovery features
Best music app
Device integration
Free version
Spotify Kids music streaming

Cons

Poor local music integration
No smart search

Return to top

Why we chose it

Diverse discovery features

Spotify shines for its ability to suggest new music that you’ll actually like. As one of the earliest streaming sites — launched in 2006 — the company has had more than 10 years to hone its music matching algorithms. It uses these to create different daily mixes, a weekly “discover” playlist, and countless curated radio stations for each user. It also offers up themed playlists like “time capsule,” “top songs” for the year, and “summer rewind,” that let you revisit old favorites. Beyond that, Spotify now layers in prompt‑to‑playlist creation with AI Playlist and even a Music Videos beta that lets you switch from audio to video for select tracks.

Best Music App

We found Spotify to be the easiest to use of all the music streaming service apps we tested. On both the mobile and desktop apps, everything was exactly where we expected it to be. Your library, playlists, mixes, and stations all live on the sidebar, making them accessible at all times. The home screen is well organized and easy to navigate, with options to browse “genres and moods,” “charts,” “new releases,” and more. And when you want to create a new radio station based on an artist or song, Spotify lets you “Go to Radio” so you can view your queue and customize the channel. Other platforms — like Apple Music and Tidal — create the station without actually showing you a queue, so you don’t have much control over what’s on (sort of like listening to an actual radio, although you can still skip tracks).

Device integration

With Spotify, as with our other top picks, each user can only listen on one device at a time. However, Spotify stood out for having seamless transitions between listening platforms. Using the “devices available” button, you can switch playback instantly between laptop, cellphone, bluetooth speaker, smart TV, or any other synced device. Spotify also gives you the option to “continue listening” on one device while controlling your account with another. So you could, for example, “continue listening” on your smart TV while using your phone as a music remote to select playlists and skip tracks. Additionally, Spotify and Tidal partner with Waze, so that you can see turn-by-turn directions while listening to your music.

Free version

Of our top picks, Spotify is one of only two streaming services, along with YouTube, that offers an unlimited free version (the others only offer one- to three-month free trials). Of course, freeness comes at a price: You’ll have to put up with quite a few commercial breaks, you must shuffle playlists instead of selecting specific songs, and you’re only allowed to skip six songs per hour. Still, Spotify Free gives you access to the server’s entire catalog of music and curated content. It’s a good option if you want to save $10 to $15 per month.

Spotify Kids Music Streaming

Spotify’s motto is “Music for everyone,” and with the release of the Spotify Kids App makes that even easier. The app was designed for kids and families, a “playground of sound” bursting with color, and built with kids’ “specific cognitive skills in mind”. Spotify Kids offers a collection of music targeted for kids – from movies, TV shows, and popular plays – as well as new songs for them to discover. The Spotify Kids App is ad-free, but can only be used if you’re subscribed to Spotify’s Premium Family plan ($14.99/mo.)

Spotify plans compared

Points to consider

Poor local music integration

If you already own a sizeable music library — iTunes purchases, ripped CD’s, downloaded songs — then you may want to integrate this music with your streaming service. Spotify allows you to do so through its “local files” feature, but it’s not a perfect solution. Once you’ve uploaded music from your hard drive to Spotify’s “local files,” they’re only available on that computer; they don’t travel with your account. That means you won’t be able to listen on mobile or other devices. For easier access to music you already own, we recommend Apple Music. It’s fully integrated with iTunes and has a more robust cloud locker for storing and accessing downloaded content.

No lossless tier (for now)

Maybe you caught a snippet of whistling or a single lyric, and you’re hoping to find out what that great song was. Spotify’s search and discovery are excellent — and it now offers AI‑assisted playlisting — but one notable gap remains: there’s no broadly available lossless audio tier. Competing services like Apple Music, Amazon Music Unlimited, and TIDAL include lossless and even hi‑res options, while Spotify’s current highest quality is lossy “Very high.” See Apple’s lossless, Amazon HD/Ultra HD, and TIDAL formats, and Spotify audio quality for details.

Best for Original Content

YouTube

YouTube Premium

View plans

Pros

All of YouTube’s content
Background listening
Ad-free music and videos
Google perks
Free version

Cons

Music and videos are separate
No desktop app

Return to top

Why we chose it

All of YouTube’s content

You probably never thought of YouTube as a music streaming service (it’s just the place you go for funny cat videos and legendary Vine compilations, right?). But that’s the beauty of YouTube Premium: you get a pretty much endless catalog of songs plus YouTube’s entire library of videos, including remixes, covers, mixtapes, and live footage. That means access to rare, unofficial content that you’d never find on our other top picks — think concert footage from The Who and The Rolling Stones or mixtapes like Chance the Rapper’s Acid Rap.

Background listening

How many times have you started a music video on YouTube, only to lock your phone screen and become instantly frustrated when the music stops? Countless times? Us too. YouTube Premium solves that problem with “background listening,” which allows you to play both music and YouTube videos with the app minimized or your phone screen locked. It may seem like a no-brainer (you can play music in the background on any other music app), but YouTube lovers will rejoice at the ability to multitask while they enjoy their favorite content.

Ad-free music and videos

YouTube Premium users can enjoy both music streaming and all YouTube videos ad-free. Note that if you subscribe to YouTube Music Premium, you’ll get music ad-free but videos will still have advertisements. For current plan options and pricing, see YouTube Premium’s help page.

Google perks

As part of the Google family, YouTube Music and YouTube Premium come with all of its perks. YouTube is fully integrated into Android and Google Home systems, so it can be controlled using Google’s voice assistant, including Siri. You can ask it to put on a specific song or playlist, request a genre, pause or skip a song, or even switch between devices (e.g. “play music on my bedroom speaker”). YouTube also lets you tap into Google’s advanced search mechanisms to find songs. For instance, you might ask it to play “that hipster song with the whistling,” and it’ll know to put on “Young Folks” by Peter Bjorn & John. As a bonus: if you were already using Google’s streaming service (Google Play, $9.99 per month) before YouTube Premium came out in May 2018, you can access its new service free of charge.

Free version

Don’t worry, the free YouTube that we all know and love isn’t going anywhere. You can still access all of the site’s video content and the new YouTube Music service free of charge. However the free version is ad-powered, so you’ll have to sit through plenty of commercial breaks before videos and in between songs. YouTube Music subscribers get ad-free music but not video — so if you’re taking the leap anyway, we recommend spending the extra $2 per month to stream all of YouTube’s content without interruption.

YouTube Music plans compared

Points to consider

Music and videos are separate

YouTube is our platform of choice for people who want both music and video. That said, it doesn’t do a perfect job integrating the two services. Although Youtube Premium customers are technically paying for a YouTube Music subscription and an ad-free YouTube video experience, the two still exist as separate apps. All music streaming happens through the YouTube Music app, while videos are only accessible on YouTube. Ideally, the two will eventually live in one place — but YouTube Music is relatively new, so there are still some logistics to work out.

No desktop app

Unlike Apple Music, Spotify, and Tidal, YouTube Music doesn��t have a downloadable desktop app that you can use to play music from your computer. You can still stream through its website at music.youtube.com, but it’s less convenient than a full-fledged desktop player. For instance, if you’re listening on a Mac, you can’t use the keyboard controls to play, pause, or skip songs. It also means there’s no convenient “mini player” like the one Apple Music has, which lets you keep an eye on what’s playing and control music in a small, discreet window.

Best for High Quality Audio

Tidal

Tidal

View plans

Pros

High fidelity music streaming
Master quality desktop streaming
Exclusive music releases
Artist-driven content

Cons

More expensive
Slow device switching

Return to top

Why we chose it

High fidelity mobile streaming

Tidal is owned by Jay Z, which is admittedly pretty neat. But the company’s real claim to fame is its high-fidelity music streaming. TIDAL now delivers lossless FLAC and HiRes FLAC up to 24‑bit/192 kHz in its main plan, with support for Dolby Atmos on compatible hardware — and it has simplified plans and formats by sunsetting MQA and 360 Reality Audio in favor of open FLAC. Competitors like Apple Music and Amazon Music Unlimited also include lossless and hi‑res streams, but TIDAL remains a favorite among audiophiles for device integrations and transparent format support.

Master quality desktop streaming

TIDAL’s hi‑res catalog is broad and growing, and playback quality adapts to your device capabilities across mobile and desktop. With the shift to HiRes FLAC, TIDAL emphasizes open, widely supported formats while continuing to support immersive mixes like Dolby Atmos on compatible setups. For current specs, see TIDAL’s sound quality page.

Exclusive music releases

All the major streaming services advertise unique content, but Tidal’s exclusives carry strong clout. Expect occasional windowed releases, live sessions, and proprietary content alongside its editorial programming.

Artist-driven content

Tidal is a music streaming service first and foremost, but it also aims to be a place where artists and fans can connect on a more personal level. It does this in a few ways. First is through Tidal X — a platform for live concert streaming, exclusive show invites (more than 3,000 Tidal members got tickets to the 6th anniversary of Rick Ross’ debut album), and unique event access (Rihanna’s Fenty runway show in Paris was live streamed for Tidal members, and a handful even got to attend). Members also get access to Tidal Read, which features artist interviews and articles by professional music journalists.

Tidal plans compared

Points to consider

Changed plans and formats

TIDAL now includes lossless and hi‑res FLAC in its primary plan and has retired MQA/360 Reality Audio in favor of open formats. That simplifies choices and brings pricing closer to competitors that include lossless at no extra cost. If you’re chasing the very best sound, audition services and formats on your own setup before deciding.

Slow device switching

As with our other top picks, Tidal users can only stream music on one device at a time. However, Tidal doesn’t do a great job transitioning between systems. When we switched playback from desktop to mobile and back again, it took Tidal a few minutes to recognize that we had stopped listening on one device and started on another. This made for lag time, and us having to restart the app — not a huge inconvenience, but annoying considering that services like Spotify were able to switch playback instantly.

Best for Low-Maintenance Listening

Pandora

Pandora

View plans

Pros

Four plans to choose from
Voice control and compatibility
Pandora’s Music Genome Project
Pandora Stories

Cons

Restrictive free version
Bare bones interface
Lack of additional content

Return to top

Why we chose it

Pandora’s Music Genome Project

The Music Genome Project is the engine behind Pandora’s music analysis and recommendations. Pandora describes it as deep study of music by human experts, “Our team of trained musicologists has been listening to music across all genres and decades, including emerging artists and new releases, studying and collecting musical details on every track– 450 musical attributes altogether.” The result is a top-notch music discovery and station curation.

This expertise extends beyond its radio stations. When creating your own playlist, Pandora has a button to add a handful of similar songs — an easy way to build out your party playlist without spending hours searching for songs.

Four plans to choose from

Pandora offers a wide selection of plans, prices, and listening options. The free version centers on radio-style stations with ads and limited skips. Pandora Plus is a mid-tier option that removes ads and adds more skips and replays. Upgrading to Pandora Premium unlocks on‑demand listening and offline downloads, and there’s a Family plan for multiple accounts. Pandora also offers discounted premium accounts for students and military members.

If you’re on the fence about Pandora’s paid plans, Pandora Plus typically comes with a trial and Pandora Premium offers a longer trial window. Pandora’s lineup is fairly unique among major services thanks to the in‑between “Plus” tier — a budget option that unlocks a few premium features without going fully on‑demand.

Voice control and compatibility

Pandora has recently released a voice mode that enables listeners to control the app hands-free. Rather than calling on your chosen personal assistant to set the mood, you can simply command the app directly — “Hey Pandora, play something cozy” — no matter the operating system. You can tell Pandora to “thumbs up” a song, add a song to an existing playlist, skip a tune, or play a specific station. If you’re only familiar with the lyrics of a song, you can ask Pandora, “Play the song that goes hold me closer tiny dancer.” We felt these innovations were one step closer to the smart house of our dreams, but a small step. Other services have similar hands-free voice command options, though not as simple or direct as Pandora.

Pandora is compatible with most major listening devices. It works with both Android and iOS devices, along with Google Home, Amazon Alexa, Xbox, Sonos, Chromecast, smart TVs, Xfinity, Fitbit and Apple Watch, and Amazon Fire TV.

Pandora Stories

One of Pandora’s most unique offerings is a series called Pandora Stories. Each one is a playlist with exclusive insights from artists. It often consists of an album or collection of biggest hits, with commentary from the artist on each track. You’ll find countless Pandora Stories from artists like the Chainsmokers, John Legend, Taylor Swift, 2 Chainz, AJR, Little Big Town, and Ciara.

These exclusive playlists go beyond music artists, with collections like “Women of New York” where local NYC woman in leadership positions chose and speak about songs that empower them. There’s also cinematic and cultural collections like “The Music of Wes Anderson Films,” and a historically organized “The Rise & Fall of Britpop.”

The only downside is that this kind of unique content is buried beneath Pandora’s emphasis on simplicity. There’s no natural way to find the playlists, you might stumble upon them if you journey deep into the “Browse” tab or search for it specifically.

Pandora plans compared

*Can listen on-demand in time-limited premium sessions after watching an ad.
** On Pandora Plus, you can listen to four radio stations offline.

Points to consider

Restrictive free version

Pandora’s free version hasn’t changed much from when it practically pioneered music streaming in 2000 with its “radio station” model. It’s pretty restrictive when you compare it to Spotify’s free version. While both services have ads, you can’t create or listen to your own playlists on Pandora’s free version and don’t have access to the desktop app. There is an odd loophole — to listen on-demand and enjoy anything outside of radio stations, you have to listen to a longer ad and then you’ve started a “premium session.” Once that session ends, instead of playing another ad, it auto-navigates you out of whatever playlist you were in and plays the last radio station you listened to. You have to renavigate and opt into an ad to active another free “premium session.” It’s a lot of hassle for something Spotify does automatically.

Bare-bones interface

Pandora really keeps it simple when it comes to the organization and navigation of its music. In some cases, too simple. We found there wasn’t much to browse through in the “Browse” section, and a general lack of natural navigation to discover music. When you navigate to an artist, there’s no chronological view of their discography. Songs that are collaborations with other artists won’t be listed there, and playlists like Pandora Stories aren’t stored there either. Finding a playlist by Pandora is sort of like a treasure hunt with this model. Most of your listening will have to be searched-based.

On the other hand, its super simple interface won’t make you feel overwhelmed by choices or decisions about exactly which “indie chill” playlist to put on.

Lack of additional content

Pandora doesn’t offer much outside of music. You can listen to most popular podcasts on Pandora, but no video content or any kind. Pandora also lacks options to store or upload music you own. With most other music streaming services, you can watch music videos, listen to audiobooks, and store all your music in one place. We mostly recommend Pandora for casual music listening.

Best for Prime Members

Amazon

Amazon Prime Music

View plans

Pros

Free with Prime or Alexa devices
Prime membership perks
Stream with Alexa
Variety of plans

Cons

Smaller library
Fewer features

Return to top

Why we chose it

Free with Prime or Alexa devices

Prime Music’s biggest selling point is that it’s free for Prime users and anyone with an Alexa device (see below) through their Prime Music service. It’s not the ideal choice for music buffs who want rare finds and ultra-tailored playlists. With a smaller library than their paid subscription service, Amazon Music Unlimited, and the inclusion of plenty of “Top 100” style stations and today’s biggest hits, its collection will suit listeners who want casual, low-effort streaming.

Prime membership perks

Prime Music may not stand on its own, but it’s worth a look when considered as part of the entire Prime package. Being a Prime member also grants you discounted access to the more-expansive Amazon Music Unlimited. Along with access to a broad catalog and curated playlists, Prime membership layers in shipping, video, and more — a compelling bundle if you prefer one provider for multiple services.

Stream with Alexa

Prime Music also comes pre-programmed on Echo devices, making it easy to control with Alexa voice commands. Amazon Prime users can ask her to play, pause, or skip a song, select a playlist, or “play more like this” to discover similar music. Music Unlimited customers get a few additional commands as well: For instance, you can request that Alexa play music from a specific era or genre, or even match your mood (“Alexa, play something upbeat”).

Amazon has released an ad-supported option, meaning you no longer need a Prime membership or Amazon Music Unlimited subscription, just a device and WiFi. We have not yet tested the new service, but we do know that subscribers will have the opportunity to whistle through millions of free tunes from different “eras” and algorithm-based stations, although subscribers will have to swallow frequent ads and encounter some limitations for the free service.

Variety of plans

If you love Amazon’s platform but the Prime Music library just won’t cut it, the company offers a more robust package with Amazon Music Unlimited, which looks a lot like our other top picks. It has a much bigger library and catalog of curated content, a more robust roster of Alexa commands, and now includes HD and Ultra HD (lossless and hi‑res) at no extra cost. Amazon is also experimenting with AI playlisting through Maestro (beta), which creates playlists from natural‑language prompts and even emojis.

For listeners who want to dabble with music during chores or gatherings, the ad‑supported option on compatible devices is a low‑effort way to try the service. More serious listeners should consider Unlimited for full on‑demand control, HD/Ultra HD audio, and broader device support.

Amazon Music plans compared

* or $5 dollars extra per month for Amazon Music Unlimited subscribers

Points to consider

Smaller library

The biggest drawback to Amazon’s included Prime music tier is that it has a far smaller and more limited experience than our other top picks; it’s designed for casual listening. If you opt to pay for Amazon Music Unlimited, you get a much larger catalog and feature set comparable to the rest of our top picks. Still, depending on your needs, other platforms may offer interfaces or discovery features you prefer.

Fewer features

The Amazon Music player is straightforward and gets the job done, with a music library, curated content, and playlists, but lacks some of the extra features that we loved from our other top picks. We missed, for example, the more advanced discovery UX and social features you’ll find on Spotify. Amazon is closing some gaps with lossless/hi‑res audio included in Unlimited and AI playlisting via Maestro, but the overall experience still feels a bit utilitarian compared to the most customizable apps.

Others to Consider

Google Play Music

Google Play Music has been discontinued and replaced by YouTube Music. If you’re looking for Google’s current music service, head to music.youtube.com for ad‑supported listening (with ads) or paid plans via YouTube Music Premium and YouTube Premium.

While Google Play Music no longer operates, YouTube Music covers on‑demand songs, playlists, and personalized stations, with Google’s search advantages and deep ties to the broader YouTube video ecosystem.

Current YouTube Premium and Music plan options and pricing are listed on YouTube’s help page.

How We Chose the Best Music Streaming Services

Music and content

Library size is less of a differentiator than it used to be among the big names, which collectively offer massive catalogs. What matters more now is audio quality, discovery UX, and experience depth. Streaming remains the primary growth engine for recorded music globally, according to IFPI’s Global Music Report.

New music discovery

Besides serving up your favorite tracks à la carte, music streaming services should help you explore new artists and genres. We looked for companies that make it easy to expand your musical horizons. All of our top picks offer algorithmic playlists and radio stations, and several now add AI‑assisted playlist creation — for example Spotify’s AI Playlist and Amazon Music’s Maestro (beta).

Listening styles

Streaming formats are almost endless. Our top picks all offer a mix of on-demand listening, curated playlists, and personalized radio stations — so you can choose whether to actively DJ or just sit back and let the music roll. Many now include lossless/hi‑res audio, immersive mixes, and even native music videos inside the app.

User experience

After putting together a list of the most popular music streaming services, we cozied up with their apps and put in some quality listening time. Besides judging the size and diversity of their catalogs, we paid close attention to each company’s interface. Were playlists simple to build and access? Could we make new radio stations easily (and, once they were made, actually find them again)? Could we switch back and forth between devices without lag? The best platforms were customizable and ultra easy to navigate. Accessibility and inclusion are also increasingly central — Apple, for example, introduced Music Haptics for iPhone so more people can experience music.

Guide to Music Streaming Services

How to find the right music streaming platform for you

Evaluate your listening preferences

The biggest factor in choosing a music streaming service is how you prefer to listen. If you’re a pretty choosy streamer — you like being your own DJ, you make lots of custom playlists, maybe you’ve been building the ultimate iTunes library for the past 10 years — then you’ll likely want Apple Music. Laid-back listeners might prefer Spotify, with its countless ready-made playlists and radio stations plus powerful discovery. TIDAL and Amazon Music Unlimited are perfect for audiophiles who want lossless and hi‑res, and YouTube is great if you love watching music videos.

Consider your devices

All of our top picks can be used on desktop and mobile, but some are designed to work seamlessly on other devices as well. For example, Apple Music syncs directly with the Apple Watch and HomePod, and can be voice-controlled using Siri. If Siri isn’t your thing, then you might prefer Amazon Prime Music — which comes pre-set on Echo devices and can be used with Alexa — or YouTube Premium, which is fully integrated into the Google sphere (think Google Home, Android phones, etc.). If you’ve already bought into speakers, voice assistants, or smart home devices, then it’s worth choosing a music streaming service that will integrate easily with the systems you’re already using at home.

Think about music sharing

Music streaming platforms can be a great place to share music, see what your friends are listening to, and even post your own original content. Our favorite service for building a music community is Spotify, which offers a “friend feed” and collaborative playlists for discovering music through other users. Apple Music and YouTube also let members create robust profiles, so that you can explore playlists made by your friends and check out what the artists themselves are listening to.

Look for the right price point

Most major services have raised prices since 2020, and plan names and bundles have evolved. Student discounts remain common (Apple Music, Spotify, YouTube Music, TIDAL, Amazon via Prime Student), and family plans still offer the best per-person value. For current plan options and prices, check the official pages like Spotify Premium and YouTube Premium in your region.

Music Streaming FAQs

What is the cheapest music streaming service?

Spotify and YouTube Music both offer unlimited free music streaming with ads. Among paid options, prices vary by region and have increased since 2020. Students can typically get discounted plans with Apple Music, Spotify, YouTube Music, TIDAL, and Amazon (via Prime Student). Families save with multi‑account plans. For current pricing, see Spotify Premium and YouTube Premium.

What does “high-fidelity” or “lossless” music streaming mean?

Before you can stream a song online, it has to be compressed into a digital file. When music is compressed, bits of sound are removed to make the file smaller and more manageable. In theory these bits are so minor that most people won’t miss them — but to the trained ear, a compressed file could have noticeably poorer sound quality. “Lossless” audio takes out fewer (or no) sounds, resulting in a digital file that’s truer to the original recording.

What music streaming service has the best quality?

Several services offer excellent sound: Apple Music streams Lossless and Hi‑Res Lossless; Amazon Music Unlimited includes HD and Ultra HD; and TIDAL delivers lossless and HiRes FLAC with Atmos on supported devices. Audiophile‑focused services like Qobuz and Deezer also offer lossless tiers. By contrast, Spotify currently tops out at lossy “Very high” quality without a publicly available lossless tier. Your actual experience will depend on your device chain and headphones/speakers.

What’s the difference between Google Play Music and YouTube Music?

Google Play Music has been discontinued; YouTube Music is Google’s current music streaming service. You can listen free with ads or upgrade to YouTube Music Premium (or YouTube Premium) for ad‑free music, background play, and downloads. See YouTube’s help page for plan details.

Does Apple Music work on Android?

Yes! The Apple Music app is available on the Google Play store for Android users. However, Droid customers won’t have access to Apple Music’s voice command feature, which currently only works through Siri.

What’s the difference between Amazon Prime Music and Amazon Music Unlimited?

Amazon’s Prime Music is included with every Amazon Prime membership at no additional cost to you. It includes a limited catalog and curated playlists and stations. Amazon Music Unlimited is a more robust version of the service that you’ll pay an extra fee for. Its library packs a far larger number of tracks and “thousands of playlists and stations,” more Alexa commands, and includes HD and Ultra HD audio at no extra cost.

How many songs does Spotify have?

There’s no official, precise count published; Spotify’s catalog is vast and growing, with thousands of new songs added each week. What’s certain is that you’ll never run out of new and exciting content. If you’re craving something different, you can check out unheard gems on the website forgotify.com.

More Music Content

Now that you’ve found the best music streaming service, you’ll need a way to tune in: bluetooth headphones to smart speakers, we’ve got your audio cravings covered. Check out some of our other music related content:

• Apple Music
• Spotify
• Streaming Royalties and the Starving Artist: How Musicians Make Money

Recently Added

The Best TV Streaming Services

The Best Live TV Streaming Services

Amazon Music vs. Apple Music