Technology has tremendously revolutionized the way we listen to music. It’s now effortless to access your favorite music on any device, be it a desktop computer or mobile device. One of the most reliable ways to play music currently is using music streaming services. With this technology, you can listen to music using the free or paid version, while curbing piracy at the same time. So if you have a stable internet connection and a browser, here is a list of the best music streaming sites you should check out.
Spotify is arguably the best free music streaming service you can find. It’s the largest music streaming service currently with 200 million-plus active monthly users. That said, Spotify offers an exciting free 30-day trial period to their Premium newbies. After that, you’ll have to part with $9.99/month until you cancel your subscription. Additionally, they offer a Family Plan and Student Plan which costs$14.99 and $4.99 respectively.
Moving on from the monthly plans, you’ll get a rock-solid music listening experience here thanks to the over 50 million available tracks. You can use your tablet or smartphone, although you’ll only be allowed to listen on shuffle. And of course, this platform works on PCs, Macs, Androids, camcorders, smart TVs, and iOS devices.
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Apple Music was introduced into the highly competitive music streaming scene in late 2015 and has done admirably well. With it, users get access to over 30 million tracks along with playlists and a 24/7 live radio. Moreover, you can upload your favorite music and stream it using your device. You’ll also get a social component where you’ll be updated on what your favorite artist is up to.
Apple Music comes with an array of monthly plans. To begin with, a student can pay as little as $4.99/month for the Students Plan with a 50% discount. If you have a family, you can subscribe to the Family Plan for only $14.99/month. Individual users will also get an ads-free music listening environment for $9.99/month. You should keep in mind, however, that this music streaming service is available on Apple devices only.
If you want the best streaming music service with tons of experience in the industry, then sign up at Deezer today. That’s because Deezer has been around since 2006 and has since amassed over 14 million monthly users. With Deezer, you’ll get unlimited access to your favorite tracks, mixes, and, old/new recommendations, depending on your listening habits.
You’ll get a free 30-day trial period, after which you’ll pay$9.99/month. You can also save a few bucks by paying a yearly fee of $99.90. It doesn’t stop there, though, because there are other plans, including the Deezer Student ($4.99/month), Deezer Family ($14.99/month), and DeezerHiFi ($19.99/month) which comes with lossless audio quality. Deezer is available on Mac, Windows, iOS, and Android devices.
View Also: Deezer Vs. Spotify Side by Side Comparison
If you know of a music streaming service with a more significant number of tracks, please let us know. That’s because SoundCloud comes with a mind-boggling 150 million-plus tracks. The platform also boasts of over 175 million monthly visitors, making it one of the best free music streaming services. And yes, everything at SoundCloud is free, including sign up, uploading music, streaming music, and promoting your music.
But if you want to dodge the frequent ads and get better music quality, you can use their paid versions. For example, SoundCloud Go will cost you $5.99/month, whereas the SoundCloud Go+ plan will cost you $9.99/month. Students can also subscribe to the SoundCloud Go+ plan for only $4.99/month.
Pandora is another music streaming service that has been around for quite some time. With it, you can play your favorite songs, playlists, and albums. Even better, Pandora recently introduced its no-ads Plus tiers and radio service. This way, I find the company to be a bit more flexible than most of its competitors.
Pandora offers a Premium Plus version for only $9.99, whereas students can access the same service for $4.99. There is also the family sharing option for up to six users for $14.99 and an array of radio stations to choose from. Don’t forget that you’ll get a whopping 60-day trial period after signing up.
View Also: Spotify Vs. Pandora on Difference
Tidal Music is a subscription-based music streaming service owned by renowned US rapper, Jay-Z. For this reason alone, Tidal gets major co-signing from music stars such as Beyonce, Kanye West, Rihanna, and many others to boost its image. With Tidal, you’ll get exclusive albums, quality editorials, lossless sound, early access to sports and concert tickets, and many more.
On the flip side, Tidal lacks the free, ad-supported option. In that case, you’ll have to subscribe to the Tidal Premium for $9.99/month and get 320Kbps AAC+ music. Alternatively, you can subscribe to the Tidal HiFi with a much better fidelity for $19.99. For family users, Tidal has a Premium Family Plan for $14.99/month and HiFi Family Plan for $29.99/month.
Google Play Music is a music streaming service with over 40 million tracks and cloud storage. You can go ahead and store up to 50,000 tracks in the cloud for future playback. Interesting enough, Google Play Music offers this feature to both paying and non-paying users.
Although this platform doesn’t offer a free, ad-supported version, you’ll get a free 30-day trial period upon signup. During this time, you’ll access an ad-free music library, offline listening, unlimited skipping, and many more. Once the period elapses, you can pay $9.99 for the Premium Plan or $14.99 for the Family Plan. All music streaming services compared, Google Play Music is undoubtedly one of the most mature.
View Also: Google Play Music Vs. Spotify
At Amazon Music Unlimited, listeners get an expended music catalog with a pocket-friendly monthly outlay. Instead of focusing on providing cutting-edge music like its competitors, the service offers radio stations and recommended playlists based on your listening habits. Some music stations you’ll get include Echo Dot, Amazon Tap (contains ads), and Amazon Echo.
Just like most music streaming services on this list, Amazon Music Unlimited offers a free 30-day trial period after which you’ll pay $9.99/month. There is also the Family Plan for up to six members for $14.99/month and the Single Device Plan for $3.99/month. However, there is no student package, so you should check out the other options on this list.
Technically, Amazon Music HD is an upgrade to the Amazon Music Unlimited option. That’s because it features a unique library of tracks with higher quality compared to the Amazon Music Unlimited. However, you should check if your device can support HD streaming, although most modern devices should do fine.
For $15/month ($13/month for Prime Members), you will get unlimited, ad-free access to your favorite tracks. Theirs is also the family plan which will cost you $20 to lay your hands on the 50 million-plus music files. And of course, new users will receive a free 90-day trial period.
Last on our list is YouTube music which boasts of a free version but with ads. Surprisingly, YouTube Music Premium users will get unlimited access to the paid version of Google Play Music and vice versa. Here, you’ll access an extensive collection of songs, including personalized playlists. There is also a mobile and desktop app to make the whole process easier.
If you want an ads-free platform, it will cost you $10/month or $15/month for the Premium and Family plans respectively. Furthermore, there is a free 90-day trial period for all newcomers. All in all, this is the cheapest option if you like watching videos or listening to music on YouTube.
These are the best music streaming sites you can get right now. And as we’ve already seen, most of them offer a vast collection of songs for as little as $10/month, thanks to competition. You can also use the free trial period to see if the site meets your needs. In short, there is something for everyone here.