Music streaming platforms may appear to perform the same basic functions (which they mostly do) like enjoy music from their catalogs, discover artistes, customize channels, etc., however, there are certain features that distinguish one from the other based on the services and user experiences they provide (music discovery, device compatibility, sound quality, etc.)
We have carefully curated a list of five (5) music streaming platforms that are popular in both the music streaming and consumption spheres.
Spotify
Spotify gives you access to millions of songs from all over the world.
It has the best music discovery algorithms with a smooth and fast user interface.
It is one music streaming service that allows you to add an unlimited number of songs to your personal library, also giving you the freedom to put up to 10,000 in each playlist.
Spotify lets you turn on social sharing so that you can see what your friends have been listening to and it also allows you to create sessions where a group concurrently streams a playlist.
Another good thing about it is that it leads you to discover new artistes based on what you already liked and listened to on the streaming app.
Finally, its free tier is known for its low-quality streaming bit rate and ads but you can always opt for the premium tier which furnishes you with high-quality streaming with no ads.
Apple Music
This streaming service allows users to select and stream music on demand, and users can listen to music offline.
Some music on Apple Music has lossless music quality with premium high resolution tunes that feature uncompressed audio that surpasses the usual music stream. However, the platform is working on making all the songs in its library have lossless quality.
It also has a human-curated discovery option and there are no limits to how many songs you can put on your playlist.
Tidal
Known for its wide lossless-quality song library, it is the first global music streaming service with high-quality and professionally curated playlists.
Unlike Apple Music, all songs on Tidal are currently available in a lossless format.
Its Free tier lets you play curated channels but does not allow you to search for music or skip songs while its Premium tier plays high-quality audio.
Amazon Music
This music streaming platform has a huge music catalog of over 75 million songs with new releases from artists.
However, certain artists and albums are off-limits unless you subscribe to the Amazon Music Unlimited plan which also has a complete library of lossless audio.
Amazon Music also allows users to download songs and albums to listen offline wherever they are.
It has the best audio quality for its paid plans with an ads-free streaming experience.
YouTube Music
This music streaming service was developed by YouTube and provides a customized interface that allows users to effortlessly browse through songs based on genres, playlists and recommendations.
It has a huge music catalog and it allows users to easily switch from listening to a song to watching the music video.
It allows you to have up to 100,000 songs saved in your library, and you can create and share playlists with your friends.
Another cool thing about it is that it suggests songs that you might like, and its artist-tracking features enable you see your liked songs according to the artiste, with the option of subscribing to the artist to see their new releases and catalog.
To enjoy ad-free YouTube Music, you will need to subscribe to the premium plan.
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