Music streaming may not be perfect, but as a complement to your main listening style, it’s pretty amazing. Of course, you don’t own the music, but the low monthly cost gives you access to almost any recorded music from anywhere and on any device.
Sound quality is improving, and many now offer lossless audio at no extra charge (although Spotify’s long-rumored HiFi tier comes with a fee). And with a new service coming soon for audiophiles, not to mention the immediate speed of technical innovation in the wireless area: expect the transmission to sound better and better.
So if you’re passing through or looking for an affordable and convenient way to listen to new music, streaming makes the most sense. But which service to choose? We’ve put key players through the same rigorous testing procedure as physical devices to assess their strengths, weaknesses, and unique advertising aspects to help you make a decision.
I’m a copywriter at What Hi-Fi?, and I focus primarily on audio and hi-fi products. Because of this, I naturally spend a lot of time employing the latest music streaming facilities. What makes one better than the other?The crucial points come with the sound quality, the diversity of the catalog offered, and the intuitiveness of the user interface and software. In this guide, we gloss over many of the most popular music streaming facilities and talk about what makes each one stand out.
Here’s a quick rundown of our picks for the most productive music streaming with a brief rundown and some of the key features they offer. If you are looking for more details, click on the streaming service symbol to access the detailed entry.
Best for High Resolution
Tidal is our global pick for listening to Hi-Res Audio and the current What Hi-Fi?Winner of the “Best Music Streaming Service”. Offering MQA and now FLAC playback, Tidal is an excellent streaming service with a giant library of varied music. It’s easy to navigate and offers higher quality audio than most competitors, its most sensitive level is on the more expensive side of these services.
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Best for iOS
This makes sense, Apple products work well on Apple devices. Apple Music has come a long way and offers many exclusive features that make it stand out. Offering high-resolution playback, Apple Music is definitely worth a try for iOS users and it is also one of the cheapest facilities available.
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The loose level
Spotify remains the most popular option, despite gaining ground through its competition that we also mentioned. With an extensive library, it’s a wonderful tool for finding new and old music. Despite the classified ads and limited features that come with Spotify’s free tier. , we continue to think that it is the most productive on the market.
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Best Value
Amazon Prime Unlimited offers a reduction for existing Prime users and offers Dolby Atmos tracks to compete with competitors like Tidal and Apple. It also comes with an ever-expanding and built-in library for a wide variety of speakers and hi-fi kits.
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Best for Video
YouTube Music has gained several updates in terms of appearance and features and looks more like a competitor of the biggest ones of those days. We’ve been inspired by the number of long-lost gems hidden in the service’s vaults, but we’d like to see an improvement in audio quality.
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Our opinion:
Tidal has now won a number of awards and has long been at the forefront of streaming. The service has become more widely available through tweaks to its pricing design that have noted the inclusion of 44. 1kHz 16-bit lossless audio streams in its popular package. Unfortunately, Tidal has felt pressure recently, so those costs have increased and now start at £11/$11/AU$13.
However, subscribers to the new “Tidal HiFi” package get perks such as uninterrupted access to CD-quality audio. However, there are still some perks reserved for Tidal’s more sensible level. In addition to CD-quality streams, “Tidal HiFi Plus” provides its subscribers with access to millions of high-resolution audio tracks that are typically 24-bit/96 kHz but pass up to 24-bit/192 kHz. Tidal now provides access to FLAC files as well as authenticated master quality (MQA) encoded files. technology. It also includes combo tracks in immersive sound formats (Dolby Atmos Music and Sony 360 Audio recordings).
But CD-quality high-resolution streams are the ultimate solution for Tidal’s offering. Customers in the U. S. U. S. users can take advantage of the service’s first free plan, called “Tidal Free,” which offers the company’s entire library of 100 million tracks on 160 kbps with “limited interruptions” from Tidal that “will aim to teach consumers about the music industry. “
You can access Tidal iOS, Android, a desktop PC (all of which offer high-resolution streaming), as well as a browser-based player and smart distribution of other platforms, such as Sonos. Tidal Connect now also allows you to connect Wi-Fi to an in-development roster of products from brands like NAD, Naim, KEF, Bluesound, Dali, Cambridge Audio, McIntosh, and more.
It may have one of the most expensive premium account tiers on our list, but Tidal’s ease of use is exemplary, and the sound quality is exceptional across the board. CD-quality broadcasts demonstrate just the right degrees of detail and expression, and high-resolution recordings reach a new level. Sonicly Tidal still has the edge over all competitors, Apple Music’s ALAC streams manage to fit in terms of openness and subtlety.
Tidal is also now differentiating itself from the rest of the group by introducing projects designed to provide artists with direct invoices (from HiFi Plus subscribers only) that constitute each user’s listening behavior and are not attributed via aggregation.
If you’re a music fan looking for the most productive high-quality streaming experience, with a full catalog, immersive content, extensive device compatibility, and enhanced discovery features (and you’re not yet tied to Apple’s ecosystem), Tidal is still the one to choose.
Read the full Tidal review
We give Tidal a very smart score on What Hi-Fi?and we use it extensively in our testing processes for all things audio. There are several reasons for this, basically the ability to access high-resolution audio formats through a giant music and audio library. It also has a transparent and easy-to-navigate app with wonderful features for maintaining playlists. It’s worth noting that Tidal got rid of its free tier and renewed its paid plan. While this might be alarming news for those who have used the free service, Tidal’s new design means that spatial, lossless and high-resolution audio content is available with a single-user package costing £11/$11 per month.
Our opinion:
Unsurprisingly, Apple Music is aimed squarely at Apple users, so Android owners should look elsewhere, even if that’s not necessarily the case. However, if you’re fully immersed in the Apple ecosystem, Apple Music makes a lot of sense.
Whether you are employing the desktop or mobile app, it is undeniable that the interface can navigate with an undeniable yet effective design. The service does a wonderful job of organizing playlists and providing useful and wise recommendations. While there’s no loose tier, Apple has now added for lossless audio and spatial audio with Dolby Atmos at no extra cost. The service’s catalog of 100 million tracks is available in CD quality (16-bit/44. 1 kHz), with a maximum of tracks in high resolution (24-bit/48-192 kHz), and subscribers will also have access to the Apple Music Classical service. at no additional cost. This is a wonderful deal if you like classical music with spacey and high-resolution audioArray.
However, there are some limitations as to which kit can read Apple’s new high-quality offering. For example, while Apple Music with Dolby Atmos works with all headphones and Apple’s HomePod 2 and HomePod Mini will be lossless at some point (after a software update). Apple headphones do not offer lossless audio.
Also, while Apple’s iPhones (since the iPhone 7) natively support the lossless feature, this only applies to Apple Music Lossless and not to the highest quality lossless higher resolution. So, if you need to pay attention to Apple Music songs above 24-bit/48kHz on your iPhone, you need to shell out for an external DAC and use a worn-out pair of headphones.
Apple hasn’t revealed the bitrate it uses for its popular streams, but the tracks still look clear, vivid, and entertaining. Compared to similar tracks on Spotify (streams around 320 kbps), Apple’s have more subtlety and more area around the tools. while its ALAC (Apple Lossless Audio Codec) streams suit Tidal for their openness and subtlety, and even sound a little clearer.
If you are an Apple user, this is the most attractive and economical high-resolution streaming service on the market.
Read the full Apple Music review
Our opinion:
Despite its criticisms, Spotify is undoubtedly the most popular and convenient way to get your music fix. Not only does it offer decent quality (by people’s maximum standards) of around 320 kbps, but it also has one of the most comprehensive and straightforward solutions. to browse catalogues: some great artists, including Joni Mitchell, Graham Nash, David Crosby, Stephen Stills, India. Arie and Nils Lofgren, are absent after recently challenging the service’s stance on Covid misinformation (Neil Young recently returned).
The rest of the platform’s catalog of more than 82 million songs can be played on almost any device you own, thanks to intuitive iOS and Android apps and plenty of TVs, speakers, and other AV kits provided through Spotify Connect. Unfortunately, Spotify recently raised its prices for the second time in a year, with subscriptions (students notwithstanding) starting at £12/$12/AU$15 per month.
The service is famous for its new music discovery algorithms, which compile weekly playlists tailored to your music tastes. And the more you listen, the more playlists evolve – a compelling explanation for why you choose Spotify as your streaming service.
Spotify offers an accessible, comprehensive, and comprehensive experience and even offers a significant discount to students. Also, if you don’t have money to spend, there’s a free tier that offers lower-quality streams subsidized through ads.
Of course, the challenge is that Spotify is still the only major platform that doesn’t offer lossless quality music, and all of its competitors offer at least CD-quality streams for the same price or less. The company had announced plans to launch its highly anticipated tier of Spotify HiFi until the end of last year, but failed to do so. Apparently, the HiFi tier is still available, and while we don’t yet know how much it will cost (or the official release date), we do know. which will allow subscribers to listen to “music in lossless, CD-quality audio format. ”
There have been some recent rumors about Spotify’s level of hi-fi coming from code researchers who located evidence of what could simply be a new “Supremium” subscription. If this will happen, only time will tell.
However, we’re still eager to see what the most popular streaming platform has in the works. As stated above, the most productive option among Spotify’s streaming quality settings is currently “Very High,” which provides audio tracks with a bitrate of around 320 kbps. For comparison, a CD has a bitrate of 1,411 kbps. So a “CD quality” of around 1,411 kbps would be a huge step up from what Spotify users are used to. A higher bitrate means more information, resulting in better sound. . . eventually.
Read the full Spotify review
Our opinion:
At £10. 99 per month, Amazon Music Unlimited’s price is competitive with our top streaming service picks. And if you subscribe to Amazon Prime it drops to just £9. 99, which is very competitive. There’s also a single-device plan, which can we use the service on a single Amazon Echo or Echo Dot wireless speaker for £5. 99 / $5. 99 / AU$6. 99? There is also a flexible version, but it is limited in scope. Once again, scholars get a reduction that reduces the fee to £5. 99 / $7. 65 / $11. 63. Lucky Scholars.
Music Unlimited is compatible with smartphones and tablets through its Android and iOS apps, as well as PC and Mac through its internet player or desktop app. Fire tablets and TVs are supported, while some car systems and audio products (including Amazon Echo and Sonos speakers) also service.
The mobile app looks smart on smartphones and tablets, but it’s rarely as intuitive and reliable as those offered through Apple or Spotify. These competing facilities also have the merit when it comes to music discovery and recommendations, Amazon provides plenty of tips and suggestions. , allowing you to browse the catalog with minimal hassle to locate new music.
Amazon has been hesitant to disclose its streaming bitrate for its popular tier, citing “multiple bitrates,” but it doesn’t look at any other of Spotify’s roughly 320kbps streams. Listen to the two side by side and the differences are slightly audible: Amazon is a little better in terms of dynamic subtlety and its presentation with a rounder sound is pleasant.
While it might be elusive about its popular level, Amazon Music has pulled out all the stops for high-resolution and 3D formats and is rarely shy about it. The number of Ultra HD songs on the platform has tripled since the format. was introduced in 2019 and unlimited subscribers also have access to an in-development catalog of songs combined in Sony’s Dolby Atmos and 360 Reality Audio, a boon that (according to Amazon) has increased more than 20-fold since spatial audio came to its listeners.
Notably, Amazon Music Unlimited listeners can now stream music combined in spatial audio to Sonos Era 300, iOS, and Android devices with their existing headphones (no special gadgets required), as well as select devices that Alexa Cast.
For Prime subscribers to take advantage of the discounted subscription charge and higher degrees of CD quality and high resolution provided through Amazon Music HD, Music Unlimited makes a lot of sense and is indeed a tempting option for more premium services.
Read the full Amazon Music Unlimited review
Our opinion:
The service let us down at launch, but YouTube Music is now starting to look able to take on the challenge. The user interface is solid, and the search function is excellent, finding long-lost music gems thanks to its video vaults. The challenge is that festival quality remains an issue: Spotify and Apple Music are the mass-market titans to contend with, and both are in a position to offer five-star services.
The free tier is easy to use and supported by ads, but, for £10 / AU$10 / AU$12 per month, you can sign up for YouTube Music Premium, which is ad-free and also allows downloads for offline listening. Students can have access to a discount that reduces the price to around £5/$5. 50/AU$6 per month.
The app can be obtained through Sonos speakers and any device that works with Google Assistant, such as Google Home devices or third-party devices. When it comes to sound quality, streams at 256kbps are far from impossible to hear, but the sound is compressed. in a way that the primary competition does not.
Still, if you like the USP here (music videos over audio) and the ability to search for a recording played in a certain place on a certain date, YouTube Music has a lot to offer.
Read the full YouTube Music review
Qobuz: When it comes to “hi-fi” streaming, Qobuz can also be the king of content. While it would arguably offer more high-resolution tracks than other services, its competition has larger music libraries overall. Worry a lot about the sound quality, not having any album is worse than not being able to pay attention to it in the maximum resolution. Because of this, you may find it tricky to use Qobuz as your only source of music streaming, and you may want Spotify or Apple Music to fill in any gaps.
Deezer: Deezer’s fundamental subscription package is just below Spotify’s in terms of accessibility and presentation, but its Premium, Duo, and Family plans are lossless and come at no extra cost.
When it comes to opting for the right music streaming service for you, there are a few key points to consider.
Perhaps most important is the length of the catalog on offer. If your favorite music is rarely available, this may not be the service for you.
Of course, sound quality is of great importance. Many, such as Tidal, will offer access to high-resolution/lossless formats, such as MQA and FLAC, while others, such as Spotify, will only offer around 320 kbps of streams. For some, this is not the ultimate solution.
For any purchase, the value is what you want in your decision. Be wary of the other subscription plans presented through each streaming service, taking into account the catalog and the sound quality available. You may find a less expensive and more suitable option elsewhere.
Everyone has their preferences when it comes to how the software looks, so it’s also worth thinking about which app provides you with the most intuitive navigation. Many apps offer a free trial, which may be the best way to browse temporarily. Become familiar with the design and options of a service.
We have verification services in London, Reading and Bath, where our team of experienced in-house examiners check most of the audio-visual and hi-fi equipment that arrives at our doors. Of course, music streaming centers are software-based and are used in other scenarios: on a hi-fi system through a streamer, and outdoors using a phone, to give two examples.
When we check out a music streaming service, we use it in those other scenarios and with other kits, from headphones to Wise speakers and, of course, our go-to hi-fi system. We’ll check the versions of the interface for PC and Wisephone and, as a What Hi-Fi? It is mainly a matter of comparative verification, we compare the service to others in its value and features category.
We are unbiased and do our best to make sure we hear the most productive content possible. Therefore, we will look for many other styles of music with complex and popular audio formats. We will check all the features and allow enough listening time. before starting the exam.
All evaluation verdicts are agreed through the team and not an individual evaluator to eliminate any non-public preferences and ensure that we are also as thorough as possible. There is no input from PR firms or our sales team when it comes to the verdict. , With what Hi-Fi? Proud to have provided fair and unbiased reviews for decades.
In a word, yes. If you subscribe to Amazon Prime, you can access Amazon Music Prime for free. This is a lite edition of Amazon Music Unlimited. So, even if you have ad-free access to Amazon’s entire music catalog, it will only be available in SD quality. , no CD or high resolution. And you can only play by mixing artists, albums, or playlists. Need superior quality or faster playback control?You will have to pay the extra for Amazon Music Unlimited.
Spotify is the oldest music streaming service on the market, so it competes with most, if not all, of its competitors. It has a clever track record of releasing new software advancements that continue to push streaming gaming forward (although we’re still patiently waiting). for its CD-quality Hi-Fi level) and is also one of the streaming services that offers suelta. app music along with its premium service. Spotify Connect also exists in its arsenal, which sees the service built in with speakers, TVs, and a variety of compatible audio-visual and hi-fi products, which only adds to the appeal.
If you’re looking for better sound quality than Spotify, you don’t have to look far. In our opinion, Apple Music and Tidal offer a pause. Apple Music in particular not only offers popular higher-quality streams than Spotify, but also higher-quality streams, with CD-quality and high-resolution available for streaming through the service.
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Harry McKerrell is a copywriter at What Hi-Fi?. During his tenure at the publication, he wrote countless news articles, as well as articles, tips, and reviews of products ranging from floor speakers and music streamers to on-ear headphones, wireless headphones, and portable DACs. He has covered hi-fi logo launches and client generation, as well as major industry events such as IFA, High End Munich and, of course, the Bristol Hi-Fi Show. When he is not at work, he can be found playing hockey, playing the piano, or looking for strange dog puppies.
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