With our Bright Stuff buying guide we are happy to help you find the best product of the moment. This time: alternatives to Spotify. Because even though it is the largest music service, competitors also offer exciting other features.
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Despite bickering with Apple, Spotify is still by far the most popular music streaming service. On the one hand, this is understandable: in essence, Spotify works well and in the social field Spotify is unsurpassed. If you would like to listen to playlists from friends or acquaintances, there is a good chance that you can find them on Spotify.
But the competition also has a lot to offer, for example in the field of handmade playlists and a larger or more specialized offering. And especially when it comes to the sound quality, because it is below average at Spotify – and the once promised HiFi subscription is still not available. Competitors do offer that higher quality, sometimes even at the same price.
If you want to try something different, these are great alternatives to Spotify:
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Apple Music
Probably Spotify’s well-known competitor, and with good reason. Where Spotify spreads out with podcasts and audiobooks, Apple Music stands out for its emphasis on different ways of listening. Lossless music in the highest quality is nice for the audiophile, but music in Dolby Atmos is actually even more fun. It has been remixed and is no longer stereo, but the sound comes from all sides. This makes listening more intense and ensures that you hear new things even in familiar music. You can hear this on a large sound system, but it even comes out very well on your AirPods Pro or Max. And now the vast majority of new albums are delivered in Atmos: you simply miss that on Spotify.
Furthermore, Apple has excellent, hand-crafted playlists. Maybe not all your friends are on the platform, but Apple does have excellent music experts. Apple Music has excellent playlists for every occasion and every genre that are regularly updated. And don’t forget the radio shows: Apple has radio stations, complete with DJs interviewing artists. There are also playlists attached to this, and Apple often also has its own live recordings of performances – again in lossless and Dolby Atmos.
For classical music lovers, Apple Music is an excellent choice. If you have a subscription, you can also use the ‘Classic’ app free of charge. This allows you to search the range of classical music much more conveniently: per composer but also per piece of music, so that you can choose from dozens to hundreds of performances of the same piece of music.
Apple Music costs 10.99 per month, or 16.99 euros for a family subscription for up to six users. Students pay 5.99 euros per month – including Apple TV+.
TIDAL
Market itself as the service for the music lover. Tidal does this with a wide range of music and especially with two subscriptions that both sound better than Spotify. The standard Tidal HiFi subscription already offers good sound quality: 16-bit, 44.1 kHz in FLAC – the same quality as CDs.
If you want more, there is Tidal HiFi Plus, with music in 24-bit, 192 kHz and the option for HiRes FLAC. Then you listen to the maximum quality – although this is also included with Apple Music for a lower price. However, with Tidal HiFi Plus you also get music in Dolby Atmos and in Sony 360 Reality Audio: that is a comparable technology from Sony, which works with earplugs, headphones and speakers from the company. For example, if you have excellent Sony WH-1000X headphones, then Tidal is definitely worth a try.
Tidal also has excellent curated playlists and the fun Live function. You can also make your own listening session public, so that everyone can listen. It is also easy to find such sessions from others, so that you can sometimes listen to the greatest artists.
Tidal HiFi costs 10.99 euros per month, Tidal HiFi Plus costs 19.99 euros per month. A student subscription starts at 4.99 euros per month, a family subscription for up to 6 users costs 16.99 or 29.99 euros per month depending on the quality chosen.
YouTube Music
YouTube Music is a bit of a strange service. The sound quality and selection are comparable to Spotify. But Spotify remains lord and master in the field of playlists, and the YouTube Music app does not excel compared to Spotify’s. Why would you take YouTube Music?
That has everything to do with YouTube Premium. If you want to watch YouTube without advertisements, you must take YouTube Premium. Unfortunately, the Lite variant has been discontinued again, meaning YouTube Premium is now your only option for ad-free viewing. Premium costs 11.99 euros per month, quite a lot. But: YouTube Music is included!
YouTube Music itself costs 9.99 euros per month, 1 euro less than most competitors. So if you are an avid YouTube viewer and are just looking for music streaming, consider this option. No Atmos or lossless, no special playlists, but a wide range of music and watching YouTube without commercials – for what feels like only 2 euros per month.
Deezer
Deezer is an interesting middle ground between the accessibility of Spotify on the one hand and the versatility of services such as Tidal on the other. Because Deezer also offers music in lossless quality. There are also excellent playlists and a podcast is built in here – unlike most other Spotify competitors.
Deezer makes a surprising distinction with its Duo subscription. With most providers you can choose between an individual account or a family bundle, for up to 6 users. But with the Duo subscription you split the costs with a friend or family member. Duo costs 15.99 euros per month, so you only spend an ‘old-fashioned’ 8 euros per person per month. Just stream music for a lower price, it doesn’t always have to be complicated.
Best from Amazon?
Amazon Music Unlimited offers quite an interesting music service on paper, with support for Dolby Atmos and music in higher streaming quality. However, in the Netherlands it is so unclear how to become a subscriber and what you get, that we do not recommend the service. All sites that Amazon offers, including the prices mentioned, are based on the US. The service is really available in the Netherlands, but everything is so vaguely arranged – you are better off with one of the other alternatives.
Read more buying advice at Bright Stuff.
2024-03-08 16:18:30
#alternatives #Spotify #stream #music #Atmos #lossless
