Top Music Streaming Services For Listening On the Go

Music streaming revolutionized how people listen to music. It erased the need to buy individual songs on iTunes and download the contents of every CD to put on your iPod or phone. Spotify was one of the first big streaming platforms and remains a popular streaming service today. But as streaming rose in popularity, other tech giants like Apple and Amazon created their own music streaming services, such as Apple Music and Amazon Prime Music. As these platforms grow in popularity, it may be hard to tell which music streaming service is the best. Keep reading to see how Spotify, Apple Music, and Amazon Prime Music compare in a few key categories.

All three music platforms have similar prices, with slight variations. Amazon Prime members can get Amazon Music free, but their library is limited to 2 million songs. Standard membership is $9.99 a month or $119 annually. For Prime members, it’s $8.99 or $89 annually. Students can get a membership for only $0.99.

Spotify also has a free tier, but free users can’t download music and have to listen to ads interrupting their playback. An individual Spotify premium account is $9.99. For two people, it’s $12.99, and families can get a 6-user account for $15.99. In addition, students can get a Spotify Premium for $4.99, including free access to Hulu and Showtime ad plans.

Apple Music doesn’t have a free tier, but it does have a $4.99 Voice plan that allows for ad-free listening, but Voice users can’t download music to their library for offline listening, and they can’t take advantage of Apple Music’s high-quality audio. An individual standard account is $9.99, and a family account for 6-users is $14.99. Students can purchase Apple Music for $5.99 a month.

Apple Music and Amazon Prime Music boast that their libraries contain over 90 million songs, whereas Spotify Music has over 70 million songs. This is a big difference, but most users will be able to find their favorite artists on any of these platforms. However, if a user has eclectic taste, they should do their own research to see what platforms contain the artists they want to listen to.

You can download all three platforms on Android and iOS app stores and access them on desktops. However, not all cars contain Apple Carplay or Alexa Auto. Spotify has Spotify Carthing, a device that allows you to access your Spotify library in the car.

Apple Music can also be accessed on Apple TVs. On the other hand, Spotify is supported by Available on PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S and Xbox One, and apps on many Smart TVs. As a result, Spotify is easily the more accessible platform across devices.

Amazon music streams using a 320kbps format and has Dolby Atmos and Sony 360 Reality Audio, but it’s extremely limited in its available hardware. Apple Music streams with 256 kbps AAC files and spatial audio. Its immersive sound tops both Amazon and Spotify. However, to experience the immersive sound, users must be listening off of an Apple device.

Spotify lags in this category, streaming in either 96kbps, 160kbps, and 320kbps, though the higher qualities are reserved for Premium members. They do not have any spatial audio or immersive sound capabilities.

These three platforms are extremely competitive. Apple Music leads in the sound quality category and ties with Amazon Music for library size, but Spotify is available on more devices. Amazon Prime has the lowest student price, but the Spotify student account does come with Hulu and Showtime. Overall, Apple Music seems to have the best library and value, but Spotify’s availability may convince many listeners to sign up for Spotify Premium.

Sound quality is one of the most important considerations when choosing between music streaming services. However, that won’t matter if you don’t have a good pair of headphones. High-quality headphones can elevate any listening experience, and once you experience the extent of these platforms’ sound quality, you’ll want to protect your headphones at all costs.

But headphones contain hundreds of tiny parts and mechanisms that can easily break. To preserve your listening capabilities, you’ll want to pair them with a headphones extended warranty. Luckily, Upsie has a headphones warranty that will save you money and protect your device from drops, spills, speaker failures, mechanical defects, and more.

Customers can purchase a two-year or three-year plan for headphones bought in the last 60 days. In addition, customers gain access to unlimited claims up to the device’s purchase price, total coverage, savings, and friendly 24/7/365 customer service with Upsie.