Music is a part of our everyday lives.
From listening to music during our morning commute or at nighttime in the shower, it is a universal tool that we all use for many different reasons. Music can evoke emotion or serve as a memory. It can spread a message or get people on their feet. It can enhance a feature film or pump up a sports team. From pop to rock and country to jazz, there are genres of music that appeal to the tastes of each and every listener. But with different ways to do what is known as "streaming" music, how does one decide on a streaming service in which to hold their valuable songs and playlists. Composed here is a simplified explanation and comparison of 3 big streaming service that reside within the music market now, Spotify, Apple Music and Tidal.
First things first - What does it mean to "stream" music?
Streaming music is a way of delivering music without the need to download said music files. Music services use this method to provide songs that can be enjoyed on all types of different devices through an internet connection.
Spotify
Spotify is a music streaming service that comes in 2 versions - Free & Premium. Paid Premium subscriptions remove advertisements, improve audio quality and allow users to download music for offline listening.
Cost: Free & Premium Option ($9.99 per month).
Student Discount?: Yes.
Family Discount?: Yes.
Free Access Available?: Yes.
Number of Track Downloads? More than 30 million.
Number of Users: More than 75 million.
What else?: Spotify recently released a ton of new features, including a tool for fitness lovers known as Spotify Running which matches music to your jogging pace, categorized music for every mood and activity and tons of videos to watch.
Apple Music
Cost: Free 3 Month Trial & Premium ($9.99 per month, with a family plan option for up to six members for $14.99 per month.)
Student Discount?: No.
Family Discount?: Yes.
Free Access Available?: Yes, 3 month free trial.
Number of Track Downloads? More than 37 million.
Number of Users: Less than 15 million.
What else?: Apple Music features a 24-hour radio station called Beats 1 that features music, interviews and anything else a music fan could want. It also boasts Apple Music Connect, a feature that will connect fans and artists and furnish them with exclusive content like lyrics, backstage photos, videos and more. Siri will also play a part,acting as your personal DJ via voice activation, a feature other streaming services are unable to access.
Tidal
Tidal is a subscription-based music streaming service that combines audio and high definition music videos with curated editorial. The service has over 25 million tracks and 85,000 music videos. Currently offering no free subscription plans, Tidal claims to pay the highest percentage of royalties to music artists and songwriters within the music streaming market. Tidal offers two digital music streaming services: Tidal Premium (lossy quality) and Tidal HiFi (lossless CD quality - FLAC-based 16-Bit/44.1 kHz).
Cost: Tidal Premium ($9.99) or Tidal HiFi ($19.99)
Student Discount?: Yes
Family Discount?: No
Free Access Available?: No
Number of Track Downloads? 40 million.
Number of Users: 3 million.
What else?: Tidal is all about exclusive content — from music video premieres from the likes of Nicki Minaj and Rihanna to new songs from Lil Wayne. The service has also featured exclusive concerts from Jay Z and Prince, who streamed his Rally 4 Peace in Baltimore.
