If you’re tired of lugging around folders and folders of MP3’s on a flash drive, hard drive or outdated music player, it might be time to consider making the transition over into the world of music streaming. Designed to give listeners access to millions of tracks for a small subscription fee each month, these services have revolutionized the way music is consumed and given artists all over the world the means to deliver their latest releases directly to their fans. Streaming services are easy to use and practical in nature, and the five apps on our list today are the cream of the crop for you to consider taking the plunge into an entirely new music consumption experience.
The 5 Best Apps To Use For Streaming Music
YouTube Music
YouTube has been a key player as a supplier of music videos over the last decade and a half, even housing a subsidiary company called VEVO in its staple to be able to share the latest releases with fans in a more professional and consistent manner. The company entered into the streaming market with the release of YouTube Music in 2015 (albeit with some bugs and issues), and today it is available in 95 countries across five continents. The platform pairs up with your YouTube search history to suggest new releases to you, which is handy if you’re keen on a more curated experience as a whole.
Pandora
Pandora is the oldest of the streaming services on our list, having been launched all the way back in January of 2000 in California. The company has over 2000 employees to date, showing just how strong its foothold is in the local market. The platform is a music streaming service as well as an automated internet radio service, providing subscribers with access to on-demand radio at the touch of a button. Owned by Sirius XM Holdings, it is only available in the United States.
Pandora
Spotify
Spotify is undoubtedly one of the most popular streaming services on the planet. The streaming platform has origins in Sweden but today has subsidiaries all over the world. Known for their exclusive track releases and tailored playlists based on user behavior, the platform is a go-to for most millennials. Since it’s initial unveiling in 2006, the service has amassed a staggering 130 million premium subscribers around the world, more recently entering into smaller markets like Africa to improve their market share around the world too.
Amazon Music
Amazon Music entered the market a year after Spotify did, back in 2007. Upon launch, it catered to a host of independent artists, becoming the first platform not to only distribute music that was formally licensed via one of the major labels The platform has a variable pricing model and has lagged behind a little in comparison to its competitors, mostly because from a marketing perspective, services like Amazon Prime and Alexa have taken center stage for the business. Still a reputable offering, Amazon Music is one to consider if you’re a Prime, Kindle and another affiliate subscriber too.
Apple Music
Apple Music was born just five years ago on June 30th, operating as a music and a video streaming service developed by the powerhouse global company. The award-winning service allows users to stream to their device on-demand, as well as giving them access to thousands of curated playlists. The platform also includes access to Apple Music 1, a radio station that broadcasts to 160 countries around the clock each day. While some argue that it is not as user-friendly as its counterparts, Apple fans will undoubtedly deny this. With more exclusives than other platforms, the service is climbing the ranks as one of the biggest players in the game in the 2020’s.
