Gone are the days when music was only available on vinyl, CD or MP3. Instead, music streaming providers such as Spotify, Deezer, Amazon and Co. provide millions of songs, podcasts and audio books on demand at any time.
Streaming is not only very popular in the video sector, streaming offers are also increasingly being used when listening to music. In this way, a wide range of music can be listened to very conveniently anytime and anywhere. As a rule, this works via a monthly fee charged by the provider, who in return grants access to their media library. TECHBOOK compares seven of the best-known and largest music streaming providers in the music sector in terms of price, range, platform and handling.
Spotify
According to Statista, 165 million used a Spotify premium account in 2021. Almost 365 million listened to music via the free, advertising-supported version. The Swedish streaming service is and remains the leader. The range of music is growing daily and now includes over 60 million titles, including podcasts and audio books. Particularly positive: The algorithm for playlists and music suggestions, which – shockingly appropriate – makes personalized music suggestions and creates playlists. And when it comes to in-house productions, Spotify has also taken a big step, as evidenced by various successful formats. German podcast legends such as “Gemischtes Hack” or “Fest & Flauschig” are also available exclusively on Spotify.
At EUR 9.99 per month for the standard version, Spotify is priced exactly on average for the monthly costs for music streaming services. Students only pay 4.99 euros and families can subscribe for 14.99 euros per month. Up to six family members can stream music in parallel with their own login data. In general, Spotify is very intuitive to use, only a few functions such as synchronization with existing music files are sometimes a bit confusing. The search for a specific title is sometimes more complicated than necessary
Amazon Music Unlimited
In addition to Prime Music, which can only be used by customers with a Prime membership, the shipping giant Amazon also offers Amazon Music with the options Unlimited and HD. Although Prime members get away with it at a monthly rate of EUR 7.99, the price of EUR 9.99 per month is also very reasonable for normal users. The flexible pricing strategy also enables a discounted annual subscription. Since September 2019, Amazon has also been offering a tariff in HD – high-definition quality – from EUR 12.99. Users can access the same selection as in the standard tariff, but the streaming quality is higher at 16 bits and 44.1 kHz. Matching the HD sound, the online retailer also has a speaker with 3D sound, the Echo Studio.
The offer is constantly being expanded, not only in the musical area. Sports fans, for example, get their money’s worth with radio broadcasts of the Bundesliga and other important games. In addition, Amazon has integrated its voice assistant Alexa into the mobile apps for Android and iOS, so that they can be controlled entirely by voice. Since November 19, 2019, the free version that was previously only valid for Echo owners has also been valid for all other users. Although the ad-supported version is very limited in comparison with a selection of playlists and radio stations, non-Amazon customers should still be happy about the exciting offer.
YouTube Music
Video platform YouTube has also jumped on the music streaming train. The streaming provider YouTube Music originally only showed music videos, but is now a fully-fledged music streaming service with its own app and extensive range of music. Incidentally, Google Play Music was integrated into YouTube Music at the end of 2020, so that the Google Music offer is now concentrated. The free version switches ads every few minutes/track, the ad-free premium version costs – like the competition – 9.99 euros per month.
With its location-based playlists, the provider puts you in a holiday mood when you are abroad or motivates you in the gym. Unfortunately, the apps for the well-known video service and the newer music offering are separate and users cannot upload their own songs either. Nevertheless, the video connection is of course good by default. A corresponding music video is also available for many songs.
In addition, the quality of the suggestion algorithm is far from that of the competition. If you say, for example, that you like listening to a certain artist, the provider only suggests new songs by him. So the discovery of new artists is clearly limited.
AppleMusic
Apple’s music streaming service did not start until 2015 and was therefore late compared to the competition. However, the offer was well received and is particularly suitable for users who already have Apple devices and/or have an iTunes library. Because as usual with the large manufacturer from Cupertino, the products work very well with each other within their own system. The library offers over 90 million songs and 30,000 curated playlists and iTunes content can be easily transferred to Apple Music. Sometimes the platform even offers users content before the official release.
The search function, which even allows you to find songs via the text, is also convincing. Compatibility with devices outside the Apple cosmos is not always free of complications, especially with intelligent speakers like the Google Home. There’s a one-month trial for anyone who’s undecided.
deezer
The French provider Deezer is almost as well known as the market leader Spotify. Subscriptions can be taken out not only with Deezer, but also with GMX or Vodafone, which makes it easier for customers of these services to get started and saves money. In addition to the “usual” personalized playlists with suggestions, Deezer also has an individualized radio station that adapts to the preferences of its listeners. In general, the service has an impressive range of radio services.
Similar to Spotify, Deezer focuses on compatibility and distribution. On various platforms, audio hardware, televisions, in the car – the app can be played almost anywhere. Unfortunately, the free version in particular is severely limited. As with the competition, offline listening is only possible to a limited extent and only the radio function and the random-based “Flow” function are available on mobile. The music streaming service scores with very good audio quality.
RTL+ Music
RTL is now also represented with its own music streaming service. The offer is called RTL+ Musik and is connected to the in-house VoD platform RTL+. The combination of these two media is an essential part of the offer. For example, playlists are available in the music app that provide the soundtrack for well-known RTL formats such as “Princess Charming”. Conversely, it is possible to switch from the playlist to the RTL+ app and the corresponding video content.
Compared to other providers of music streaming, RTL + Musik still has some catching up to do, especially technically. In terms of content, the service is already quite well positioned thanks to the cooperation with Deezer. Radio plays and podcasts are to follow in the course of 2022.
SoundCloud
SoundCloud has by far the largest range of music. This is mainly due to the fact that artists can easily publish their titles themselves here. This is particularly interesting for those who receive direct feedback and want to easily upload their music to the platform. In this way, users have the opportunity to draw from a larger pool and also get to know lesser-known artists. The standard version SoundCloud Go costs 5.99 euros per month, the premium package SoundCloud Go+ is available for 9.99 euros.
The streaming service is a real option to the market giants, especially for thoroughbred music lovers and those who are keen to experiment. The offer is really extensive, but many well-known (licensed) titles are missing.
Which music streaming service is worth it?
In a comparison of the seven music streaming providers, the differences are particularly evident in the offer and the compatible platforms and devices. When it comes to pricing, however, everyone is pretty much in agreement. If there is a separate tariff (Spotify, Amazon, Apple, YouTube, Deezer), students pay around EUR 4.99 per month, the standard tariff is EUR 9.99 and family packages (only not available for SoundCloud and RTL+ Musik) cost 14.99 to 16.99 euros.
The most successful streaming service is Spotify, despite the somewhat smaller range in comparison. The provider is compatible with almost every system, can be linked to social profiles and offers the best algorithm when it comes to music selection. For users who are already familiar with Apple or Google in terms of software and hardware, the corresponding music streaming offers Apple Music and YouTube Music are definitely recommended. Synchronization and compatibility are completely guaranteed in the respective system and the song selection is large. Apple Music offers the big bonus that entire albums are sometimes available in advance, even by really well-known artists.
For Amazon customers, on the other hand, Amazon Music is worthwhile. Compared to the implemented Prime Music offering, the scope of the streaming platform is much larger. Live radio and football broadcasts are a nice bonus. Deezer scores above all with excellent audio quality and an individualized radio station. RTL+ Musik offers a somewhat less comprehensive offer that is linked to video content. SoundCloud, on the other hand, is primarily aimed at all music lovers who also like to be surprised by completely unknown artists.