Help! Best music subscription?

Best premium music streaming service

  • Apple Music

    Votes: 2 25.0%

  • Amazon Unlimited

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • YouTube

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • Spotify

    Votes: 5 62.5%

  • Pandora

    Votes: 1 12.5%

  • Other? (please specify in response)

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • Total voters
    8
bsman

bsman

b00b
Since I'm an old guy - hoping the whippersnappers can help with this. I've decided it's about time for me to start paying for "cloud" music, both to provide the creators with (at least some) recompense, but as well to increase the amount of music available to me. I am currently considering Apple Music (I am an iPhone user), Amazon Unlimited (already have and use Prime Music), Spotify, Pandora, or YouTube Music. I don't have too many preconceived notions, except I have a peeve with Apple, because in the iTune days I spent weeks ripping and uploading my CDs, only to have them eaten during one of the many system updates (blew up my Cloud account).
 
I've used Spotify Premium for years. I think there's 2 albums ive looked for I couldn't get on it in all that time..

I put it through my DJ accounts as an expense so it's practically free :embarrassed:
 
I prefer Spotify, largely because of availability. There's almost nothing you can't find on there. Good app and quite user friendly. And it's not Apple. :embarrassed:
 
I’ve been on Apple Music for about a year and like it. I haven’t tried any others so can’t compare.
 
I use Amazon, it's meh. The selection is ok,but always missing something I am looking for.
I might drop Prime altogether soon.
 
I went through a period of evaluating various services last summer after Google shut down Play Music. Settled on Spotify for the coverage and stayed for the algorithms. They are good at finding new stuff I like.
 
I used Pandora for years and I still have a subscription. The algorithm is great and I've discovered a ton of new music I wouldn't have heard otherwise. Just plug in a few artists you like, let it do its thing, and actively take the time to thumb-up or thumb-down what's being fed to you. But it has severe limitations, most notably that you can't listen to a whole album or zero in on specific tracks, rewind, etc. It lacks a lot of the functionality and content of Spotify, but it does its one thing really, really well.

I'm finally getting on board with Spotify. I used to not care for it and I still think the interface, organization, and general paradigm of the whole thing could be improved substantially. But it does nearly everything you want. And it's not just music — I quit Stitcher and just use Spotify now for my podcast listening.

Pandora is much more of a passive experience but that's not a bad thing at all. Spotify is all the stuff and all the things but you've got to put some work in. They both have their place.
 
dmn23 said:
I used Pandora for years and I still have a subscription. The algorithm is great and I've discovered a ton of new music I wouldn't have heard otherwise. Just plug in a few artists you like, let it do its thing, and actively take the time to thumb-up or thumb-down what's being fed to you. But it has severe limitations, most notably that you can't listen to a whole album or zero in on specific tracks, rewind, etc. It lacks a lot of the functionality and content of Spotify, but it does its one thing really, really well.

I'm finally getting on board with Spotify. I used to not care for it and I still think the interface, organization, and general paradigm of the whole thing could be improved substantially. But it does nearly everything you want. And it's not just music — I quit Stitcher and just use Spotify now for my podcast listening.

Pandora is much more of a passive experience but that's not a bad thing at all. Spotify is all the stuff and all the things but you've got to put some work in. They both have their place.
Click to expand...

I've used the free version of Pandora, and do appreciate the ability to get "curated" playlists based on what I'm listening to, but I also want the ability to play music by specific artists, in specific orders.
 
Apple music by miles for me. I have only done Apple and spotify though.

Apple Music Pros.....
Biggest selection of music out of any service
seamless if you are already in the Apple ecosystem...everything synchs. You can add something to your library and it will be on all your devices. If you want it available offline you can download it to whichever or all devices.
Good soun d quality.
It just works
Clean and logical interface
and once more the BEST selection of music


Apple Music Cons.....I really can't think of any


Spotify probably works for you if you are an android type.

Spotify pros.....
supposedly slightly better sound quality (My ears could not tell a difference)
They have the last Podcast on the left but you can do like me and just get the free version and only use Spotify for that
Spotify has pretty good recommendations
Their playlists (many made by famous musician s) is really great


Spotify cons....

Not as large a library as Apple but they are second largest.
Clunky and confusing interface imho, especially coming from Apple teh Spotify just seems really busy with lots of swiping action needed
 
BTW not sure with the others but with Apple or Spotify you really might end up never really buying music again. I mean I buy the occasional Bandcamp stuff but otherwise for 9.99 I have access to pretty much anything i can think of. There is a huge assortment of really rare exotic stuff and stuff long out of print. By access I can add so much i forget what i have and in Apple that is your library and everything is in the cloud including your prior purchases but you retain those if and when you leave the service. Then you have the download section where whatever you want for offline. It's a tinybit confusing at first but its dead simple and makes sense once you get used to it.
 
  • Like
Reactions: jbj
My friend has been using Spotify for a while now. I don't use it currently but poked around a bit on it.

I dislike the amount that artists get paid for their music.

I like the way that the system suggests artists based on what the listener likes.
 
DdBob said:
BTW not sure with the others but with Apple or Spotify you really might end up never really buying music again. I mean I buy the occasional Bandcamp stuff but otherwise for 9.99 I have access to pretty much anything i can think of. There is a huge assortment of really rare exotic stuff and stuff long out of print. By access I can add so much i forget what i have and in Apple that is your library and everything is in the cloud including your prior purchases but you retain those if and when you leave the service. Then you have the download section where whatever you want for offline. It's a tinybit confusing at first but its dead simple and makes sense once you get used to it.
Click to expand...

This is why I chucked all pfmy CDs.
 
Bob411 said:
Still listening to CDs.
Click to expand...
old_cell_phone.jpg
 
I have Sonos throughout the house. I've linked Sirius, Spotify, Pandora and the music library from my PC to it. Sonos also has tons of music available.
 
Apple pays artists more than Spotify...but streaming services are the newest way the distributors of money have figured out how to not give artists/creators their fair share of money earned or made through their labor/craft. In fact, it screws them more than any other previous distribution methods. As such I still try to buy fullalbums/CDs from artists that I listen to, even though most of listening is done via my iphone.

My work replaced an original iphone x with an 11 for me (near the end of 2020 or beginning of 2021...time has never been more of a construct) and ever since then Amazon Prime music hasn't worked with any consistency. In addition to often stopping its play of music due to any notifications coming in on the phone (never an issue previously), it'll stop playing a song in the middle of listening to it for no reason...can't think of it not happening anytime in months.

That said, since getting an ipod when they were a thing, I can't imagine using any service where I can't select from and control the exact album and cuts I want to hear whenever I want to hear them.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top