At first, the wide range of music streaming services can be a little overwhelming, not to mention deciding which subscription gets you the most for your money. Nowadays each platform has its own niche, audiophiles will likely gravitate towards Tidal, whilst podcast-lovers might rate Spotify and its ever-growing library.
Update06/03/2024, 13:53
Looking to switch your music subscription but not sure which is the best? Look no further – we’ve updated our comprehensive guide with all of the most up-to-date information on price rises and other changes to the top music streaming services.
- Best music streaming subscription: Spotify
- Best for music quality: Tidal
- Best for music nerds: Apple Music
- Other music streaming services
- Music streaming services comparison
- Music streaming services FAQs
In this guide you can find the top music streaming platforms compared, depending on what they are best for, helping you decide which is best for you. We’ve included the music apps that we think are worth the money given their content, quality and unique offerings. It’s worth noting that there are a few other music streaming services available that aren’t included. For example, Qobuz boasts advanced file quality albeit with a limited library and pricey subscription cost.
But this guide takes you through our top picks. Plus, we show you ways to save money on your music streaming subscription of choice. We also have a great article that shares tips on the best music streaming deals, be sure to check it out. All subscription prices listed are correct at the time of writing in early-March 2024 – and the bad news is most have increased a quid or so since last year.
Best music streaming subscription: Spotify
As a solid all-rounder, Spotify is most people’s first port of call for top music streaming. It is undoubtedly the biggest name in music streaming, boasting over 500 million users around the globe. Users can listen on the free music app with ads or purchase a premium subscription for £10.99 each month.
The free version gives you six skips an hour and you can listen on shuffle to over 80 million songs making it one of the best free music streaming services. The only major drawback is that with a free account, you must be online to listen. However, the desktop version of the music app has unlimited skips, but adverts, lots of adverts. They are usually played every 15 minutes to users without a subscription and last a maximum of 30 seconds.
Arguably the best music app for user experience and song choice, Spotify Premium allows you to create playlists and share them with friends, with a choice of 100 million tracks to choose from. That’s not to mention their huge selection of podcasts and other content. Spotify’s knack for creating mixes and playlists based on what you listen to (and like) the most as well as their extensive catalogue is a definite crowd-pleaser.
Students get a discount only paying £5.99 a month whilst there is also the option to save some cash and subscribe to a family plan. This subscription offers six accounts for just £17.99 per month so whether it’s for you and your family or a group of friends you’ll save a decent amount. There’s also the Duo account for two listeners which comes in at £14.99, so a decent deal for a couple.
Word on the street is that Spotify’s premium audiobook subscription, already available in the US, is coming to the UK soon. Audiobooks Acess, launched on 1 March 2024, allows users to listen to 15 hours of ad-free audiobooks each month alongside music which still includes ads. It’s like a free Spotify account with a premium audiobook-listening bonus. It costs $9.99 in the US at the moment, bearing in mind a usual premium account is only $1 more it does seem a bit of a swizz. The UK price is probably going to be the same, around £9.99 – so why not pay the extra £1 for all the added features of a Spotify Premium account?
There’s always a way to get a Spotify free trial. New users get a one-month free trial and there’s a three-month free trial via PayPal if you choose it as your payment method when you sign up, it’s thereafter £10.99 per month. Microsoft Rewards and Vodafone also offer a 3-month free trial. All of the latest Spotify free trial UK deals are listed on our Spotify page, be sure to check this out to save some cash on your subscription.
Best for music quality: Tidal
There’s one music streaming platform that stands out when it comes to audio quality and that’s Tidal. Touted as the streaming service for music aficionados and audiophiles, Tidal boasts high-quality, Hi-Fi lossless audio files and Master Quality Authenticated (MQA) audio. Tidal also has more than 100 million songs, over 650K music videos, artist-curated playlists, interviews, documentaries, and even an online magazine.
Unlike other platforms, Tidal doesn’t offer a free version so the only way to use it is to subscribe. Users can pay £10.99 for the cheapest option of the HiFi subscription, £1 more expensive than last year. Then, moving up to £19.99 per month for the HiFi Plus account with even higher quality audio and other benefits.
Both subscriptions include a Tidal free trial of 30 days, saving you one month of your subscription fee. It is possible to cancel your subscription during these 30 days, meaning you technically can get a Tidal free trial just remember to cancel in time.
There’s also a HiFi Family subscription for £14.99 which includes six accounts or HiFi Plus Family for £29.99 a month. Students – don’t worry, Tidal hasn’t forgotten about you and offers a 50% off discount for both types of subscription. When you take into mind that Tidal’s prices are slightly cheaper than Spotify’s despite them offering much higher audio quality, it does make you reconsider subbing to everyone’s favourite music streaming platform.
As of 10 April 2024, there will be some changes to Tidal’s subscription options and prices. Tidal will combine both HiFi and HiFi Plus subscription options into one plan for £11 – making lossless audio a lot cheaper. But if you’re a DJ and want to use the special DJ features on Tidal then that will cost you an extra £9 a month, so £20 in total. The Family plan will also change to just one option for £17 and Students will pay just £5.
Best for music nerds: Apple Music
Of course, Tidal is a great choice for those who value the quality of their music when streaming but Apple Music also offers a great range of rare and hard-to-find tracks. Catering for Apple users, any music you have bought previously on iTunes will automatically sync to the Apple Music app making it available to stream on all your devices, which is a very handy feature. Apple Music has a library of 100 million songs, which seems to be the average across all platforms. However, it is unlikely you will ever listen to even a fraction of that.
You can get a 3 month free trial or two months for returning customers, after which it is £4.99 a month for the basic Apple Music Voice subscription making it one of the cheapest music streaming subscriptions. This type of account limits your music listening to Siri-requested tracks. Sadly this is a major drawback of the Voice subscription, despite its low price tag, it’s likely impractical and cumbersome to rely on voice-activated music listening. But, if you do tend to listen to music on your Apple HomePod or Apple TV then this may be the subscription for you.
Students pay only £5.99 a month, while the Individual account is £10.99 and both give you some added benefits such as the ability to stream on non-Apple devices and lossless audio for the entire catalogue. A Family subscription comes in at £16.99 a month for six separate accounts for each family member. There are also savvy ways to get an Apple Music free trial and save on your subscription such as a 6-month free trial when you buy an Apple device. If you cancel before the first bill you’ll get to stream for nothing.
Other music streaming services
Our top picks would be Spotify, Tidal and Apple Music but there are so many more options out there. Choosing the right subscription for you depends on what exactly you want to get out of music streaming. Here is a quick summary of some alternative music streaming platforms and what they have to offer:
Deezer
One of the older music streaming services, founded in 2006, and within the free version you can only listen whilst online, on “shuffle” mode. Unlike other sites, you cannot skip songs unless you join one of the premium options. It is free to use, but you will need to listen to adverts and be okay with not choosing what you’re listening to.
On the plus side, there are more than 90 million songs to listen to. There are also Premium, Duo, Student and Family subscriptions which offer similar benefits as other platforms such as ad-free and offline listening. Premium is £11.99, with a one-month free trial, albeit slightly more expensive than Spotify which offers a more advanced song-recommending algorithm. There’s also up to 25% off annual subscriptions right now, so if you make one big payment you’ll save in the long run.
SoundCloud
Made for up-and-coming artists to share their music online, SoundCloud now has over 320 million tracks and over 76 million unique listeners looking for something fresh or different. It is free with adverts and easy to use, for both artists looking to publish their music and for listeners.
There is also SoundCloud Go, a subscription service for £5.99, which removes adverts or SoundCloud Go+ for £9.99 which gives you access to all tracks and improved sound quality. Both subscriptions give listeners the ability to download SoundCloud content for offline listening. A free trial is available for both types of subscriptions.
BBC Sounds
BBC Sounds is an audio-streaming service provided by the BBC, released in 2018 so relatively new to the audio-streaming game. It brings together live radio, music, podcasts, and on-demand content from across the BBC’s radio stations and exclusive content for the platform.
As of 2023, it boasts over 4.86 million weekly users on average. The platform offers an extensive range of content, from music mixes curated by top DJs to thought-provoking documentaries and allows offline listening. The service is free to use, but a TV Licence is required to stream.
Amazon Music
Amazon offers a free music streaming service called Amazon Music Free as well as two paid-for music streaming services, totally separate entities, one is included with Prime membership which is Amazon Music Prime. The second, Amazon Music Unlimited gives access to 100 million tracks and can be integrated into the Echo range of speaker systems, a nice touch when you consider you can ask for songs by quoting lyrics!
Compatible with all smartphones, tablets, and laptops, Amazon Music Unlimited is a strong contender to Spotify’s crown. A subscription comes in at £10.99 a month or £9.99 for Prime Members. You can get a family version for up to six people listening at once for £16.99 per month. A 30-day free trial is available for listeners who subscribe, it’s possible to then cancel before the first bill.
YouTube Music
YouTube Music is now the famous search engine’s contender in the music streaming race, as it replaced Google Play Music in late 2020. It provides an extensive catalogue of over 100 million tracks as well as live performances, remixes and music videos, sourced both from professional artists and user-generated content. One great feature is that it lets you store tracks in the cloud for free, which is ideal for those with lots of downloaded music.
The platform offers a free, ad-supported version, but for an uninterrupted experience, users can opt for YouTube Music Premium at £10.99 a month. This subscription comes with additional features such as ad-free and offline listening. The broader YouTube Premium subscription is priced at £11.99, offering ad-free capability across all YouTube content. The family option allows six users to listen or watch for £16.99, which is really handy for groups who live together or just want to share the cost. There is a one-month free trial available for those who sign up for a new account.
Music streaming services comparison
Criteria | Spotify | Tidal | Apple Music | Deezer | SoundCloud | BBC Sounds | Amazon Music | YouTube Music |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Price | £10.99 (Individual) | £10.99 (HiFi) | £10.99 (Individual) | £11.99 (Premium) | £9.99 (Go+) | Free | £10.99 (Unlimited) | £10.99 (Premium) |
Free Option | Yes | No | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Yes |
Free Trial | 1 Month | 1 Month | 3 Months | 1 Month | 1 Month | No Trial | 3 Months | 1 Month |
Library Size | 100+ Million tracks | 100+ Million tracks | 100+ Million tracks | 90+ Million tracks | 320+ Million tracks | 80K+ Radio shows | 100+ Million tracks | 100+ Million tracks |
Family Plan | £17.99 | £14.99 | £16.99 | £19.99 | No | No | £16.99 | £16.99 |
Student Discount | £5.99 | £4.99 | £5.99 | £5.99 | £4.99 | No | £5.99 | £5.49 |
Audio Quality | Up to 320 kbps | Up to 1411 kbps | Up to 256 kbps | Up to 1411 kbps | Up to 256 kbps | Varies | Up to 850 kbps | Up to 256 kbps |
Offline Possible | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Podcasts | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Radio | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Music Videos | No | Yes | Yes | No | No | No | Yes | Yes |
Rating | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
Note: The prices mentioned are monthly and for the premium versions of the services. Library size includes both songs and podcasts if available, and audio quality is for the available quality with the subscription mentioned.
Music streaming services FAQs
The “best” music streaming service ultimately depends on personal preferences. Spotify is stellar for music discovery and curation, Apple Music shines with seamless device integration and a comprehensive song library, while Tidal appeals to audiophiles with its premium sound quality and unique content. Each offers distinct benefits to cater to different user needs. In our comparison, we go into more detail about the mentioned and other music streaming providers.
Users can use Spotify for free, albeit with ads and restrictions but it is definitely a good deal. In the UK there is also the free music app BBC Sounds, a new up-and-coming music streaming service. If you pay your TV licence then you can use BBC Sounds for free and make the most of all of their radio shows, music, and other exclusive content.
SoundCloud currently has the most tracks, with a library of over 320 million audio tracks. Since the music streaming industry features numerous contenders, the exact number of songs they offer can change rapidly, depending on multiple licensing agreements, artist partnerships, and other aspects. As of March 2024, Spotify, Tidal, Apple and Amazon Music offer catalogues of over 100 million songs, meanwhile, SoundCloud is leading the pack.
Music streaming works by delivering music data from a server to users’ devices over the internet. Services like Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon Music, and Tidal use this method for users to enjoy songs without requiring to download them, ensuring a seamless and endless music experience.
Yes. If you are using services via a mobile device then streaming music can eat into your data, but if on a laptop or at home then it is likely you have an unlimited data broadband deal so it won’t matter. All our tested subscriptions like Spotify, Tidal or Apple Music include offline streaming which doesn’t use data to listen to content saved in your library.
If you’re looking to save on your music streaming subscription be sure to check out hotukdeals. You also can follow the discussion amongst our community members about how to find the best music streaming free trials. We also post all of the latest offers and discounts for all your favourite music apps.