Spotify has long been a leader in the music streaming world, with millions of users worldwide since its launch in 2006. But it’s not the only player in the game anymore. Other platforms may be just as good and offer features Spotify doesn’t, like Hi-Res audio. If you’re looking for something different, these alternatives to Spotify could be exactly what you need.
In this article, we’ll take a look at seven platforms and explore why they could be worth considering for your music experience.
Spotify Alternatives: Free and Paid Tools
Let’s start with a table comparing popular alternatives to Spotify Premium.
By the way, you should know that Spotify offers plans starting at $4.99/month for individuals, $2.49/month for students, $6.49/month for duo plans, and $7.99/month for families.
YouTube Music
YouTube Music offers a great experience, especially if you’re already familiar with YouTube’s vast library of content. You can easily find everything from official tracks to remixes and covers and discover new music with personalized playlists based on your preferences.
There’s a free version available, but it does come with ads and limited functionality, so for a full experience, you’ll want to consider upgrading.
- The YouTube Music Premium plan ($10.99/month) removes the ads and allows you to listen uninterrupted, download music, and enjoy background playback (so your music keeps playing even when you switch apps).
- For families, the Family plan ($16.99/month) gives you all the same features but for up to six people. And if you’re a student, the Student plan ($5.49/month) gives you the same benefits as the individual plan at a discounted rate.
- For even more value, YouTube Premium ($13.99/month) combines YouTube Music Premium with ad-free access to YouTube itself, plus offline downloads and background play for videos as well.
All paid plans come with a free trial (1 month).
Amazon Music
Amazon Music is a great alternative to Spotify, which offers a range of options depending on your needs. As you move up through the different tiers, you get access to more music and better audio quality. Plus, if you’re into podcasts, it’s got you covered there, too.
- With Amazon Music Free, you get access to playlists, radio stations, and podcasts, but there are a few limitations. The audio quality is SD, you’ll hear ads, and you can’t choose specific songs or albums.
- If you’re already an Amazon Prime member, you get Amazon Music Prime as a bonus. It’s ad-free and lets you pick your songs, but the audio is still SD. However, it’s only available to individual Prime members — not shared with family members.
- For the full experience, Amazon Music Unlimited gives you ad-free listening in SD, HD, Ultra HD, and spatial audio. The Individual Plan ($9.99/month) is for one device at a time, and the Family Plan ($16.99/month) allows up to six accounts across multiple devices.
- There are budget-friendly options, too. The Single Device Plan ($5.99/month) lets you stream music on one specific Echo or Fire device, and the Student Plan ($5.99/month) gives you HD access and many of the same features as the Unlimited plan.
All plans come with a 30-day free trial.
Read also: How to Discover New Music? Just Enter the Artist You Love in Music-Map & Find Similar Tunes
Apple Music
Apple Music is a great pick, especially if you’re already using other Apple devices. It offers excellent sound quality, including immersive audio with dynamic head tracking for AirPods users. You can also stream and download music straight to your Apple Watch. Plus, it has cool features like a lyrics view, personalized playlists, and live radio stations.
There’s no free version, though, and you’ll need a different app for podcasts.
- The Apple Music Individual plan ($10.99/month) gives you access to Apple’s entire music library and playlists, with high-quality sound, including lossless and spatial audio with Dolby Atmos. You can request songs with Siri, download them, and follow along with the lyrics. The Family plan ($16.99/month) lets you share everything with up to six people.
- For students, there’s the Student plan ($5.99/month), which gives you all the features of the Individual plan. And if you want more, you can bundle Apple Music with other Apple services through Apple One.
All plans come with a one-month free trial.
SoundCloud
SoundCloud has been around since 2007, and it gives users a chance to upload music, create playlists, and connect with others in the community. It’s a place where independent artists can actually thrive, and fans can discover something new. Although there have been talks of the platform being sold, it still has a strong and dedicated user base.
- The free version lets you explore music and playlists, but you’ll hear ads along the way.
- If you want to get rid of the ads and listen offline, SoundCloud Go is available for $4.99/month.
- For a more complete experience, including better audio quality and access to the full catalog, SoundCloud Go Plus is $9.99/month.
- Students can enjoy SoundCloud Go Plus for just $4.99/month after a 30-day free trial.
Deezer
Deezer offers a wide range of music, playlists, podcasts, and radio stations, accessible on almost any device, with on-screen lyrics. The free plan lets you listen to playlists, but you can’t pick specific songs, and there are ads.
- With Premium ($11.99/month or $107.99/year), you get ad-free listening, choose your own songs, enjoy high-quality sound, and download music. It allows up to three devices.
- The Duo plan ($15.99/month or $174.99/year) offers the same features for two people and up to five devices.
- The Family plan ($19.99/month or $218.99/year) includes six Premium accounts and up to 13 devices. Kid profiles help control what children listen to.
- Students can get Premium for $5.99/month.
Tidal
Tidal is for serious music fans. It offers high-quality audio and exclusive content. With over 100 million tracks and 650,000+ videos, including artist interviews and documentaries, it’s more than just music. It offers three audio quality levels: Max (24-bit, 192kHz), High (16-bit, 44.1kHz), and Low (320kbps), depending on your plan and device. There are no podcasts or a free option.
- The Individual plan ($10.99/month) gives you access to all 110M+ tracks in lossless, HiRes FLAC, and Dolby Atmos, with no ads and offline listening.
- The Family plan ($16.99/month) covers up to six users, and the Student plan is just $4.99/month.
Pandora
Pandora, a pioneer in streaming since 2005, still offers curated playlists based on your music preferences. It is now owned by SiriusXM and combines both music and podcasts with a range of plans.
- The Free plan allows you to select songs and albums with the requirement of watching an ad before each track.
- With Pandora Plus ($4.99/month), you can listen ad-free, enjoy unlimited skips, and access offline listening, though you’ll still need to watch an ad to select specific tracks.
- Pandora Premium ($10.99/month) offers the full experience with no ads, unlimited skips, offline access, and the ability to create and share playlists.
- The Family plan ($17.99/month) provides up to six accounts, and discounted plans are available for students (Premium Student at $5.99/month) and military members (Premium Military at $8.99/month).
Try before you commit with a 30-day trial for Plus or a 60-day trial for Premium.
Is There a Cheaper Option Than Spotify?
Yes, but it depends on your needs. For example, Pandora Plus costs just $4.99/month and offers ad-free listening and offline access.
YouTube Music offers a Student Plan for $5.99/month (after a 30-day free trial), which is a bit higher than Spotify’s student price but might give you better integration with YouTube content. Deezer also has a Student Plan for $4.99/month and offers similar features to Spotify’s student plan but with more podcast options.
Should You Switch?
If you’re looking for better sound quality, Tidal offers HiFi and Hi-Resolution audio, which Spotify doesn’t. SoundCloud is great for discovering new or independent artists, which gives it an edge over Spotify for unique content. Apple Music also beats Spotify with its lossless audio and better integration with Apple devices.
However, Spotify still has a strong library, great playlists, and an easy-to-use interface. Plus, there aren’t that many free alternatives to Spotify that work as well — you almost always need to pay up. Plus, Spotify is cheaper than most rivals.
