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The topic of this article is somewhat controversial. It turns out that competition between music streaming platforms is increasingly fierce and practically all of them have most things in common.
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However, some of them have important differences that need to be considered when hiring. Each person has different desires when it comes to opening their wallet and pulling out their credit card, after all.
Understand how each application works, what it offers and its strengths and weaknesses.
Spotify
Image: Google Play
This list couldn't open with other software, right? Spotify is by far the most popular music streaming app in the world, with hundreds of millions of monthly active users.
Its catalog is truly impressive, something close to 82 million tracks. It is worth mentioning that this number is constantly growing, as big names in the artistic world keep appearing.
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The application is very easy to use and the tracks are of very high quality. Put on a great pair of headphones and enjoy every moment.
Prós:
- Extensive catalog;
- Good strategic acquisitions;
- 345 million monthly users;
- It has a free version;
- Largest market share in the market.
Contras:
- Songs constantly come and go due to record label licensing issues, which may displease some fans.
Deezer
Image: Microsoft
This powerful application offers music streaming in very high quality, just like Spotify. Its main differentiator is its library, substantially more extensive than its competitor's, around 90 million tracks.
Its personalized search engine identifies artists and tracks that may be of interest to you. To do this, inform us during registration which are your favorite genres.
However, the app is not as lightweight as Spotify and, from time to time, it doesn't work as well as it should.
Prós:
- It has one of the largest music libraries on the market;
- You can use it for free or via subscription;
- You can fast forward and skip tracks in the free version.
Contras:
- It's not as popular as Spotify or Apple Music;
- Application heavier than the competitor.
Apple Music
Image: Pocket-lint
Apple smartphone users certainly know Apple Music. It is especially popular in the US and UK, although it has a smaller presence in many other countries. As expected, the software is limited to MacBook or iPhone users only.
Its catalog has approximately 90 million tracks and is very similar to Deezer's. An important difference of the application is the possibility of reproducing superior audio quality through the Apple Lossless Audio Codec (ALAC) format.
Read too: Your daily routine becomes lighter and happier with these apps!
However, it is not possible to use Apple Music for free. There is only its paid version. Due to all these limitations, the number of users is much smaller than that of Spotify.
Prós:
- Established brand, with great global reputation;
- Superior audio quality (for compatible devices);
- Full integration with Apple devices.
Contras:
- Restricted to Apple users;
- No free version.
TIDAL
Image: Tecnoblog
If you are looking for maximum audio quality, TIDAL was made especially for you. Its biggest highlight is the possibility of playing studio-quality music. To do this, however, it is important to have the right equipment, such as professional audio monitors.
The application has a very light and pleasant interface; perhaps one of the friendliest for beginner users, by the way. Furthermore, TIDAL's focus is on independent artists – which doesn't mean that the most popular ones aren't present, obviously.
Its library is one of the smallest, but impressive nonetheless, around 70 million tracks.
Prós:
- Best-in-class audio quality;
- Focused on independent artists;
- Lightweight and very pleasant interface to use.
Contras:
- Less popular than Spotify or Deezer;
- The Hi-Fi plan is much more expensive than all the others.
Which music streaming app to choose, anyway?
In general, the options are quite similar. All the applications mentioned here offer libraries with tens of millions of high-quality songs, as well as features for suggesting interesting artists, creating playlists and so many more things.
For a large part of the public, Spotify and Deezer are usually the best options. After all, they are the most popular applications when it comes to music streaming, their audio libraries are truly impressive and it is unlikely that a launch will go unnoticed by any of them.
On the other hand, enthusiasts may look at TIDAL with a certain fondness. It has a subscription plan that guarantees access to Hi-Fi content. This means that if you have the right equipment, you can hear frequencies undetectable in any other compression format.
However, TIDAL is a more niche application, as it is more aimed at independent audiences and lovers of extreme sound quality. Truth be told, some users are not even able to notice any difference, even if they use the correct equipment.
Apple Music is a very high-quality and convenient solution for Apple users; however, it is not possible to use it for free, nor to install it outside of the Apple ecosystem. These limiting factors can be annoying for some users, without a doubt.
At the end of the day, you are the one who decides which app is best. Which one embraces all of your individual needs?
