But with all the options out thereand there are manyhow do you pick the right one?
Heres a look at the big players, their various tiers and costs, and what they offer.
How much does Spotify cost?
Spotify Free:This ad-supported tier offersaccess to playlists with limited song skippingand playback features.
A decent social tool that shares music with friends.
Good algorithmic recommendations for new music.
The options for organizing a large personal library of saved music are extremely limited.
Free trial: Spotify offers a90-day trialat a reduced cost of $9.99 ($3.33 per month).
Is Amazon Music included with Prime?
Amazon Music Unlimited:The cheapest paid tier offers personalized playlists and a library of 75 million songs.
Prime members pay$7.99/monthor $79/year for an annual subscription.
Non-Prime customers pay$9.99/month.
Its$12.99/monthfor Prime members and$14.99/monthfor non-Prime members.
Cons:The free options are limited to a puny collection of two million songs.
Free trial/discounts:Currently, it’s possible for you to get afree four-month trialof Amazon Music Unlimited.
There is also adiscount for students, who pay$4.99/month.
Is there a free version of Apple Music?
There is no free service.
Pros:A large library of 75 million thats easily accessible across all of your devices.
For many users, its a convenient way to carryover their old iTunes library with access via iCloud.
High-def lossless audio is coming this month at no additional charge.
Cons:People complain about the overly complicated interface, particularly for the mobile version of the app.
Theres a social tool, but its weak.
And that lossless audio?You might have trouble taking advantage of it without buying new headphones.
Free trial/discounts:In partnership with Best Buy, Apple Music is offering asix month trial.
Is Pandora actually internet radio?
Free Pandora:This radio-esque option offersad-supported, curated stations based on your favorite music.
Its$9.99/monthor $109.89/year.
It also has the ability to find music based on 450 different attributes.
You have to get the Premium tier if you want to make your own playlists.
Why is Tidal so expensive?
Tiers and pricing:Theres no free option forthis former Jay-Z-backed streaming joint.
It also offers a lot of visual content like music videos, documentaries, and live performances.
Cons:Its expensive, and the features (aside from sound quality) arent anything special.
The interface is decent, but doesnt stand out compared to other services in the market.
Free trial:Discounted plans for families, students, and members of the military areavailable.
The service offers a freeone-month trial.
