I have spent the last nine months taking turns subscribing to and trying each of the five most popular music subscription services. I must say that I was pleasantly surprised at how easy it was to cancel service with each of them. I tried to condense them down into bullet points of what each did well (+) and what each did poorly (-) or not at all. The name of each service is a link to their website where you can learn more and subscribe. Below these summaries I will give a quick take away about each music service.
Apple Music {$9.99 monthly; $14.99/mo. up to six users}
+ Some exclusive content
+ Integrates with iTunes Library
+ Great suggestions if you are a long-term iTunes user
- App user interface
- System generated playlists
- Classical music variety
- Podcast integration
- No web interface
- Creating playlists / managing content
- Radio Stations
> I found the minimal user interface difficult to figure out making playlists, settings, and certain navigation. There are a lack of features and I was surprised that they lack a variety of classical music offerings. From what I have heard if you have all your music in iTunes and use Apple products a lot the experience gets better with time.
Google Play Music {$9.99 monthly; $14.99/mo. up to six users}
+ App user interface
+ Integrates your music library
+ System generated playlists
+ Radio Stations
+ Podcast integration
+ Music suggestions
+ Web interface
+ Classical Music variety
+ Creating playlists / managing content
+ Video content available
- No exclusive content
> I like the user interface and the suggested playlists, although for some reason the web player lacks a pause button. There is good variety in classical music and I was surprised at the variety of holiday playlists. Google uses their predictive analytics well in suggesting music you would like.
Microsoft Groove Music Pass {$9.99 monthly}
+ Creating playlists / managing content
+ Classical Music Selection
- App user interface
- Integrates your music library
- No podcast integration
- System generated playlists
- Radio Stations
- No web interface
- Unreliable (had periods where it simply did not work)
- No exclusive content
> I had the worst experience with this service because it was unreliable, there were times where it would just say "Service Unavailable at this time". The user interface is minimal but easier to navigate than Apple Music. There is a good variety of classical. The radio stations and suggested playlists were horrible.
Spotify {$9.99 monthly; $14.99/mo. up to five users}
+ App user interface
+ Integrates your music library
+ Radio Stations
+ System generated playlists
+ Socially share playlists / connect with friends
+ Special Features (special play modes)
+ Exclusive Content
+ Available on almost any device
+ Podcast integration
+ Create playlists / manage content
- No web interface
> I found this service to be the best at finding new music that I would like, see what my friends are listening to, share playlists, get radio stations, and find new podcasts . Spotify has been developing exclusive content from a wide range of artists, some of which I enjoy listening to. They have several running features that match the beats with your pace which is really helpful. The only thing that is disappointing is the lack of a web player means it is difficult to listen when you are on a computer where you cannot install a program.
Tidal {$9.99 monthly standard; $14.98/mo. for two people; $19.99 Hi-Fi monthly}
+ High quality audio
+ Exclusive content
+ Special features (especially in audio settings)
+ System generated playlists
+ Radio Stations
+ Create playlists / manage content
+ Integrates your music library
+ App user interface
+ Web interface
+ Video content available
- No podcast integration
- Lack of classical music and depth in certain genres
> If you are an audiophile or you are a fan of hip hop, Tidal is the best choice. They have exclusive content by a host of hip hop stars and new pop talent. They have an gorgeous user interface and a lot of settings for people who like to customize their audio playback. I found the suggested playlists and radio stations did not meet my needs and the classical music was almost non-existent.
Sources:
Apple Music FAQ http://www.macworld.com/article/2934744/software-music/apple-music-faq-the-ins-and-outs-of-apples-new-streaming-music-service.html
Tidal Try-Us-Now http://tidal.com/us/try-now
Wikipedia: Google Play Music https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Google_Play_Music
Microsoft Groove Music Pass https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/store/music/groove-music-pass/0005
Spotify: About Us https://www.spotify.com/us/about-us/contact/
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