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The Best Music Streaming Services in 2024

In this in-depth analysis, we’ll provide an all-encompassing guide to the best music streaming services for 2024, focusing on those that offer lossless audio.
The Best Music Streaming Services in 2023

In the ever-evolving digital music landscape, streaming services have become the driving force shaping how we listen to, discover, and share music. In this in-depth analysis, we’ll provide an all-encompassing guide to the best music streaming services for 2024, focusing on those that offer lossless audio quality. We’ll explore platforms like Apple Music, Spotify, Qobuz, Tidal, Amazon Music Unlimited, and Deezer, examining their features, music quality, pricing, and more.

What is Lossless Audio?

Before we delve into the specifics of these platforms, it’s vital to understand the term ‘lossless.’ In the realm of digital audio, ‘lossless’ refers to a type of audio compression that preserves the original data of a music file. Unlike ‘lossy’ compression, which eliminates some data to reduce file size, lossless compression ensures no quality loss — offering listeners an audio experience as close as possible to the original recording.

What is Hi-Res Audio?

Hi-Res Audio is a term used to describe audio files with higher sampling rates and bit depths than CD quality. This type of audio offers a much more detailed listening experience, allowing listeners to pick up on nuances and subtleties that might be lost in lower-quality audio. Hi-Res Audio files are typically lossless, although some services offer both lossless and lossy Hi-Res options. As such, when considering a streaming service, ensuring they offer Hi-Res Audio is essential if you’re looking for the best possible sound quality.

Best Music Streaming Services in 2024

Best Overall: Apple Music

Best for Ease of Use: Spotify

Best for Audiophiles: Qobuz

Best for Music Fans: Tidal

Best Value: Amazon Music Unlimited

Best for Music Discovery: Deezer

Apple Music

apple music

Overview

Apple Music is a well-rounded streaming service covering all the necessary bases, making ti one of the best music streaming services in 2024. With a library of over 100 million songs, including Hi-Res streaming for no extra cost, Apple Music ensures a high-quality listening experience. The user interface is user-friendly, striking a balance between algorithmic recommendations and curated content from actual people. 

Additionally, Apple Music allows you to upload your own music files, making it an excellent option for those with extensive iTunes libraries of purchased music. Integration with Apple devices is seamless, further enhancing the overall user experience.

One of the standout features of Apple Music is its spatial audio, which provides an immersive listening experience. The service also offers a wide range of curated playlists, radio stations, and artist pages that help users discover new music and engage with their favorite artists.

Audio Quality and Formats

Apple Music audio format support encompasses many formats and gives you four audio quality options for streaming and downloading music. 

Starting at the very low end, we have HE-AAC (~80kbps bitrate) for when space is at an absolute premium on your device. Next up is Apple’s standard bitrate of 256kbps AAC, which provides excellent sound quality for most listeners. It’s worth noting this is the highest bitrate you will get when listening via Bluetooth on Apple devices. Next, we have what Apple calls lossless, 24-bit/48KHz. Lastly is Hi-Res Lossless, which plays audio streams up to 24-bit/192kHz. Apple Music offers a substantial amount of music in this format.

One last thing that Apple Music offers is Spatial Audio using Dolby Atmos.

This feature allows you to experience music in 3D sound with improved clarity and depth. If you pair this feature with a supported headphone, such as the Apple AirPods Pro 2nd generation, AirPods Pro Max, or the Beats Studio Pro, you’ll experience incredibly immersive surround sound music.

User Experience and Features

The platform provides a seamless user experience with its intuitive interface, available on Apple, Android, and Windows devices. One of the key strengths of Apple Music is its blend of algorithmic recommendations and curated content, offering a balance that enhances music discovery.

Apple Music also features seamless integration across Apple devices, including iPhones, iPads, Macs, and Apple Watches, offering a cohesive listening experience. Additionally, it comes pre-installed on Apple devices, making it easily accessible.

However, one big letdown with the experience on Windows devices is the lack bit-perfect support. The recently released Apple Music app for Windows lacks the settings to select the audio device or driver from within the app, meaning you will have to have your device match the sample rate of the currently playing music if you want bit-perfect playback.

Pricing (in USD)

Free tier: No

Student: $5.99/month

Individual: $10.99/month

Family: $16.99/month

Spotify

spotify

Overview

Spotify has long been hailed as the king of music streaming, and for good reason. It excels in music discovery with its powerful recommendation algorithms that analyze your listening habits and serve personalized playlists and recommendations. The platform boasts a vast music catalog, with over 100 million tracks available for streaming. In addition to music, Spotify has a strong focus on podcasts, making it a one-stop shop for all your audio needs.

One of Spotify’s standout features is its collaborative playlists, which allow users to create and curate playlists with friends and share music with each other. The platform also offers a student plan that includes access to Hulu, making it an attractive option for budget-conscious users. Scrolling lyrics and an AI-powered DJ add to the overall experience, making Spotify a top choice for music enthusiasts and podcast lovers alike.

Audio Quality and Formats

While Spotify isn’t the leader in terms of audio quality, they offer a range of options. Free users can enjoy music at 160kbps in AAC, while premium users can upgrade to 256kbps for AAC or 320kbps Ogg Vorbis. While not the highest quality available, these bitrates are more than sufficient for most listeners, especially when streaming on the go or in the background. 

Spotify has announced plans to introduce Spotify HiFi, which is supposed to offer lossless and Hi-Res audio. However, nothing more has come of this since it was announced more than two years ago.

User Experience and Features

Spotify’s user-friendly interface and intelligent algorithms make music discovery a breeze. Its ‘Discover Weekly’ playlist is particularly popular, adeptly suggesting new tracks and artists tailored to your tastes. Spotify is available on multiple devices, including smartphones, tablets, computers, and smart speakers.

Pricing (in USD)

Free tier: Yes, ad-supported

Premium Individual: $10.99/month

Premium Duo $14.99/month

Premium Family: $16.99/month

Premium Student: $5.99/month

Qobuz

qobuz

Overview

For those who prioritize sound quality above all else, Qobuz is a streaming service that caters specifically to audiophiles. With its focus on hi-res audio, Qobuz offers a unique listening experience that surpasses the standard streaming quality of other platforms. In addition to its vast catalog, Qobuz also offers editorial content such as reviews, interviews, and artist biographies.

Overall, Qobuz is an excellent option for those looking for top-notch sound quality with access to an extensive library of music. With its hi-res audio files, editorial content, exclusive features, and multi-device support, Qobuz provides an outstanding listening experience for audiophiles everywhere.

Audio Quality and Formats

Qobuz maxes out at 24-bit/192kHz Hi-Res streaming, offering a significant amount of music in this format. The service uses the Free Lossless Audio Codec (FLAC) and was the first music streaming service to provide hi-res audio playback directly through a Sonos speaker.

Qobuz’s library consists of over 100 million tracks, covering a vast array of genres and artists. While it may not offer Dolby Atmos music like some competitors, the selection of immersive songs on other services is relatively limited.

User Experience and Features

While Qobuz might not be as social or personalized as some other services, its extensive library, user-friendly interface, and advanced audio quality make it an excellent choice for audiophiles. The app experience is consistent across devices and never feels like it gets in the way of your listening experience. Qobuz’s emphasis on high-quality audio sets it apart from the crowd, making it a top choice for discerning audiophiles and in my opinion, one of the best music streaming services.

Pricing (in USD)

Free tier: No

Studio

Solo: $10.83/month

Duo: $14.99/month

Family: $17.99/month

Sublime (Discounts on Hi-Res audio purchases of up to 60%)

Solo: $15.00/month

Duo: $22.49/month

Family: $29.17/month

Tidal

tidal

Overview

Tidal is a music streaming service that caters to passionate music enthusiasts. With excellent sound quality and a stellar music catalog, it offers a premium listening experience. Tidal sets itself apart by including long-form editorial pieces, music-focused podcasts, exclusive backstage content, and live streams. The inclusion of lyrics further enhances the overall music discovery and appreciation.

One of the standout features of Tidal is its optional hi-res audio tier, which provides an exceptional listening experience for audiophiles. The platform also offers a wide range of music-related extras, such as music videos, video outtakes, and backstage footage. While the free tier lacks some of Tidal’s defining perks, it still provides access to a robust music library.

Audio Quality and Formats

Tidal is renowned for its superb sound quality. Tidal offers lossless, hi-res audio streams up to 24-bit/192kHz, encoded using the Master Quality Authenticated (MQA) technology and FLAC. Previously, Tidal use to only offer hi-res audio in the MQA format, but recently they have begun to convert the majority of the music offered in MQA to FLAC. This means that there will no longer be a hardware dependency for decoding MQA audio, a big positive in my opinion as MQA decoding adds an additional licensing cost for devices.

As well, like Apple Music, Tidal offers some tracks in Dolby Atmos surround sound, and as a bonus Tidal also supported Sony’s 360 Reality Audio.

User Experience and Features

Tidal’s interface is slick and intuitive, and the platform stands out for its exclusive content and focuses on artist promotion, with features like Tidal Rising supporting up-and-coming artists. Users can enjoy music videos, live performances, and behind-the-scenes footage from their favorite artists, enhancing the overall music streaming experience.

Pricing (in USD)

Tidal recently announced pricing changes that will take effect April 10, 2024, so we will provide the updated pricing below.

Free tier: No

TIDAL: $10.99/month

TIDAL Family: $16.99/month

    Amazon Music Unlimited

    amazon music unlimited

    Overview

    Amazon Music Unlimited stands out for its tight integration with the Amazon ecosystem. With an extensive music and video library, scrolling lyrics, and support for hi-res audio, it offers a feature-packed listening experience. The platform also offers a free tier, making it accessible to a wide range of users.

    One of the standout features of Amazon Music Unlimited is its compatibility with various Amazon devices, including the Echo and Fire TV. This integration allows users to enjoy crisp audio via a smartphone app, web browser, or their favorite Amazon devices. While it lacks live radio, Amazon Music Unlimited’s extensive content library and seamless integration with the Amazon ecosystem make it a compelling choice.

    Audio Quality and Formats

    Amazon Music Unlimited offers streams up to 24-bit/192kHz, using the FLAC format. It also supports spatial audio with Dolby Atmos and Sony 360 Reality Audio tracks.

    User Experience and Features

    Amazon Music Unlimited boasts a large music library and a user-friendly interface. Its expansive video options and ability to play live performances add to its appeal.

    One of Amazon Music’s standout features is its integration with the Amazon Echo devices, allowing for seamless voice control and hands-free listening. This makes it an excellent choice for those who have invested in the Amazon smart home ecosystem. Additionally, Amazon Music offers a vast collection of playlists and radio stations curated by music experts, ensuring you always have the perfect soundtrack for any occasion.

    Pricing (in USD)

    Free tier: No

    Individual: $10.99/month

    Family: $15.99/month

    Single Device: $4.99/month

    Student: $5.99/month

    Deezer

    Overview

    Deezer is a French music streaming service that has gained popularity worldwide. With a library of over 73 million songs, Deezer offers a diverse range of music across various genres and languages. Whether you’re into mainstream hits or international tracks, Deezer will likely have something for you.

    Overall, Deezer is an excellent choice for those who are looking for a comprehensive music streaming service with innovative features. Deezer offers something for everyone with its wide range of content, intuitive user interface, powerful search engine, exclusive content, and hi-fi audio quality option.

    Audio Quality and Formats

    Deezer HiFi offers lossless audio streaming at 16-bit/44.1kHz through the FLAC format.

    User Experience and Features

    Deezer stands out for its wide-ranging music library and its Flow feature, which plays an endless mix of your favorite tracks and new recommendations. As you listen to more songs, Deezer’s algorithm learns your preferences and tailors the playlist to your taste. This makes it an excellent choice for users who enjoy discovering new music tailored to their preferences.

    Pricing (in USD)

    Free tier: Yes

    Premium: $11.99/month

    Family: $14.99/month

    Student: $5.99/month

    Conclusion

    These music streaming platforms each offer unique features and advantages, with lossless audio becoming a standard offering and many even offering Hi-Res audio. While some prioritize high-resolution audio and extensive music libraries, others focus on personalized recommendations and exclusive content. 

    To make your decision, consider factors such as sound quality, library size, pricing, device compatibility, and unique features. Whether you prioritize convenience, sound quality, or a broad range of music genres, there is a music streaming service that will suit your needs. So go ahead, explore the world of music streaming, and enjoy the perfect soundtrack for every moment.

    Looking for some great headphones to pair with one of the streaming services above? Then check out our headphone reviews to help you make the choice! HiFi Oasis Headphone Reviews

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