The digital space is developing rapidly these days. A lot of products appear to shine, and many fail inevitably. Last year the world said goodbye to Google Play Music. Users had a chance to transfer their audio libraries to YouTube Music instead. This move made sense because YouTube is the most popular on-demand music source. It inherited a couple of Google Play Music’s features. For instance, users can now download their music to listen to it later.
YouTube has a significant advantage as it has a lot of music other services don’t. It is easy to access, and you don’t even need an account. As a music lover, you probably know that the search for alternatives to your favorite sources is a never-ending pursuit. There’s always the thrill of finding something better. And there is a great variety of choices for YouTube music alternatives. Let’s take a closer look.
Spotify
Spotify is one of the most popular music streaming services in the world. You can listen to music on your desktop and your smartphone. The free version has ads, and the paid Premium option costs $9.99 per month. So you may try to buy Spotify plays instantly to enjoy uninterrupted music. Spotify Premium gives you access to listen to all the music and radio stations ad-free, to listen to music anywhere (even offline) and the on-demand playback. The service also includes podcasts now. The newest car editions have it, too, without any extra stuff, as long as you have a data connection. The downside to Spotify is that you can’t find some of the underground and alternative music whereas YouTube will always have it all.
SoundCloud
Talking of independent and underground artists, SoundCloud has a pretty decent collection of this type of music. In fact, it’s the only service that comes close to rival YouTube’s massive collection. It also has royalty-free music and podcasts. This streaming service allows you to listen to a lot of music and other audio for free, so it’s pretty convenient. If you want to save unlimited tracks for offline listening, escape ads, access the full catalog, and enjoy high-quality audio, there is a Premium feature for $9.99/month.
Apple Music
It is the closest one to Google Play Music and has most of the same features, including uploading music by yourself. The Apple Music library has over 60 million tracks. You can listen to them on-demand, check radio stations, or upload over 100,000 songs. This process is a bit complicated because you need a Mac to upload your music. For $9.99 a month, you get a bunch of Premium features:
-
- listen to the entire and limitless Apple Music catalog
- add Apple Music songs to your Mac’s library and listen to them offline
- match and upload your purchased and ripped library to iCloud
- skip Apple Music radio stations with no limits
- like, comment, play and save Connect content
- get access to Apple Music’s hand-curated recommendations and playlists
TIDAL
You can’t upload your music on TIDAL. But one of the unique features of this streaming app is that it allows real hi-fi listening. You can create playlists, listen to existing ones, download music for offline listening and stream it at 16-bit, 44.1kHz FLAC, or 24-bit, 96kHz MQA. There is nothing better than that for a music lover. Well, their slogan also says ‘Clearly the best sound,’ for a reason. Get over 70 million tracks, exclusive releases, tons of interviews and music videos, and all of it utterly ad-free for $9.99 a month.
Amazon Music
Few services offer purchases but Amazon Music. It is a decent alternative to Google Play Music and YouTube Music that prides itself in having a selection of 60 million songs. Most of the stuff you bought on Google Play Music is also available on Amazon Music. If you are interested in a high-quality collection, this app has 24-bit and 192 kHz streaming. You can join Amazon Music Unlimited for $7.99 a month with a monthly subscription or $79 a year with an annual subscription. You’ll get a vast catalog to find and follow your favorite artists, enjoy the latest and greatest hits, and explore new genres and styles.
Qobuz
Qobuz is another alternative to YouTube Music. It’s a newer service available only in 12 countries at the moment: Austria, Belgium, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Spain, Switzerland, United Kingdom, and the USA. It is an obvious competitor to TIDAL, as they both work on the highest quality of music. Qobuz has over 60 million tracks. Most of the songs are in FLAC and others are in 24-bit and 192 kHz. In addition, you can purchase music, download it, and use it offline. This app provides tons of information about your favorite artists, publishes articles, interviews, and various playlists.
Jamendo
A brother to SoundCloud, Jamendo is a free platform where you can discover various independent and underground artists. The app has a nice clean look and seems more like it’s catered for commercial purposes – you can download royalty-free music as well. It provides a pleasant overall experience but it doesn’t support Chromecast connections.
It is easy to find an alternative to YouTube Music. Focus on what exactly you are looking for. Are you annoyed by commercials and would like to find an ad-free app? Would you like to find new independent and underground artists? Or you want to expand your music library, and money is not an issue if the service provides the features important for you? Besides the services mentioned above and YouTube Music, you can use any local streaming app. Enjoy free music or pay for the subscription to get extra features. Pick the app considering your demands, enjoy your favorite music and discover new artists.