When it comes to free music services, there are a variety of options to choose from. If you are looking for a free service that can provide you with a selection of songs, you can look into Spotify. Other options include Pandora Plus and Apple Music.
Apple Music
If you’re looking for a great way to stream music, you have two options: Spotify and Apple Music. Both services are relatively similar in that they provide a large library of songs and a plethora of features. But there are differences, and they may determine which app is better for you.
First, let’s look at how the two services operate. Apple Music offers a slew of features, including radio stations, podcasts, live events, audiobooks, and personalized playlists. They even have their own automotive solution, Apple CarPlay. It’s very similar to other streaming apps like Netflix and HBO Now.
While both services are incredibly popular, they are essentially different. For instance, Spotify’s free tier isn’t that much more than Apple Music’s. And the quality of the streams isn’t quite as good.
In addition, Apple Music offers a higher quality experience than most other music apps, thanks to its deep integration with Apple’s ecosystem. Plus, it’s available on multiple devices, so you can enjoy your favorite tunes on the go.
While Apple Music provides a more immersive experience, it’s not as easy to cancel as some other services. You’ll have to set up reminders to do so, and it may be difficult to get it to stop playing advertisements.
Unlike Apple Music, Spotify’s web player is supported by Chrome, Firefox, and Opera. This means you can play your music on your desktop, as well as on your smartphone and tablet.
Pandora Plus
Pandora Plus is a music streaming service. It is available in the U.S. and Australia. The service features more than 30 million songs and a variety of customization options.
Pandora Plus is available for $4.99/month per household. This includes access to the desktop app and other perks. However, non-premium subscribers can’t play stations on-demand.
For those interested in the full experience, you can upgrade to Pandora Premium. For $9.99/month, you can enjoy ad-free listening, better audio quality, and unlimited skips. You can also download your favorite music and listen to it offline.
In addition, the company offers a free trial. You can try out their new Premium tier for three months. After that, you’ll have to pay $9.99/month. There are also bundles and discounts for families and students.
Spotify has been around since 2008. They offer a great deal of personalized recommendations. And they keep adding new features and capabilities to their service.
With a sleek interface, you can easily switch between your favorite stations and sections. Also, you can share your playlists and other station favorites on social media.
One of the biggest selling points of most streaming services is their ability to help you discover new music. Pandora is no exception. Through their Music Genome Project, the service’s algorithm combines your music preferences with theirs to create a curated music list.
The app is compatible with many devices. In addition, the website features a mobile version and an in-browser player.
Spotify Kids
Spotify Kids is a free service that lets kids enjoy songs on Spotify. It offers kid-friendly content that has been reviewed by experts and deemed safe for children. There are 125 playlists for kids ranging from age 0 to 12 years.
The company has partnered with Disney, Nickelodeon, Discovery Kids and other well-known companies. All of the music is curated, reviewed and edited by experts.
Parents can control what their children listen to. They can block songs, change the age bracket of their child’s account, and create their own custom playlists. You can share these curated playlists with your kids.
You can also delete a child’s account. In this way, you can keep your child from hearing songs they may not be ready for. But you must ensure that you are aware of the privacy policies.
Spotify has a COPPA-compliant privacy policy for its kids service. This includes a four-digit PIN. By using a PIN, you restrict your child’s access to the parental controls.
Spotify Kids has a streamlined interface and colourful visuals. The app comes with a card-like feed with recently played items. It has a search feature and voice-to-text capabilities.
In the future, Spotify hopes to expand the content of its kids service. It plans to add educational content and encourage kids to learn more about music. Aside from Spotify Kids, the company offers audiobooks, podcasts and lullabies.
Ad-supported service
Spotify is one of the largest music and audio streaming services in the world. It operates in 79 countries, and it offers both ad-supported and subscription-based streaming. However, some features are only available to paid users. The company offers a free tier that lets users listen to selected tracks. Users can also create their own playlists.
Spotify pays royalties to the record labels. Currently, the company is trying to restructure the terms with the labels. Typically, Spotify keeps licensing agreements close to the vest. But, in the past, the company has been able to negotiate better terms.
Spotify has over a hundred million premium subscribers. The company aims to reach 1 billion subscribers by 2030. Moreover, the company plans to add features like “Findaway” and “Spotify Ads Studio.”
Spotify is also testing a new subscription tier. This new tier will allow users to skip songs without ads. Also, it will cost only $0.99 a month. At this point, the company is only testing it with a small group of users.
Spotify’s ad-supported MAUs are nearly twice as high as its premium subscriber MAUs. The company estimates that it will hit 41.5 million ad-supported US listeners this year. In the third quarter of 2022, the company will have 273 million ad-supported monthly active users.
Spotify’s data is one of its most valuable assets. A large amount of user data is fed into Spotify’s algorithms to find new content.
HiFi feature
If you’re a music lover, you’ll want to know about the new HiFi feature of Spotify. This upgrade to the premium tier will allow you to stream music in a lossless format. The sound quality will improve dramatically.
Lossless audio is an improvement over compressed audio files. With more data, a lossless track sounds wider and deeper. It can also reveal more details in a song.
Streaming services like Apple Music and Amazon Music have rolled out similar features. While Spotify has yet to announce a price for its HiFi service, it’s likely to come in at around $15.
There are also reports that Spotify’s hi-fi may launch in just a few months. The company has been in constant communication with music labels. Some suggest that artists may soon release exclusive new releases for Premium subscribers.
A survey was recently taken on Reddit by users. According to the results, several Platinum plans were found. One included access to audiobooks. Another included a Studio Sound feature. Several of the plans contained the usual suspects, such as unlimited ad-free listening and offline playback.
Unfortunately, the most impressive feature wasn’t available to everyone. Spotify is a big player in the streaming market. However, its users have been asking for more. They are hoping to get more control over their listens and access higher-quality music.
Although Spotify has not announced a price for its hi-fi service, it’s not surprising that the company is looking for extra money from fans. Currently, Premium is priced at $9.99 per month in the US.
Video selection
If you’re a Spotify subscriber in the know, you’ve probably already heard of the company’s latest video additions. For starters, it’s acquired YouTube’s aforementioned video operation. As for video content itself, a few networks have taken the helm in the past few years. The aforementioned TikTok star has also landed a big time gig.
As for the actual sizing up the company’s mobile offerings, the best bet is to expect a mobile video experience similar to what a desktop user will find on the road. And that’s before we get into the usual suspects. While a smartphone aficionado will likely be at a disadvantage when it comes to actual video content, the oh-so-convenient Spotify mobile app is sure to keep the good times rolling. Moreover, Spotify’s proprietary mobile video content can be augmented by any of the company’s other niftyn’ties, namely its playlists, artist radio stations, and even some of the company’s original programming. So, what are you waiting for? Get out your wallets, because you’re in for a treat.
It’s also worth noting that Spotify ain’t cheap. And, while it’s true that the company is not averse to slapping a pricey sticker on its services, the aforementioned perks come with a catch. Not to mention the fact that users of all stripes are likely to spend more time in the company’s ecosystem than in their homes, offices, and a variety of public venues.