During a time where commuting is at its all-time low and where most have thrown out their CDs, streaming music is the easiest, most convenient way to live to your favorite bands and discover new ones. With so many musics streaming services out there today, it can be overwhelming to decide in the short period of time free trials last for. We’ve downloaded, listened, and used the major music streaming apps available in 2021, and here are our top 5 music streaming services below.
1. Spotify
Price: Free to $9.99 a month
Spotify is the largest, most popular streaming service on the market today. We like Spotify because they have student, couple and family pricing that makes the service more affordable for most households. All premium plans allow users to listen ad-free, play offline, and share playlists if you’re on a 2+ account plan. The family plan allows parents to block explicit music and download the Spotify Kids app specially made for them. If Spotify sounds like the streaming service for you, you can listen for free or get premium free for your first month and then it’s $9.99 a month after that.
2. Apple Music
Price: $9.99 a month
If you’re an avid Apple user, you’ll love Apple Music. We like Apple Music because it’s great to pair with your Apple HomePod, Apple Watch or iPod Touch if you have them. You can listen to songs ad-free, download them to listen offline, listen to curated playlists, view lyrics and even live radio. If you decide to try Apple Music, you can get it for three months free then $9.99 a month after that. It’s unclear how long this deal will last, so if you’re interested try it soon.
3. YouTube Music
Price: Free to $9.99 a month
YouTube Music is the new Google Play Music. We like it for it’s access to both songs, music videos, live performances and concert footage all in one place. It’s a bit different from other music streaming services out there, but if you’re someone who likes to listen to music on YouTube, YouTube Music will make your experience so much better. If you decide to upgrade to the paid version, you’ll unlock a bunch of features including being able to listen ad free, while your phone or tablet screen is shut off, offline and even set a song to wake up to every morning.
4. Tidal
Price: $9.99 a month to $19.99 a month
If you’re a real music connoisseur or audiophile, Tidal might be the music streaming service for you. We like Tidal for their lossless audio streaming which is unheard of for major music streaming services. What this means for you is that the sound quality is as close as it gets if not better than CD quality. Even though Tidal’s music catalog isn’t nearly as exhaustive as other major music streaming services, Tidal really owns the urban genre compared to their competition. If you’re thinking about trying out Tidal, you can with their 30 day free trial.
5. IHeartRadio
Price: Free to $9.99 a month
If you’re looking for a music service that lets you stream music, live radio and podcasts all in one place, then iHeartRadio might be for you. We particularly like iHeartRadio for their radio capabilities in a time when the majority of the population are not commuting like they used to. iHeartRadio is also great for those who are looking to condense apps if you’re pressed for device space or like to keep your app usage minimal.
With iHeartRadio Plus you can listen to local radio or from major cities around the world, follow podcasts, listen to artist stations, play any song, skip an unlimited amount of times and replay songs you just heard from the radio all on the free version. The iHeartRadio All Access version is nice too with the ability to listen offline, access to a bigger library of music and you can create an unlimited amount of playlists. If you want to try to try iHeartRadio Plus or iHeartRadio All Access, there’s a 30 day free trial you can take advantage of.
