In recent years, Spotify has become one of the most popular music streaming platforms, with millions of users around the world. However, as with any music streaming service, there are always alternative options to consider. In this article, we will be exploring the best Spotify alternatives available in 2023.
Whether you are looking for a similar service with a different set of features, or simply want to try something new, these options are worth checking out.
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Best Spotify Alternatives
1. YouTube Music
Youtube Music features a wide range of music and video database, consisting of an intuitive & dynamic UI. It comes with a sophisticated algorithm that generates tailor-made playlists and music suggestions as per your taste and location.
The tailoring process of the app begins as soon as you sign up. You are asked to pick your favorite artists and songs. While listening, you can like or dislike a song, and the recommendation process will continue to improve.
You can streamline your music recommendation by switching to location-based music as well. The app then suggests songs by detecting whether you are at home, gym, work, or any frequently visited location. The premium subscription allows you to download music for offline listening. The app allows you to store up to 100 songs or six hours of music.
Price: The YouTube music premium costs you $10 per month (ad-free version. Meanwhile, the YouTube Red subscription costs $12 per month and lets you access all features of the Premium as well as watch YouTube’s original shows in a YT ad-free environment.
Highlighted Features
- Great home screen
- Intelligent AI based on music recommendation
- Play with screen off
Cons
- No desktop app (only web version)
2. Apple Music
If you need earlier access to fresh releases, then apple music is the right platform for you. Apart from streaming millions of music, the platform also allows you to listen to your personalized music library.
The App features a super intuitive search engine that displays precise results whenever you search a phase of a song. The app allows you to upload 100,000 songs into your iCloud music library and stream them at your convenience.
However, the app automatically converts all your music to 256 AAC format, which means you may lose some quality in the process.
With Apple music, you can read your songs while listening to them. A single tap ahead will roll the lyrics for you as the music plays. Also, you can download and stream music to your smartwatch when away from home or even synchronize it with your car through CarPlay.
Create your own playlist or go with the editors’ choice- you will lose yourself in 60 seconds (that’s what Apple Says!).
Price: If you are a new subscriber, then you can enjoy the first three months of Apple Music for free followed by a monthly subscription of $9.99.
Highlighted Features
- Early music release
- Free Live internet radio
- Allows uploading local files
- Intuitive search feature
Cons
- Loss of quality in AAC conversion
- Overcrowded UI
3. Qobuz
Qobuz is a hub for listening to pristine Hi-res music at its full musical potential. The platform hosts more than 2 million studio-grade music in formats ranging from FLAC-24 bit up to 192 KHz.
The app comes with a minimalist home screen with ample of suggested playlists of different genres. The easy-to-use interface displays music bitrate and frequency. Besides, you can change your music resolution directly from the screen while playing it.
To further save your data, you can download your music and access them offline on the go. The audio streams on 44.1kHz at 16 bits per sample thereby making it way better than CD-quality offered in Amazon Music and Tidal.
You can choose DAC as output to experience bit-perfect quality. Thus you can rest assured of quality both technically and musically.
Price: Qobuz comes with two subscription plans. The Studio Premier plan (£14.99/$14.99 per month or £149.99/$149.99 per year) and the Sublime+ costs £249.99/$249.99 per year. Under Sublime+ plan, you get exclusive hi-res music at a discounted price.
Highlighted Features
- Powerful lossless & hi-res music catalog
- Support CD-quality streaming
- Offline download support
Cons
- A little far behind in music catalog
3. Amazon Music
Amazon Music, A music streaming service developed by none other than Amazon. It offers a wide variety of music, including popular songs and albums, as well as music from independent artists. Amazon Music is available in two versions: a free, ad-supported version and a paid version called Amazon Music Unlimited.
Amazon Music Unlimited is a subscription-based service that offers access to a large library of songs and albums, as well as personalized playlists and recommendations. It is available in three different plans:
- Individual Plan: This plan is $9.99 per month and allows one user to access Amazon Music Unlimited.
- Family Plan: This plan is $14.99 per month and allows up to six family members to access Amazon Music Unlimited.
- Student Plan: This plan is $4.99 per month and is available to students with a valid .edu email address. It includes all the features of the Individual Plan.
In addition to these subscription plans, Amazon Music Unlimited is also available as part of an Amazon Prime membership for an additional $7.99 per month. This includes all the features of the Individual Plan, as well as free shipping on Amazon purchases and access to other Amazon Prime perks.
Amazon Music also allows users to upload their own music to the cloud, so they can access it from any device. This feature is available to all Amazon Music users, regardless of whether they have a subscription to Amazon Music Unlimited.
Overall, Amazon Music is a convenient and affordable option for streaming music, with a wide variety of songs and albums, personalized recommendations, and the ability to upload your own music.
Highlighted Features
- Large library of songs
- Personalized playlists and recommendations
- Ability to upload your own music
- Affordable subscription plans
- Ad-supported version is free
Cons
- Limited music selection
- Limited features in ad-supported version
- Poor user interface
- Limited support for certain audio formats and devices.
4. Deezer
Deezer is one of the best Spotify alternatives for users looking to access HQ audio, with a cleaner UI and revolutionary EQ controls.
Its highly curated playlists are the major attractions of this platform. It comes with a built-in flow feature that offers daily recommendations of your favorite music, mixes, and new releases.
Apart from streaming unlimited HiFi lossless music, it has a download offline option.
Deezer has its own exclusive music recordings by artists like George Ezra and Dua Lipa in front of live audiences- more like MTV Unplugged. Unlike its web and desktop versions, the mobile app doesn’t allow you to stream your own MP3 files.
As it delivers CD-quality lossless FLAC audio output, it has always been Editor’s choice by almost all review portals.
Price: The premium subscription plan for Deezer costs $9.99 per month and $14.99 for HiFi FLAC streaming. The family plan costs $14.99 per month, allowing six people to access the account simultaneously.
For students, the price is set at $4.99 per month.
Highlighted Features
- Support HIFI with 360 Reality audio
- Built-in equalizer
- Tidy UI
- Smart music recommendations
- Supports Google Home, Amazon Echo, Sonos speakers, etc
Cons
- Need to download a separate app for accessing 360-reality audio
5. Tidal
Tidal is a full-fledged app like Spotify featuring a well-curated playlist catalog that you can share and download for offline listening. It allows you to access music from a variety of qualities like Mp3, Ogg, Cd Quality, and lossless 16bit 44.1KHz FLAC files.
Plus, it also features 75,000+ HD music videos to stream at your command. Premium users get exclusive access to ongoing music events, concerts, and other premium contents at a special discounted fee.
The home screen comes with an excellent UI with extended playlists based on genres, top songs, and intuitive computer-generated recommendations.
Based on chrome, the web player works flawlessly in any device, giving you an enriching sound experience with maximum bandwidth.
Tidal comes with a wide range of subscription plans like Tidal premium, HIFI, Family, and HIFI family. The premium offers 320kbps AAX+ music, while the HiFi plan has non-compressed 1411kbps FLAC audio streams.
Price: The Premium plan costs $9.99 per month whereas the HiFi plan costs $19.99 per month. The family plan costs $14.99 (premium) with five-user access.
The best part is that it offers special discounts to students (50%), military personnel (40%), and first responders (40%) to address a large user mass.
Highlighted Features
- Exclusive content and live streams
- Early access to exclusive concert tickets
- Impeccable sound quality
- Special discount programs
Cons
- Lyrics not available
6. Soundcloud
Soundcloud allows you to stream over 120 million+ songs coming from popular, independent, and new artists worldwide. Further, if you are an artist, then you can upload your music and get noticed easily by the masses.
The streaming platform is accessible in all major OSes like Mac, Android, iOS, and Windows, allowing you to maximize your reach with ease. A single search will let you access hundreds of versions of a song- original versions, covers, and instrumentals.
Unlike most paid platforms, you can stream a vast section of content for free with no-skip limitations. Overall, SoundCloud is one of the rare yet precious Spotify alternatives for music aficionados.
The free version allows you to stream a wide range of libraries supported by ads. Meanwhile, for ad-free and offline listening, you can opt for SoundCloud Go.
Price: SoundCloud Go at $4.99 per month whereas SoundCloud Go+ lets you access all the features of GO including hi-quality music streaming at $9.99.
However, for students GO+ comes at $4.99 per month.
Highlighted Features
- Get free access to new and exclusive musicians
- Clutter-free UI
- A large collection of content from big artists
Cons
- Full library is accessible to GO+ users only
7. Google Play Music
If you want to listen to top-rated songs from popular artists without losing precious data, then look no further. Google Play Music inherits a super-intelligent algorithm that learns your music behavior and curates a highly relatable suggestion feed.
Of course, powered by Google AI, it constantly modifies your experience. It boasts a large music database over the internet. You can access a large array of popular and rare Indie music artists.
However, its super-clean user interface is a real winner which when paired with Google’s intuitive search feature offers nothing but pleasure. It auto-synchronizes your phone music library with your online library thereby making web browsing highly personal.
Almost all quality features are free such as creating a playlist, accessing radio stations, and uploading music.
Price: Google Play music costs $9.99 and $14.99 per month depending upon the flexible family plan you choose with user access up to 10 authorized devices.
Highlighted features
- Support local storage
- Support HQ music streaming
- Minimalist UI
- Browse stations
- Upload music under free plan
Cons
- Maximum 4 devices deactivation/year under Family Plan
8. Pandora Radio
Unless you are an audiophile, Pandora Radio mimics Spotify which features everything to satisfy your music cravings at a low price. With a whopping 40 million songs in its database, Pandora Radio comes with premium podcasts that you can latch onto anytime.
The free version comes with intermittent ads with limited options to skip, unlike paid plans. The only downside is that the app doesn’t support music above 192 kbps. Meanwhile, it allows you to listen to music up to as low as 32kbps.
Pandora plus costs $4.99 per month allowing ad-free offline listening, unlimited skips, and add personalized playlists. For creating customized playlists, you need to go for the premium plan by paying $9.99 per month.
However, the premium plans vary exclusively for students ($4.99), active military & vets ($7.99), and families ($14.99 for six members).
Price: Pandora plus @ $4.99 p.m (per month), Premium plan @ $9.99 p.m, Premium for students @ $4.99 p.m, for active military & vets @ $7.99 p.m, and for families @ $14.99 ( up to six members).
Highlighted Features
- Free plan available with limited functionalities
- Built-in podcast
- Access to artists’ tour and ticket details
- Support lyrics
Cons
- Doesn’t support hi-res audio
9. LAST FM
Last.fm is by far the cheapest music streaming platform you will ever find. Powered by Spotify, the platform uses Scrobbler music player plug-in that tracks your music history from wmp, iTunes, and other music applications.
The home screen features a wide range of music suggestions starting from retro to the most recent tracks.
It gives you a look of what’s being listened to right now through a global tracking portal. You can see the tracks loved by most listeners for today with a number of hits displayed below.
To your surprise, there will be a Venndrick Lamar to let you experience 80s Electronic music by dragging two circles around a big one to create multiple effects. With ‘top five songs of the day’ displayed at the top, you can easily choose your track to start your day on a good note.
Price: The premium subscriptions comes at $3.00 per month ($2.50 per month if paid annually)
Highlighted Features
- Ad-free browsing
- Monthly listening report
- Early access to new features
- Buy merchandise at a 30 percent discount
- Unlimited skips
- Access to concerts calendar
Cons
- Doesn’t support browsing by genres
- Lacks lyrics
10. iHeartRadio
iHeartRadio is one of those apps like Spotify that brings something for everyone. It offers much like news, comedy shows, sports, jazz, etc. all under a single platform.
But the way it clubs everything under a Podcast niche makes it unique to dig in. If music is your world, its Music News section will start your day, and featured streaming from popular podcast networks will give you a good night’s sleep.
Talking about podcast networks, it streams the content of Gimlet, The Ringer, Forever Dog, Barstool Sports, and many more.
iHeartRadio offers free(with Ads) content streaming featuring a clean User-interface as well as many exciting features.
However, the Premium plan offers ad-free streaming, live radio, personalized artist radio stations, unlimited skips, and unlimited access to a comprehensive podcast library. If you need multi-access up to 5 devices, better to go for the Family plan.
Price: The premium costs $4.99 per month. However, for offline listening and curating personalized playlists, etc you need to shell out $9.99 per month. The family plan costs $14.99 allowing five people.
Highlighted features
- Free plan available
- Access live streams
- Listen 1000+ podcasts
- Support lyrics
Cons
- No high-res audio streaming
Conclusion
In conclusion, there are many great alternatives to Spotify for streaming music in 2023. These alternatives offer a wide range of features and services, including high-quality audio, personalized recommendations, and the ability to upload your own music.
Some options, like YouTube Music and Apple Music, are well-known and have a large user base, while others, like Qobuz and Tidal, are known for their focus on high-quality audio and exclusive content. Ultimately, the best Spotify alternative for you will depend on your personal preferences and needs.
