Ny digital musiktjänst
En väg in och allt på ett ställe för Sundsvalls nya och befintliga företagare. Torsdagen den 26 augusti lanserar Näringslivsbolaget i Sundsvall den digitala tjänsten So you don't 'do' streaming, do you? You're missing out. Because while we agree there's nothing quite like putting a needle on a record and hearing the sound of vinyl in all its analogue glory, streaming does have its place. Packing nigh-on every song ever recorded into a device small enough to fit in your pocket, to be accessed anywhere in the world, and much of it in lossless quality?
Yes please. Streaming services are more comprehensive and advanced than ever, and many of them are really quite affordable, given the amount of content they offer you try paying for over million songs some other way. If only Spotify's HiFi tier would ever actually launch But which service should you choose? The music library, usability and sound quality should be of prime concern — we've put all the major players through our rigorous testing process to help you pick a service.
And if you don't like it? Just switch to another next month. I'm a staff writer at What Hi-Fi? Due to this, I naturally spend a lot of time using all of the latest music streaming services.
Best music streaming services 2024: free streams to hi-res audio
What makes one better than the next, you might be wondering? Crucial factors to consider include sound quality, the range of the catalogue on offer, and the intuitiveness of the user interface and software. In this guide, we'll be going over many of the most popular music streaming services and discussing what makes each one stand out from the next. Here's a quick breakdown of our picks for the best music streaming services with a short summary and some of the key features that they offer.
If you're after more details, click the image of the streaming service to drop down to the in-depth entry. Best for hi-res. Tidal is our overall pick for hi-res audio listening and the current What Hi-Fi? Award winner for 'Best music streaming service'. It's easy to navigate and offers better quality sound than a lot of the competition, though its top tier is on the more expensive side of these services.
Best for iOS.
This one makes sense really: Apple products work well on Apple devices. Apple Music has come a long way and offers plenty of unique features that set it apart.
Test av musiktjänster
Offering hi-res playback, Apple Music is definitely worth checking out for iOS users and is also one of the cheaper services available. Best free tier. Spotify remains the most popular choice, despite the ground gained by its rivals. With an extensive library, it's an excellent tool for discovering music both old and new. Despite the adverts and limited features that come with Spotify's free tier, we still believe it's the best one around, despite the fact we docked it a star recently.
Best value. Amazon Prime Unlimited comes with a discount for existing Prime users and features Dolby Atmos tracks to rival competitors like Tidal and Apple. It also comes with an ever-expanding library and built-in support for a wide range of speakers and hi-fi kit. Best for video. YouTube Music has received several refreshes in appearance and feature set and is looking like more of a contender to the bigger services these days.
We were impressed by the amount of long-lost gems hidden in the service's vaults, but we'd like to see an improvement in audio quality. Best for audiophiles. With a real focus on hi-res, a burgeoning music catalogue and much-improved usability, Qobuz is the streaming service of choice for audiophiles. While it gives Tidal a run for its money, the two are different enough propositions to both earn a place on this list.
Why you can trust What Hi-Fi? Our expert team reviews products in dedicated test rooms, to help you make the best choice for your budget. Find out more about how we test. Tidal is now a serial Award-winner and has long been at the forefront of high-quality streaming. It also includes tracks mixed in immersive sound formats Dolby Atmos Music and Sony Audio recordings. There's also offline listening, personalised mixes and live sessions.