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The best Spotify alternatives for streaming music

Ready to ditch Spotify? These are our favorite alternatives.

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Image: KnowTechie

Are you looking for Spotify alternatives? Perhaps you don’t think the popular streaming service pays artists enough. Or maybe you have an issue with certain podcasters on the platform.

Whatever your reason for seeking a Spotify alternative, you have several worthy replacements to choose from.

Before deciding, you should ask yourself: what do you want in a music streaming service? Whether you covet massive media libraries, superior sound quality, or app functionality, the perfect musical match is out there.

Let’s discuss some of the most formidable Spotify alternatives.

Apple Music

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If Spotify’s expansive song library appeals to you, Apple Music is a worthy alternative. Boasting over 90 million tracks, Apple’s music streaming service offers more volume and variety than most of us will ever need.

On top of that, the app is slick, functional, and also available for Android. All subscriptions include ad-free streaming, concerts and exclusives, live radio stations, and curated playlists.

You can also view time-synced lyrics as music plays, which Spotify only recently adopted. You also get lossless options on every track and Dolby Atmos on a large selection.

READ MORE: What is Spotify Live and how does it work?

With a one-month free trial on offer, Apple Music is worth a look if you want a true—and perhaps superior–Spotify replacement.

Apple Music subscription options

  • Voice – $4.99 per month with access through Siri only
  • Individual – $9.99 per month with full access
  • Student – $5.99 per month with full access
  • Family – $14.99 per month with full access for six people

You can find the full list of available subscription options on the Apple Music site.

Amazon Music

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Amazon Music, with its 75 million track library, is another big player in the audio streaming game.

While the unpaid version of the service allows you to listen to curated stations and playlists, you’ll need a subscription if you want more control. Prime members even get access to over 2 million songs.

READ MORE: Spotify wants to share your listening habits in real-time

If you do want to experience complete freedom, Amazon also offers a 30-day trial of its Unlimited plan.

Like Spotify, the Amazon Music platform also contains podcasts so that you can get most of your auditory needs in one place.

Amazon Music subscription options

  • Free – Access to curated stations and playlists
  • Prime – Prime membership includes access to 2 million songs
  • Unlimited Individual – $9.99 per month with full access, or $8.99 (or $89 annually) for Amazon Prime Members
  • Unlimited Family – $14.99 per month with full access for six people

You can find the full list of available subscription options on Amazon’s website.

YouTube Music

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YouTube Music is the other big dog on the block for Spotify alternatives.

Although the platform doesn’t provide updated information regarding the number of tracks it offers, the range is comprehensive and likely rivals that of other large streaming services.

READ MORE: Does Spotify keep crashing? Here’s how to fix it

YouTube offers a one-month free trial of its ad-free premium subscription for anyone who doesn’t want annoying advertisements ruining the listening experience.

However, if you tolerate ads well, the free service may be all you need.

YouTube Music subscription options

  • Free – Full access with ads
  • Premium Individual – $9.99 per month with full ad-free access, or $99.99 billed annually
  • Student Plan – $4.99 per month with full ad-free access
  • Premium Family – $14.99 per month with full ad-free access

You can find the full list of available subscription options on YouTube Music’s website.

Tidal

tidal app on android device
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With over 80 million tracks, a focus on sound quality, and a commitment to empowering artists, Tidal may be the underdog that upsets the more established streaming platforms on the list.

The app’s interface is clean and intuitive. Additionally, the massive song library will never leave your ears hungering for fresh tracks, and its sound quality is some of the best.

Tidal offers a 30-day free trial that grants access to the full music library and over 350,000 videos.

Tidal subscription options

  • Free – Free, no, really, and you get 90 millon+ songs at up to 160 kbps.
  • HiFi – $9.99 per month, streaming up to 1,411 kbps, 450k+ videos
  • HiFi Plus – $19.99 per month, ad-free, additional audio formats
  • Student Plan – This offers 50% off either HiFi or HiFi Plus
  • Family – $14.99 per month with full access for six people

You can find the full list of available subscription options on Tidal’s website.

Qobuz

qobuz music streaming service review
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Qobuz might not be a household name yet, but they’re one of the best lossless streaming services. You can listen to FLAC at up to 24-bit/192kHz, which is about the best quality that streaming has to offer.

With 80 million tracks to choose from, there’s a little bit of everything to enjoy. Especially if you like niche genres or small artists, as the service has a very eclectic mix, they’re always adding to.

The only real drawback? At the time of writing, Qobuz doesn’t have any smart speaker integration.

Qobuz has two main subscription options. Both give you studio-quality streaming, over 80 million tracks, editorial content, and offline listening. Sublime also offers discounts on purchasing Hi-Res music of up to 60%.

Qobuz subscription options

  • Studio Solo – $10.83 a month if billed annually at $129.99, otherwise $12.99 a month
  • Sublime Solo – $15 per month, billed annually at $179.99
  • Family – $17.99 per month with full access for six people

You can find more information about Qobuz’s subscriptions on their website.

Choose the Spotify alternative that’s right for you

We’ve listed some of the best Spotify alternatives, including Apple Music and Tidal, but we can’t mention every platform in existence.

Other options certainly exist, but the services we’ve discussed more closely resemble the app we’re replacing.

If you despise every aspect of Spotify and none of the alternatives listed make you want to dance, embracing one of the lesser-known music streaming solutions may be more your style.

Have any thoughts on this? Let us know down below in the comments or carry the discussion over to our Twitter or Facebook.

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