Music streaming services are becoming more popular each year as people succumb to the appeal of having a jukebox of tunes at their fingertips — allowing everyone in the household to set and save their own playlists, listen to music "curated" for a host of different occasions and discover new bands and singers based on your old favorites. Podcasts are a growing segment of these audio streaming platforms with everything from investing tips to health and wellness shows driving listening.
Music streaming services
While the barrier for entry is low — all of these platforms offer a free trial or a free option (with ads) — if you're serious about music and audio streaming, often the best features come with the premium plan.
Moving to a different music subscription platform can seem like hard work, having to start over with your playlists and artist favorites but, depending on the features you're looking for, you could be better off when it comes to price.
Most music subscription sites often run deals and offers throughout the year, especially during Black Friday sales and, for Amazon Music during its Prime Day events. We'll always cover good deals when they pop up so keep an eye out for our coverage.
Spotify
Spotify Spotify Free, $11.99 Individual / $16.99 Duo / $19.99 Family / $5.99 Student, all monthly
Spotify is a music favorite with its easy-to-use app, music discovery and its playlist-building and sharing features. Spotify’s "suggested" feature is popular with users, letting the algorithm do the heavy lifting and serving as a sort of DJ in the palm of your hand. Its price has historically also been part of its appeal. For a long time it was a cheaper option compared to other music streaming options like Apple Music and Tidal. Spotify has raised its prices in recent months though, so it's now the most expensive of the main competitors.
Spotify Free has some of the perks of Spotify Premium, but you can't listen offline, limited to six "skips" an hour and it comes with a side helping of ads.
From just $107.88 $24.99 for Kiplinger Personal Finance
Be a smarter, better informed investor.
Sign up for Kiplinger’s Free Newsletters
Profit and prosper with the best of expert advice on investing, taxes, retirement, personal finance and more - straight to your e-mail.
Profit and prosper with the best of expert advice - straight to your e-mail.
Amazon Music Unlimited
Amazon Music Unlimited $10.99 / $16.99 Family / $5.99 single device / $5.99 Student, monthly
Amazon Music Unlimited comes with a great range of music, and you can listen with lossless, high-res, and spatial Audio. If you’re an Amazon Prime member, you can bag Amazon Music Unlimited for $9.99 per month, saving you $1 per month and $12 over a year. Newer to the service is the addition of Audible, the popular audiobook app. A subscription to Amazon Music Unlimited includes one Audible credit each month you can use on best sellers, new releases or enjoy classics.
Amazon has a free music streaming option that comes with ads, but its free music library is limited.
Apple Music
Apple Music $10.99 Individual / $16.99 Family / $5.99 Student, all monthly
Apple Music has a vast music library, similar to Spotify’s — but it focuses more on trending charts (instead of personal playlists), covering cities from across the globe. Apple Music also acts as a radio player, offering stations from local and national broadcasters as well as a suite of original "Apple Radio" channels. If you have an iPhone or any other iOS product, such as Apple TV, the Apple Music app is pre-installed and simple to use. The streaming giant is known for its great audio quality as it uses Dolby Atmos music.
Apple Music has a free one-month trial for all new customers.
Tidal
Tidal $10.99 Individual / $16.99 Family / $5.49 Student, all monthly
As Tidal was one of the first music streamers to offer high-resolution audio, it is a go-to platform for audiophiles and the music creator community. Its appeal for subscribers is high-quality lossless audio formats (HiRes FLAC and Dolby Atmos) and integration with audio hardware.
In keeping with its focus on audio fans and artists — whether pros, semi-pros or hobbyists — Tidal has an extra subscription package, the $9 a month "DJ Extension" that allows subscribers to remix songs, videos and audio tracks from its music library.
Tidal offers a free 30-day trial for all new customers.
The bottom line
Most music streaming services offer you a free trial to help you become acclimated to their platform. Not only is it a risk-free way to try out something new, you have the flexibility to find the right fit, with no money out of your pocket.
Related Content
-
Ask the Editor, October 17: QCDs and Tax-PlanningAsk the Editor In this week's Ask the Editor Q&A, Joy Taylor answers more questions about the use of qualified charitable distributions (QCDs) in end-of-year tax planning.
-
You May Want To Think Twice Before Selling These Four Assets in RetirementSitting on little gold mines? It's natural to want to cash out when you retire. Here’s why you may not want to.
-
Sam's Club Extends A Popular Shopping PerkSam's Club has adopted a new policy on Sundays and holidays. Learn what it is and how to save on a membership.
-
I Found the Best Gifts Under $50 and None of Them Feel CheapAmazon October Prime Day is the perfect chance to nab some under-$50 gifts that feel more expensive than they are (because normally they would be).
-
I Work From Home, and These Are the Best Home Office Upgrades From October Prime Day and Anti-Prime Day SalesSpruce up your office for less with these sales. You could also qualify for tax credits with some upgrades.
-
The Best Amazon Prime Day Deals for Travel Accessories, Suitcases and MoreOn the final day of Amazon's Prime Big Deal Days sale, skip the fluff — here’s how to extract real travel value via gear and strategic credit cards.
-
Amazon AI on Prime Day: Deal Helper or Upsell Machine?Amazon’s Rufus chatbot, Alexa voice deals and Amazon Lens can change how you shop on Prime Day. Here’s how to use them wisely — and avoid being upsold.
-
How to Safely Get Your Amazon Packages This SeasonWorried about porch pirates? From Amazon lockers to secure lock boxes, here’s how to protect your holiday deliveries.
-
The $2.5 Billion Amazon Settlement: Key Dates, Claim Eligibility and MoreAmazon agrees to a historic $2.5 billion settlement over its Amazon Prime memberships. Here's what you need to know about the case and filing a claim.
-
Foldable Phones: Are They the Future or Just a Passing Trend?Foldable phones offer eye-catching design and extra screen space, but not without compromises in cost, durability, and convenience. We weigh the pros and cons.
