I'm curious about the different music streaming services out there. Basically, what I want is the ability to download music so I can listen to it offline without have to purchase every album. This is uncharted territory for me, so I'm totally unsure of what's out there. I'd prefer to download all the music I want for free, but apparently it's not "ethical" or "legal".
Music streaming type services
- Thread starter Stewo
- Start date
- Mar 27, 2006
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Spotify. Offline download limit is 10,000 songs per device. Can have up to 5 devices. 10 bucks a month. Well worth it.
As Janny said, we use the crap out of Spotify. You can have a family plan and each have your own playlists, but at a cheaper rate.
I've kicked around Apple Music, but Spotify meets all of our needs, and Janny can use it on his non-Apple device.
I've kicked around Apple Music, but Spotify meets all of our needs, and Janny can use it on his non-Apple device.
Amazon. If you're a Prime member there doesn't seem to be any charge. I use the Amazon Music app rather than my iTunes app.
My daughter loves the Apple Music service though. I just hate to pay the monthly charge.
btw - maybe I haven't figured out the finer points of Spotify but I don't care for it at all. I prefer Pandora over Spotify.
My daughter loves the Apple Music service though. I just hate to pay the monthly charge.
btw - maybe I haven't figured out the finer points of Spotify but I don't care for it at all. I prefer Pandora over Spotify.
There are some songs that are included in your Prime membership. But unlimited is $7.99/mo:
https://www.amazon.com/b?ie=UTF8&node=15730321011
We used an offline created playlist on Spotify for our wedding just in case the internet crapped out. No problems. Been making playlists and blowing minds ever since!
- Mar 27, 2006
- 42,745
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Yeah, I was a dedicated Pandora user. Then a couple years ago I started using Spotify. Never looked back. So much better.
If you're in the Apple ecosystem, Apple Music makes a lot of sense. You can download single songs or full albums for offline listening. Otherwise, I think Apple Music and Spotify are essentially comparable.
One feature that I find works especially well with Apple Music: Apple Music + Siri while in the car. Generally a nice hands-free experience. I hardly ever listen to the radio anymore, since it's so much better to just ask Siri to play exactly what I want to hear.
One feature that I find works especially well with Apple Music: Apple Music + Siri while in the car. Generally a nice hands-free experience. I hardly ever listen to the radio anymore, since it's so much better to just ask Siri to play exactly what I want to hear.
- Mar 27, 2006
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Yeah, I use Spotify like that with the Google assistant in the car. Between that and DVR, I'm spoiling the crap out of my kids. "I remember a day when you had to wait until the time your show came on to watch it, and if you wanted to listen to a song, you had to flip through a big book of cds, find the one you want, put it in the player, and skip to the track you want!!!!"
If you have an unlimited data plan with Verizon, they currently have a special on Apple Music — 6 months free, cancel at any time. They have had this offer for a few weeks now so it could end any day.
I have Amazon music with their Prime Membership, which I like a lot. I probably like Apple better, in part, because I can adjust the sound settings on my iPhone (e.g., pop, rock, jazz, etc.) which I don’t think works with Amazon music — not that I change this a lot or even listen to music all or even much of the time. I never downloaded a lot of free music when it was available years ago via Napster. Streaming is probably the best way to go now, but I like owning a fair number of songs, that I have purchased mostly from Amazon and Apple. You can listen to your own songs using the Apple player. When running outside, sometimes the streaming connection isn’t always the best, and might cut out. Whether I am a current streaming service client or not, I can always listen to the couple of hundred songs that I own. (You can have these downloaded on your device via your streaming service, so the issue goes away, but this can be a bit of a hassle time wise or storage wise and if you don’t always subscribe.)
That said, the Amazon player is great, and there are subtle differences between services, that you learn best by using them some. YouTube is pretty good too, and better over the years as more and more is added. I just put up with the occasional ads on YT now (which go away if you subscribe).
I am not a dedicated user of any one and will probably try Spotify more at some point. As, for other reasons I will probably use Apple computers for the foreseeable future, and their music service is pretty good and gaining popularity I believe, I am leaning more in that direction.
I think all of these probably offer a month or more for free.
If you want to experiment things you might try are how to have a song repeat, and set up a play list and see what it looks like after your subscription (or free period) has ended. In Amazon I think it is easy to have a song play repeatedly automatically, but in Apple, I set up a play list and add the same song a number of times. (Maybe there is a better way.) In Apple and probably other services your play lists (to streamed songs) go away after you no longer subscribe (though the names or “containers” of your playlists are still there when you resubscribe — so it is basically like setting them up again from scratch). Playlists with your own songs in the Apple player (versus songs that you don’t own but stream) I think will always be there. The free YT playlists you set up are always there, but I don’t recall how these relate to their subscription service, if you sign up for that.
I have Amazon music with their Prime Membership, which I like a lot. I probably like Apple better, in part, because I can adjust the sound settings on my iPhone (e.g., pop, rock, jazz, etc.) which I don’t think works with Amazon music — not that I change this a lot or even listen to music all or even much of the time. I never downloaded a lot of free music when it was available years ago via Napster. Streaming is probably the best way to go now, but I like owning a fair number of songs, that I have purchased mostly from Amazon and Apple. You can listen to your own songs using the Apple player. When running outside, sometimes the streaming connection isn’t always the best, and might cut out. Whether I am a current streaming service client or not, I can always listen to the couple of hundred songs that I own. (You can have these downloaded on your device via your streaming service, so the issue goes away, but this can be a bit of a hassle time wise or storage wise and if you don’t always subscribe.)
That said, the Amazon player is great, and there are subtle differences between services, that you learn best by using them some. YouTube is pretty good too, and better over the years as more and more is added. I just put up with the occasional ads on YT now (which go away if you subscribe).
I am not a dedicated user of any one and will probably try Spotify more at some point. As, for other reasons I will probably use Apple computers for the foreseeable future, and their music service is pretty good and gaining popularity I believe, I am leaning more in that direction.
I think all of these probably offer a month or more for free.
If you want to experiment things you might try are how to have a song repeat, and set up a play list and see what it looks like after your subscription (or free period) has ended. In Amazon I think it is easy to have a song play repeatedly automatically, but in Apple, I set up a play list and add the same song a number of times. (Maybe there is a better way.) In Apple and probably other services your play lists (to streamed songs) go away after you no longer subscribe (though the names or “containers” of your playlists are still there when you resubscribe — so it is basically like setting them up again from scratch). Playlists with your own songs in the Apple player (versus songs that you don’t own but stream) I think will always be there. The free YT playlists you set up are always there, but I don’t recall how these relate to their subscription service, if you sign up for that.
We also use the crap out of Spotify. Having a family plan, where everyone could choose their own music for one flat fee was a game changer. Before, each kid was buying their own music and half the time they were buying all the same crap. Now it doesn't matter.
I actually used to like Google Music better than Spotify. They didn't offer a family plan at the time so we switched. I THINK they offer a family plan now.
I actually used to like Google Music better than Spotify. They didn't offer a family plan at the time so we switched. I THINK they offer a family plan now.
I'm a Google fan through and through and actually love Google Music. IMO it has better "Radio" algorithms than Spotify plus the benefits of family sharing with up to 6 other Google accounts for $15/mo. I also like the podcast integration.
I'm the one Slacker Radio user.
Have premium so I've been building playlists for years. Can also turn on my station with bands I like.
Slacker just doesn't get any love, but I've enjoyed it.
Have premium so I've been building playlists for years. Can also turn on my station with bands I like.
Slacker just doesn't get any love, but I've enjoyed it.
