Top Music Streaming Apps

• Spotify
• Apple Music
• YouTube Music
• Amazon Music
• SoundCloud
• Deezer
• Which music app is right for you?

Spotify

Spotify is the most popular streaming app around today, with 286 million users each month. 
 

✔Multiple subscription options

✔Access to millions of songs 

✔Can download songs and still play them whilst not connected to the internet

✔Available for both iOS and Android
 

✘ Less control if you don’t pay - you’ll get ads, can’t download, and can’t freely skip songs

Spotify has been around since 2008, and has since gained immense popularity, particularly amongst millennials. The service has over 40 million songs, as well as a huge collection of podcasts. 

The playlists can be customised to your personal preferences and taste in music. You can also browse for music in specific categories, such as “Songs to Sing in the Shower”, “Easy 00s”, “Sad Songs”, “Happy Pop Hits”, “Monday Motivation”, and “Nightcap”, to name a few. You can access playlists created by Spotify themselves, or those shared by other users.

Furthermore, Spotify is famous for its algorithms that personalise your experience. It creates Daily Mixes of your most-played tunes, as well as a Rewind playlist of past loves, and a Discover Weekly for new songs it thinks you’d enjoy. 

Find out more about what makes Spotify one of the most loved streaming platforms.

Apple Music

Launched in 2015, Apple Music is another popular streaming app with around 72 million subscribers worldwide. 
 

✔Multiple subscription options and decent trial length

✔Access to 70 million songs

✔Can still play whilst not attached to Wi-Fi

✔Available for both iOS and Android

✔ Works harmoniously with other Apple products
 

✘ No free version outside of a trial

✘ Limit to downloads (100,000)

Apple Music has 70 million songs for you to browse through, and while you can listen to all, if you want to listen to songs offline there is a limit of 100,000 downloads. 

This streaming service works harmoniously with all Apple products - for example, you can stream music from your Apple Watch when you’re away from your iPhone, and connect to CarPlay to listen to your playlists while travelling. Siri also works in conjunction with Apple Music, so you can play, skip, and search for music using voice commands. 

Like Spotify and other streaming apps, Apple Music creates curated playlists just for you, showcasing your favourite (or next favourite) artists. You can also listen to live radio shows. 

YouTube Music

Relaunching as a music streaming service in 2018, YouTube Music is technically the youngest music app on this list, but it’s got the backing of one of the biggest brands in the world - Google. 
 

✔All subscriptions have a one month trial

✔Links to YouTube platform so you can access any additional content labelled as ‘music’

✔Can play YouTube videos with screen off, as well as when disconnected from the internet

✔Available for both iOS and Android
 

✘ No free version outside of a trial 

✘ Possibility that user-uploaded content could be illegally copyrighted 

YouTube Music doesn’t specify how many songs you have access to, but you do have the whole streaming service and platform to explore - this includes everything uploaded to YouTube. Like some of the others on this list, YouTube Music also creates two main mixes based on your likes: Your Mixtape and Offline Mixtape. The Offline Mixtape is automatically downloaded for you each day, so you always have access to a fresh, new playlist while you’re out. 

Whilst not as popular as Spotify and Apple, YouTube Music still has approximately 20 million subscribers and one billion music users, with more suspected to join now Google Play Music is being removed. 

One thing to be wary of is that user-uploaded content on YouTube could be illegally copyrighted. Although you can save these tracks to playlists, they may occasionally be taken down, meaning you’ll lose them from your library. 

You can try the app out before deciding if YouTube Music is the right streaming app for you. Want to see how it stacks up vs Spotify? Our comparison review has got you covered. 

Amazon Music

Launched in 2007, Amazon Music has a total of 55 million users worldwide, as of the beginning of 2020, crawling up to rival the likes of Spotify and Apple. Amazon itself has increased in popularity due to its AI robot, Alexa.
 

✔All subscriptions have a free trial (one or three months)

✔Discounts for Prime members

✔Links to other Amazon devices

✔Available for both iOS and Android
 

✘No free version outside of a trial

✘ Prime members still have to pay for access to more songs, despite already paying £7.99 subscription

With 60 million songs to choose from, Amazon Music will also personalise playlists for you based on your favourite artists and most played tracks. Amazon will also show you trending songs on your homepage, so you can find new tunes straight away. More user-generated and Amazon playlists are available to browse throughout the app. 

Alexa is integrated into the app for a hands-free experience, which is great for driving and exercising. You can also do something called ‘Mirror casting’, so you can connect to a different device and continue playing music, such as on your TV or computer. 

SoundCloud

Developed in Sweden back in 2007, SoundCloud has been a huge success, with 175 million monthly users worldwide. It is an audio streaming service that allows people to upload their own music, share, and promote others. 
 

✔Great for listening to user-generated music

✔If you’re a musician, you can promote your own music

✔Free trial for Go plans

✔Available for both iOS and Android
 

✘ Not for users wanting to listen to established artists

SoundCloud is predominantly for people to share their own music, connect with other avid musicians, and to establish themselves as an artist. You can explore who’s trending and the type of music that is currently performing well in the community. 

If you are an artist, you can get real-time feedback on the audio you upload, as well as utilising the promotional tools on some plans to grow your fanbase and potentially get your music seen by press, labels, and managers in the industry. If your music proves to be popular amongst the community, there’s also a chance you could get paid by SoundCloud. It also supports collaboration with other artists in your community.

Deezer

Founded in 2007, Deezer is the perfect music streaming app for people with children. It only allows you to play suitable music, blocking any tracks that contain explicit lyrics. 
 

✔Family friendly out of the box

✔Available for both iOS and Android

✔Cross-device listening so everyone in the household can play music at the same time
 

✘ Limited plans

✘ Specialised 

Deezer currently has 14 million monthly users. With 56 million songs, you’re not at all limited for choice. One of its biggest selling points is how family friendly it is. You can explore the top charts in the UK, and discover new albums, all with the reassurance that no expletive or rude language will be broadcast across the house. 

Similar to other platforms, you can play as many songs as you like while out and about, and listen to music ad free. 

For parents concerned about their child’s safety and what they could be exposed to, here are some other blogs you might be interested in:

• Tablets for Kids
• Best Parental Control Software
• Qustodio versus FamilyTime 

Which music app is right for you?

Popularity and user numbers are just statistics, at the end of the day - you should pick the right platform based on your needs and your budget. 

For students, Apple and Spotify offer the best subscription packages with the most amount of benefits at half the cost of their premium plans. 

For those on a budget, most of the streaming services have a free option or a one to three month trial. Spotify is the only platform to offer a completely free plan, but beware you’ll have to endure ads interrupting your tracks.

For aspiring musicians, SoundCloud is your best option, as it’s designed to help aid and promote budding artists from around the world. You can publicise your tracks, grow a fanbase, and potentially showcase your talents to people in the industry. 

For families, all of the apps, except for SoundCloud, are viable choices. Depending on how big your family is, you can get a subscription for five or six additional profiles. Consider Deezer if you don’t want any younger members of the household to hear something crude. 
 

All the apps featured above are available to download on Apple and Android smartphones, and can be accessed on most other devices like tablets, computers, and TVs. The free trials make it easy to browse, try out and find the perfect music streaming app for you. 

So which one is your favourite? Let us know on Twitter.