We compare the biggest music streaming services available right now.
Both Apple and Amazon have announced updates to their respective music streaming services – Apple Music and Amazon Music – with Apple Music’s entire library set to become available to stream in hi-res audio, and a select catalogue of songs also set to be compatible with Dolby Atmos. Meanwhile, Amazon Music HD, the company’s hi-res tier, is now available to all subscribers for free, having previously cost customers an extra $5 / £5 per month. So, how do they both now compare to rival music streaming platforms? We know Spotify is planning to launch a similar CD-quality audio service later in the year – called Spotify HiFi – but with the upgrade not expected to arrive until the end of 2021, most folks will be wondering how Apple and Amazon’s music streaming services now compete with the standard Spotify premium subscription available today. Throw Tidal into the mix, which already offers a high-fidelity subscription option, and audiophiles are spoilt for choice when looking for a music streaming service with a focus on exceptional sound quality. In this guide, we compare all four services – Apple Music, Amazon Music, Spotify, and Tidal HiFi – as they exist now, with a focus on their price, availability and features. Arriving for subscribers in June 2021, spatial and lossless audio options will become part of Apple’s existing Apple Music plans at no extra cost. That means users will have access to the new audio formats for the standard price of $9.99 / £9.99 / AU$11.99 per month, or $14.99 / £14.99 / AU$17.99 for a family subscription for up to six people. A cheaper plan is also available for students ($4.99 / £4.99 / AU$5.99). Unlike Apple Music – which requires a paid subscription beyond a free timed trial – Spotify offers a free version of its platform, though the intrusion of ads and inability to listen to tracks offline means many opt for Spotify’s Premium plan, which costs $9.99 / £9.99 / AU$11.99. Family and student plans are also available worldwide, priced at $15.99 / £16.99 / AU$17.99 and $4.99 / £5.99 / $5.99, respectively. Spotify Premium Duo, designed for couples or two friends, costs $12.99 / £13.99 / AU$15.99 a month for two accounts. It’s worth noting that these prices reflect recent increases imposed by Spotify, so don’t expect them to change any time soon. Given that Apple Music by-and-large remains the same price as Spotify, then, even in spite of the audio upgrades arriving for the former, you’re actually getting a better deal from Apple right now – which isn’t something we can say often. Like Apple, Amazon is also offering a high-res upgrade for its music streaming service for no extra cost. Amazon Music is priced at $7.99 / £7.99 / AU$6.99 per month for Prime members and $9.99 / £9.99 / £11.99 per month for non-Prime customers, with similar discounts available for the Family Plan. The Amazon Music HD tier was previously an additional cost per month for subscribers to the Individual or Family Plan, but Amazon recently scrapped the charge. If you’re a Prime subscriber, then, Amazon Music is still the cheapest of the major streaming platforms, offering value for money which is made even more apparent when compared to Tidal.
