Music Streaming Picker
Honest comparison of Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon Music, YouTube Music, Pandora, and Tidal — plus the free options worth knowing about.
Compare a service
Library
About 100 million songs and 6 million podcasts.
Who it fits
Most people. Strongest playlists, best recommendations, works on every phone and speaker.
Pros
- Plays on iPhone, Android, Echo, Google Home, almost any smart speaker.
- Personalized playlists like Discover Weekly are the best in the business.
- Free tier actually works — ads every few songs but unlimited listening on a phone.
- Family plan ($19/mo) covers up to 6 people who live at the same address.
Cons
- Audio quality tops out at 320 kbps — fine for most ears, but not lossless.
- Pays artists less than competitors, which bothers some listeners.
- Has pulled some big-name comedians and music in licensing fights.
What matters most to you?
Cheapest possible (free or near-free)
Our pick: Spotify Free or Pandora Free
Both cost nothing. Spotify Free has the bigger library and better app. Pandora Free is better if you like a "set the station and let it play" style. If you want to pay a little, Pandora Plus at $5/mo is the lowest-cost ad-free option.
What about free?
You do not have to pay to listen to music. Three real options to consider before opening your wallet.
Spotify Free
Pros: Same 100 million-song library as paid Spotify. Unlimited listening on a phone or computer. Works on most smart speakers.
Cons: An ad every 3 to 5 songs (about 30 seconds each). On a phone, you can only shuffle most playlists — you cannot pick a specific song to play next.
Pandora Free
Pros: Type one artist or song, get a full station of similar music. Limited skips but the stations are surprisingly good. Best for "I want some classic rock playing while I cook."
Cons: Ads (audio and visual). Cannot pick a specific song. Six skips per hour, per station.
YouTube (regular, not Music)
Pros: Almost every song ever recorded is on YouTube somewhere — official videos, live performances, full albums, DJ mixes. All free.
Cons: Ads before and during videos. The phone app stops playing if you lock the screen (unless you pay for Premium). Not designed for background listening.
Bonus: Freegal (free with a library card)
Many US public libraries give cardholders access to Freegal — free music streaming and even some downloads you keep forever. See the Library Power Pack tool below to check what your library offers.
A note on free trials
Every paid service offers a free trial (usually 1 month, sometimes 3 months for Apple Music with a new device). Set a phone reminder to cancel the day before the trial ends if you decide it is not for you. Otherwise the charges start automatically.
Total my monthly cost