Is There A Music Download Service Like Napster

Streaming is the most user-friendly and popular mode to mind to your favorite songs, and it no longer means you have to compromise on sound quality. A growing number of providers include lossless and spatial Dolby Atmos audio, just with so many different music services on offering, how are you supposed to choose?

If you're shopping effectually for a new music provider -- inspired by developments such asJoe Rogan versus Neil Young, for example -- the ii things you demand to consider most are monthly cost and compatibility. Though prices accept been more stable at effectually $10 a month -- not something I tin say withlive Boob tube streaming -- there accept been some other large changes recently, including the addition of hi-res music. Almost of the services have music catalogs of over 60 million songs, so that'south not actually an issue, and they enable yous to stream from your phone, computer or speaker, though some are improve at this than others.

I've checked out the biggest names, including Spotify,Apple Music,Amazon Music andYouTube Music, as well smaller contenders such as Tidal, Qobuz, Deezer andPandora Premium, to see how each platform stacks up for your subscription buck. Information technology's worth noting that, in this roundup, I've purposefully left out services that can only play music in a radio format (such as Pandora, Napster and UnRadio) and don't allow you to select your ain songs. Streaming should exist nigh choice, and that includes existence able to listen to whole albums at a stretch.

And so which music streaming services offering the all-time combination of price, audio quality and library size? Read on to discover an in-depth await at each of the services and a feature comparison, forth with a full price breakdown in the chart at the bottom of the page. We'll update this list periodically. And if you want the TL;DR, these are the pinnacle three.

Read more: Apple Music vs. Spotify: Comparison the Top Music Streaming Services

Spotify

Best music streaming service overall

Angela Lang/CNET

Spotify is a pioneer in music streaming and is arguably the best-known service. It offers a number of curated music discovery services, including its Discover Weekly playlist, and is constantly implementing new ones, such as Stations. It's too ramped up its nonmusic content with a push toward podcasts, which indirectly led to folk-rock icon Neil Young leaving the service.

When it comes to choosing a service, it'south a close race betwixt Spotify Premium and Apple Music, but Spotify yet wins as the best music streaming service overall. This is thanks to a fun, easy-to-employ interface, an extensive catalog and the best device compatibility. Spotify also offers the all-time gratuitous tier: Without paying a dime or providing a credit bill of fare number, y'all can stream Spotify Connect to numerous Wi-Fi devices.

Meanwhile, Spotify missed the deadline of late 2021 for its new HiFi (lossless) tier, and the visitor can't say when information technology will be coming. Meanwhile, competitors like Apple tree Music, Amazon Music Unlimited and Tidal are now offer lossless or even Dolby Atmos music at no extra charge. In addition, Spotify hiked prices on a number of plans in 2021, even though the base of operations cost remains $10 a month in the US.

The Expert

Free version is impressively robust
Spotify Connect simplifies connecting to wireless speakers and AV receivers
Piece of cake to build your own playlists and sync them for offline listening
Allows you to follow artists and exist alerted when they release new music or denote an upcoming show
Now includes podcasts

The Bad

Advertisements in the free service can be intrusive
You can't listen to specific songs in the free tier, just a mix based on the requested music
No lossless option
Podcasts accept begun to overshadow music in importance

All-time for: People who want a solid accommodating service, and especially for people who love to make, browse and share playlists for any scenario.

Read our Spotify review.

Apple Music

Best alternative to Spotify

Sarah Tew/CNET

Apple Music runs second to Spotify in terms of subscribers, but surpasses its rival in a few key areas. It offers a friendly interface, over xc million tracks, and compatibility with both iOS and Android devices. Yes, it has spatial sound albums at no extra accuse, but these 1,000 tracks are dwarfed past the residual of the catalog.

Not surprisingly, Apple Music is the best choice if you've invested heavily in the Apple ecosystem. If you own an Apple HomePod or Mini, it is the default subscription service to summon music with your vox. Apple tree Music also makes the platonic companion for an iPod Touch, which, after 20 years, is nonetheless a thing. There's also a ton of curated playlists, many handcrafted past musicians and tastemakers, but information technology lacks the robust sharing options built into Spotify.

Apple Music is the but ane of our top three with a digital locker to store your own library of songs -- YouTube Music, below, is the other music locker option. There are two ways to upload your music: for free with a Music subscription, merely with DRM; or $25 a yr for iTunes Lucifer, which will allow you download again even without a Music subscription.

The Good

Spatial and hi-res music included for your $ten a month
Combines your iTunes library with music you lot don't ain, with a option of music lockers
Human music experts and algorithms help notice music you lot'll want to hear based on what you lot play
You can control what you hear or search for new music using Siri on Apple HomePod or other Apple tree devices

The Bad

The Android app and feel isn't as fun as the iOS one
Doesn't work with old iPods (except the iPod Bear on)

Best for: Those who are wrapped up in the Apple world, or who simply desire excellent value for money.

Read our Apple tree Music review.

Qobuz

Best for audiophiles

Screenshot: Ty Pendlebury/CNET

Qobuz offers how-do-you-do-res audio streams too, and dissimilar Tidal yous don't need a specialized MQA decoder to heed to them. They tin can sound corking on an Android phone or a loftier-end music arrangement. It may not offering Dolby Atmos music, merely the electric current itemize of songs on other services isn't that impressive anyway.

The service offers 2 plans -- the how-do-you-do-res Studio Premier ($13 monthly or $130 yearly) and the $180 annual Sublime Plus. Uniquely, the service offers its own hello-res download shop, and if yous sign up for Sublime you lot get a discount on purchases.

At 70 million tracks, Qobuz's streaming catalog rivals Tidal's and Spotify'southward in number, though it may non accept the most obscure artists. Qobuz generally steers towards howdy-res recordings so it is especially suited to jazz and classical fans, though its rock selection is fairly robust. The fact that it's cheaper than Tidal, and doesn't require a specialized equipment to heed in 24-bit/192Hz, makes Qobuz our favorite service for serious music lovers.

The Good

The app is really make clean and fun to use
Ability to heed to 24-scrap music without needing a specialized decoder
One of the more affordable hi-res services
Offers a download store as well

The Bad

May exist some gaps in the catalog
No spatial sound

Best for: Audiophiles who desire howdy-res music for a decent price plus the power to buy and download albums.

Also worth considering

Tidal

All-time for compensating artists

Sarah Tew/CNET

Now partly owned past Jack Dorsey's Cake, Tidal has introduced some of import changes recently: namely that it now has a gratis tier called, naturally, Tidal Free. The company also offers the $10 Tidal HiFi plan, which includes lossless playback, and the premium $xx Tidal HiFi Plus tier.

Tidal HiFi Plus may be the most expensive of all the services, and while information technology offers hi-res and Dolby Atmos mixes, it now has another good reason for this. Tidal'south main hook has always been that its higher subscription price translates to improve payouts to artists -- especially musicians who aren't at the meridian of the pop charts. The service will at present pay your height streamed artist each month a x% cut of your subscription fee. Even if you only stream ane vocal all month the full $two volition go to them. Forget fractions of a cent for a play; with plenty spins from plenty people, this could mean serious coin for your favorite band.

While Tidal used to exist the best option for audiophiles, Qobuz has caught up past promising arguably improve sound quality (no MQA decoder required), a cheaper cost and some recent improvements in its catalog. Based on my own experience, Tidal still trumps it for breadth -- and it at present exceeds 80 million tracks, including longtime holdouts Metallica. If you lot're an audiophile, a fan of urban music or a mix of both, so Tidal should entreatment to you lot.

The Good

High-fidelity music streams including Dolby Atmos surround mixes
Lots of video content, including concert livestreams
Profiles and record reviews on every page, plus up-and-coming creative person spotlights
Free tier, while its top tier offers payouts for favorite artists

The Bad

The mobile apps and web thespian aren't as straightforward as some others
The catalog isn't as exhaustive as Spotify Premium
Most high-res music uses MQA, which needs a specialized decoder

Best for: Musically inclined purists who care deeply about audio quality and discovering new, up-and-coming artists.

Amazon Music Unlimited

All-time for Prime members

Screenshot: Ty Pendlebury/CNET

Amazon Prime Music comes "free" as part of a Prime membership, but users can choose to upgrade to Music Unlimited. In add-on to an expanded catalog, the pace-up now includes the original HD service at $eight for Prime members, or $10 if you don't have Prime. Music Unlimited at present gives you access to millions of lossless tracks likewise as 1,000 "spatial" remixes, which tin can be played on Dolby Atmos soundbars, Android or iOS devices and the Amazon Echo Studio. In terms of usability, the Music Unlimited interface is also more powerful than before with playlists, genres and podcasts all accessible from the main folio.

The Good

Cheaper than the top three if you're an Amazon Prime fellow member
Lyrics automatically pop up on the "now playing" screen
Hi-res and spatial sound from Sony 360 Reality Audio and Dolby Atmos at no actress charge
Offers gratis music stations for Amazon Repeat, Echo Dot and Amazon Tap (includes ads)

The Bad

Artist profiles don't take biographies
The service no longer includes a music locker

Best for: Amazon Prime members who want to save a few bucks on a decent music itemize and higher-quality streams.

Read our Amazon Music (Android) review.

The best of the rest

YouTube/Screenshot past Ty Pendlebury/CNET

YouTube Music: YouTube Music is the successor to Google Play Music, and if you sign upwardly for the advert-gratisYouTube Premium at $12 per calendar month, you get YouTube Music thrown in for gratis. The expert news is that YouTube Music is a mostly impressive service -- the lower fleck-rate of 256kbps is mildly annoying -- but Google has retained the predecessor'south music locker arrangement enabling users to upload new tracks. In even ameliorate news, YouTube Music offers a cleaner interface than Google Play Music plus over lx meg tracks to cull from. Instead of playlists, YouTube Music offers well-curated radio stations that play incessantly and are updated often.Encounter information technology at YouTube Music.
Deezer:French stalwartDeezer has been operating in the States since 2016, and it has a lot to offer, including a free tier (mobile only) and 90 one thousand thousand tracks. It has more subscribers than some others on this list, thanks in part to its previous amalgamation with Cricket Wireless. The main Premium program is $ten a month, but users are also able to upgrade to a lossless version (CD quality) for $15 a month. Information technology reportedly boasts more users than Tidal, and information technology offers a couple of unique features. For example, it'south the first service to offer the power for users to upload their catalogs from competitors at no extra charge.Encounter it at Deezer.
Pandora Premium: Still one of the well-nigh pop streaming radio services in the Us, Pandora also offers the a la carte Premium ($x a month) and no-ads Plus ($5 a month). The result is more flexibility than near competitors, and Premium has gained plenty more subscribers in recent years, fifty-fifty if the service is non keeping upwardly in terms of overall itemize size. Sadly, its audio quality is among the lowest bachelor, even on the Premium subscription (192Kbps), and information technology doesn't really offer enough of an incentive for an upgrade from its highly popular free tier.See information technology at Pandora.

Peak services compared

	Amazon Music Unlimited	Apple Music	Qobuz	Spotify	Tidal	YouTube Music
Monthly fee	Prime members: $8, £8, N/A; Not-Prime members: $10, £x, AU$12; Echo-only service: Free, AU$5	$10, £10, AU$12; Voice $v, £5, AU$half dozen	$xiii, AU$twenty	$10, £10, AU$12	How-do-you-do-Fi: $10, £ten, AU$15; HiFi Plus: $20, £20, AU$24	$10, £10, AU$12
Free option?	Aye, with ads	No	No	Yeah, with ads	Yes	Aye, with ads
Gratis trial menstruation	30 days	three months	30 days	thirty days	3 months	xxx days
Music library size	75 meg	ninety million	70 meg	Over 82 million	Over 80 million	Over 60 one thousand thousand
Maximum chip rate	256Kbps, 3,730Kbps (Hd)	256Kbps, TBD	6,971Kbps	320Kbps	ane,411Kbps	256Kbps
Family plan?	Yep, $15, £15, AU$18 for up to 6 people	Yes, $15, £15, AU$18 for up to 6 people	Aye, $xvi.67, £16.67, AU$45	Aye $16 per month, up to six	Yes, 50% off each additional account, up to 4	Yep, $xv, £15, AU$eighteen per calendar month for upward to 6 people
Student discount	No	Yes, Price varies by land	No	Yes, $5, £5 with Hulu and Showtime	Pupil HiFi: $5, Pupil HiFi plus: $x (US only)	Yes, $5
U.s. military discount	No	No	No	No	Yes	No
Offline listening	Mobile and desktop	Mobile merely	Mobile and desktop	Mobile and desktop	Mobile just	Premium and mobile just
Radio stations	Aye	Aye	No	Yes	No	Yes
Podcasts	Yes	No	No	Yes	Yes	Yes
Music videos	No	Aye	No	Yes	Yes	Yes
Music locker functionality	No	Yeah	No	No	No	Yes

Music Streaming FAQs

How do y'all transfer your library between services?

Without contracts information technology's pretty easy to cancel one service and showtime with another. That said, swapping between music services isn't every bit straightforward, for example, as swapping between flick locker services using Movies Anywhere. If you don't want to accept to rebuild your playlists and library from scratch when yous switch, you have two master options -- a music locker service such as YouTube Music (but this implies you have a library of ripped or bought MP3s), or the library import tool Soundiiz. The latter is a service that lets you import the songs from each of your music services and transfer them, and while there's a $4.50 monthly accuse, you tin e'er cancel in one case you've converted your library. Recently, Deezer has offered the ability for new users to convert their libraries from other services for complimentary (via another service called Melody My Music).

Practise I demand spatial or Atmos audio?

The short answer is "no" and the long reply is "not in the slightest." Stereo music has been around since the '50s and the catalog dwarfs the handful of Atmos audio tracks by comparison. Apple may rave about how "magical" spatial music is, merely unless you have a pair of uniform AirPods or an expensive Atmos system, you won't be able to hear it properly anyway. In our own listening tests we've found that the itemize is indeed quite express and the quality of the mixes varies wildly. The music industry has tried unsuccessfully to push surround music every 20 years or and so -- Quadraphonic in the '70s, DVD-Audio in the 2000s -- just practiced erstwhile stereo will never become out of favor.

Which music streaming service has the biggest catalog?

At the fourth dimension of writing, Apple tree Music has the largest catalog with 90 million tracks, followed by Spotify at 82 meg. Just that'south not the end of the story: The number of songs offered by a music service used to be the master differentiators, but all of the major ones offer over lx million tracks. As always, it's quality over quantity that counts, and particularly if you lot're looking for more than obscure tracks. Depending on your favored genre, some of the services offer a more than robust catalog that includes many under-the-radar, indie or hip-hop artists. If you're constantly on the chase for your favorite new band, a streaming service like Spotify or Tidal may be more up your alley. Users who are less aggressive about expanding their musical taste will be satisfied with the smaller catalogs Amazon Music Unlimited or Pandora offer. On the other hand, Apple Music is somewhere in the eye, offer a healthy mix of mainstream tunes and surreptitious unknowns.

Which services include music lockers?

Amazon was one of the first services to offer uploading your MP3 collection into the cloud, but this was officially discontinued in 2018. Meanwhile, both the Apple and YouTube services allow you to combine your personal music collection with the streaming catalog, though tagging and system can be a time-consuming challenge (your myriad live Phish tracks won't organize themselves). Still, if you lot've invested money in digital music over the years, those two services offer a patch to keep enjoying that music online.