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Post by Boomzilla on Oct 23, 2021 16:07:02 GMT -5
The number of music streaming services continues to grow due to sufficient bandwidth and the convenience of having a HUGE music selection available without having the need for room-sized storage bins to hold physical media.
Off the top of my head, I recall:
TIDAL - $20/Month - Quality: 320kbps, CD-quality streaming, 24-bit/96kHz - Files: FLAC, AAC, MQA - Library size: 60 million+, millions of hi-res audio - Platforms: iOS and Android apps, desktop app, web player
Spotify - $10/Month - Quality: 320kbps - Files: MP3, M4P, MP4 - Library size: 60 million+ - Platforms: iOS and Android apps, desktop app, web player, smart TV apps, connected speaker support, cars
Apple Music - $10/Month - Quality: Apple Music Lossless (24-bit/48kHz) and Hi-Res Lossless (up to 24-bit/192kHz) - Files: AACLibrary size: 75-million+ in CD resolution or higher - Platforms: iOS, desktop app
Primephonic - $15/Month - Quality: 320kbps, 24-bitFiles: MP3, FLAC - Library size: 1 million+ - Platforms: iOS and Android apps, web player
Amazon Music Unlimited - $10/Month - Quality: 3730 Kbps (HD) Files: N/A - Library size: 70 million+ - Platforms: iOS and Android apps, desktop app, web player, connected speaker support, cars
Deezer - $10/Month - Quality: 128kbps, 320kbps, 16-bit - Files: MP3, FLAC - Library size: 56 million+ - Platforms: iOS and Android apps, desktop Windows and Mac apps, Sonos, Yamaha MusicCast, Bang & Olufsen speakers, MOON by Simaudio network audio system
Qobuz - ~$13/Month - Quality: 16-bit/44.1kHz, up to 24-Bit/192kHz - Files: FLACLibrary size: 70 million+ - Platforms: iOS, Android, desktop app, web player
YouTube Music - $10/Month - Quality: 256kbps - Library size: 40 million+ - Files: AACPlatforms: iOS and Android apps
So ignoring:
Family usage (let the little spawn of satan find their own services)
Specialty platforms (it works with my wireless system that owns all of 0.5% of the market share)
Portability issues (I can use it on my car and my phone, man!)
Price (that extra $120 per year is too much, dude)
Which of the available streaming services offers the best combination of audio quality and both deep and wide content? Feel free to nominate up to TWO simultaneous services (like maybe Primephonic for classical & Spotify for everything else?).
Note that if you're using Roon, the only current options are (to the best of my knowledge) TIDAL & Qobuz.
Thanks - Boomzilla
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Post by audiobill on Oct 23, 2021 17:17:26 GMT -5
Roon with Tidal and Qobuz here.
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Post by 405x5 on Oct 23, 2021 18:44:41 GMT -5
Pandora
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Post by AudioHTIT on Oct 23, 2021 21:59:56 GMT -5
I voted for what I use now, since I’ve only used 2 of the 9, I can’t really claim it’s ‘best’, just my choice.
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Post by davidl81 on Oct 23, 2021 22:19:36 GMT -5
For various reasons I have the following music services right now
Spotify
Tidal
Apple Music
Amazon Music HD
Spotify gets 75% of my streaming use. This is mostly because it’s algorithms are so good at finding music that I like and it’s “Daily mixes” (up to 4 different types) are always just great. Spotify connect works great for my outdoor setup. Clearly it’s lack of HD music is its downfall.
Tidal is used for HD in my main listing room and it also work with my DJ software to allow me to mix and stream directly from Tidal. The UI in Tidal has gotten much better, but I still find that it is not as good as Spotify in recommending songs for me.
Apple Music is mostly used because we have 4 HomePods in the house and the integration of the HomePods and Apple Music is great. Also Apple Music also has a decent amount of concert videos when played from and Apple TV. So far the HD part of Apple Music has been disappointing. It works great on my iPad, but their no native support for HD on say my Bluesound Node. You have to use airplay which limits the bit rate.
Amazon Music is my least favorite. I had it for HD when they started HD music and I’m just not a fan. I need to just cancel it.
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Post by bitsandbytes on Oct 24, 2021 5:38:43 GMT -5
Added a vote for Tidal since it is the only one of these services I ever used - or tried. So cannot compare to other streaming services on the list since I rely solely on my ears to evaluate subjective audio quality. Use it for all serious listening. Nice that it only $11.99 a month for veterans for cd quality streaming. For the system I have, I personally think the recording quality much more important than MQA vs cd quality, but then I do not own a DAC which does a full unfold of MQA. Also use Pandora. So adding an unofficial second vote for that service. The latter nice when listening to music in the car - or with the headphones while running on the treadmill  |
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Post by 405x5 on Oct 24, 2021 8:58:12 GMT -5
 Whatever service I use NOW it really works! Pictured is one of my three mesh nodes that are powering my system. I love my neighbors ( best neighbors anyone could hope for), but there are 4 very indigenous internet users in that house. The area was getting overcrowded vs. my pitiful old router. Hence, the mesh network upgrade. A learning experience for myself as well as a unbelievable boost in signal strength and technology. previously when networks were displayed, 12 to 15 would show. Now ONLY mine displays. I have to wonder what they see at their end?! |
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Post by Jean Genie on Oct 24, 2021 9:19:10 GMT -5
I voted Tidal even though I subscribe to AHD. I tried Tidal's 90 day trial and loved it. The UI is WAY better but @ $20 p/mo., vs. $8 for Amazon Prime customers. Since I only need it for one device in my main listening room, it's a no brainer for a tightwad like me.
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Post by jamco on Oct 24, 2021 11:14:15 GMT -5
Current Music Streaming Subscriptions
• TIDAL HiFi (my vote) for long music listening sessions and entertaining. Great user interface, best music quality, good music selection and hit-miss analytics. This service is the reason my new iPhone has 256GB of storage for albums.
• Spotify Family for my music discovery, my wife and one account dedicated to a streaming device for visitors. Great user interface, best music selection and superior analytics. This service is also helpful when TIDAL either doesn’t have or drops an artist or song. Like many others, I’m waiting for the promised Spotify HiFi by the end of this year; could be a game changer for me.
Past Test Drives
• Qobuz - Tried it 3 times.
• Deezer - Tried it once for 2 months.
• Amazon Music HD - Did a trial earlier this summer for 2 months (of a 3 month free trial).
Final Notes
• I had a Pandora subscription in the early days of streaming.
• I’m still reluctant to try Apple Music given their iTunes history.
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Post by routlaw on Oct 24, 2021 11:37:32 GMT -5
I'll refrain from voting at the moment but did subscribe to Qobuz for a couple of years. Truth is I just don't care for streaming. To me it never sounds as good as either files played from disc or music stored on hard drives. I suppose its possible to get there just way more fussing around with than I care to do. If I were to sign up for a new service it would most likely be Apple Music though. I do recognize the value of new discoveries but streaming in this manner is not the only way of getting there. My 2¢ worth on the subject. Thanks
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Post by JKCashin on Oct 24, 2021 12:06:07 GMT -5
You need an "Other" to allow for tracking of stats.... I would have clicked it. Spotify is almost perfect for me based on the UI, usability, and content. It fails on not having lossless.
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Post by JKCashin on Oct 24, 2021 12:11:52 GMT -5
I had Tidal free for 3 months and cancelled it before the free trial ended. Despite spending literally HOURS "training" it to my tastes, it basically ignored me and recommended nothing but Hip-Hop and Rap. I'm not exagerating. I get enough Rap-Hop from my neighbors thanks... Spotify still rules for me when it comes to understanding what I like and making recommendations. Pandora was good at this many years ago but then stopped supporting Canadian accounts so that's when I found Spotify.
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Post by Boomzilla on Oct 24, 2021 13:12:04 GMT -5
Current Music Streaming Subscriptions • TIDAL HiFi (my vote) for long music listening sessions and entertaining. Great user interface, best music quality, good music selection and hit-miss analytics. This service is the reason my new iPhone has 256GB of storage for albums. • Spotify Family for my music discovery, my wife and one account dedicated to a streaming device for visitors. Great user interface, best music selection and superior analytics. This service is also helpful when TIDAL either doesn’t have or drops an artist or song. Like many others, I’m waiting for the promised Spotify HiFi by the end of this year; could be a game changer for me. Past Test Drives • Qobuz - Tried it 3 times. • Deezer - Tried it once for 2 months. • Amazon Music HD - Did a trial earlier this summer for 2 months (of a 3 month free trial). Final Notes • I had a Pandora subscription in the early days of streaming. • I’m still reluctant to try Apple Music given their iTunes history. Wow, thanks, jamco - You may have more experience with these than the rest of us combined. I did try TIDAL once, but it lacked a LOT of the artists I wanted to hear. I later tried Qobuz, and found it better so far as selection. I have a large classical collection on my local library HDD, so I need not rely too much on streaming for classical. I may also wait to see what Spotify has to offer later this year. I don't give a flip about whether the server's heuristics accurately identify my musical tastes or not - I generally am looking for a specific track when I search their library. Thank you for the information! Boomzilla |
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Post by jbrunwa on Oct 24, 2021 13:44:09 GMT -5
We may be outliers but we often listen to streaming services that curate content like SiriusXM ( even though not lossless) like Symphony Hall, DaveMatthews Band, Tom Petty radio, and another streaming service Radio Paradise, Our favorite classical streaming service is Berliin Philharmonic Digital Orchestra, which is complete concerts with video. Curated stations often lead us to listen to content that we haven’t heard in a long time or maybe wouldn’t have otherwise tried. But maybe these would be classified as internet radio by some and not streaming services.
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ttocs
Global Moderator 
I always have a wonderful time, wherever I am, whomever I'm with. (Elwood P Dowd)
Posts: 8,161
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Post by ttocs on Oct 24, 2021 13:57:14 GMT -5
I had Tidal for several years. HiFi first, then for the last 1-1/2 years had the Master subscription. Lots of "skips" in both tiers where the music would miss a chunk of data and skip forward a fraction of a second, no loss of audio, just like editing out a fraction of a second of tape and splicing back together and listen. Some of the hi-res stuff sounded worse.
I tried Apple last year, didn't like it vs Tidal, cancelled. Then, this year when Apple Music started with the Lossless I signed up again. After months of having both Tidal and Apple Music I decided to keep Apple and cancel Tidal. There's less garbage getting in the way of My Stuff, it's better at remembering what I've listened to recently, navigation to/from searching for other stuff is easier, and where Tidal would often cause a gap of sound (no sound for about a second) when backing out of a currently playing tune to select another track, Apple has no problem with navigation at all. It didn't happen all the time with Tidal, but would happen most when using my favorite UI which is TV, and also when I used to use my OPPO.
I also enjoy Pandora for general "radio" type usage.
Tried Amazon Music's top tier when they first started, hated it, then when they advertised higher quality I tried it again, still didn't like it. Don't like the UI, SQ is questionable.
They all are lousy at explaining anything pre-sale. You gotta try it to find out.
I'm happy with Apple Music for the main stuff, and Pandora for letting the music flow unattended.
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Post by davidl81 on Oct 24, 2021 16:01:30 GMT -5
For various reasons I have the following music services right now Spotify Tidal Apple Music Amazon Music HD Spotify gets 75% of my streaming use. This is mostly because it’s algorithms are so good at finding music that I like and it’s “Daily mixes” (up to 4 different types) are always just great. Spotify connect works great for my outdoor setup. Clearly it’s lack of HD music is its downfall. Tidal is used for HD in my main listing room and it also work with my DJ software to allow me to mix and stream directly from Tidal. The UI in Tidal has gotten much better, but I still find that it is not as good as Spotify in recommending songs for me. Apple Music is mostly used because we have 4 HomePods in the house and the integration of the HomePods and Apple Music is great. Also Apple Music also has a decent amount of concert videos when played from and Apple TV. So far the HD part of Apple Music has been disappointing. It works great on my iPad, but their no native support for HD on say my Bluesound Node. You have to use airplay which limits the bit rate. Amazon Music is my least favorite. I had it for HD when they started HD music and I’m just not a fan. I need to just cancel it. I forgot to mention (although very specific) that Apple Music is the only service that will let me stream with only my watch on LTE service to my AirPods. So when I run I can run with just my Apple Watch and AirPods. It is not a big deal to most people, but it’s fantastic for me. |
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Post by jamco on Oct 24, 2021 16:47:49 GMT -5
I’ve never had any issues with streaming music with the exception of buffer bloat. I had to upgrade my router when the old unit struggled with faster Internet speeds. That’s when I moved to all Ubiquiti network and video surveillance gear.
Ever since COVID restrictions, my wife and I work from home. I replaced our light rail, parking, dry cleaning and gasoline cost with XFINITY’s 1.2 Gbps service and came out ahead. We can have independent Microsoft Teams calls with video and stream TIDAL and/or Spotify with no issues.
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cawgijoe
Emo VIPs 
"When you come to a fork in the road, take it." - Yogi Berra
Posts: 5,033
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Post by cawgijoe on Oct 25, 2021 5:40:33 GMT -5
I had Tidal for about a year and liked it. Did not like the price for the amount of time I was using it. Switched to Apple and it was fine for half the price even though it did not have hi rez.
Once Apple went lossless though, I am very happy.
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Post by tropicallutefisk on Oct 25, 2021 6:03:17 GMT -5
Aside from Pandora or iHeart, our first streaming service was Spotify. My wife loves it. She finds it easy to use and the library is perfectly adequate for her. I found the library quite lacking for my tastes and sound quality was lacking as well. Tidal is the service I am using, and aside from the occasional "skips" mentioned by ttocs, its been meeting my expectations. I also agree that the suggested new music is heavily weighted towards rap/hip hop. The one of two genres I never listen to. Aside from those annoyances I'm rather pleased with Tidal. I do also have a Sirius account and enjoy that for the van. It is lossey but I drive 40 minutes each way on my work commute and there are no decent radio stations in the area. Terrestrial radio content is blah and reception is spotty because I work in a somewhat remote area. Sirius also has an app which is nice when I am travel for work. As long as the rental car has Carplay I can listen to my satellite stations.
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Post by Boomzilla on Oct 25, 2021 7:39:57 GMT -5
The comment that TIDAL has "skips" (now mentioned by multiple people) concerns me greatly. If paying 2x the cost for any other service, it shouldn't skip! So, specifically to other TIDAL subscribers, do YOU experience skips too? How often & on what percentage of the content?
Thanks - Boom
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