This article was written by staffers Irene John and Shreya Shanmugam.
Whether we’re singing in the shower or jamming out in our cars, we listen to music in almost every aspect of our life.
Our taste in music is diverse — and so is how we listen to it.
Because music plays such a major role in our daily lives, it’s important to choose a streaming platform that best suits you.
Spotify:
First established in 2006, Spotify is the world’s most popular streaming platform, with over 350 million users. Much of Spotify’s popularity comes from the app’s unique ability to curate personalized playlists and make algorithm-based recommendations for listeners. When you listen to a song, Spotify takes note of the artist and genre and recommends new music with a similar style. Sharing on social media is also much easier as the app allows users to share playlists or songs via direct messages and post them straight on social media. Spotify offers both a free plan with ads and three premium plans. Users can sign up for an individual account for $9.99, a duo account for $12.99 or a family account for $15.99. (Screenshot/Irene John)
Apple Music:
Although Apple Music has only been around since 2015, it has quickly become one of the most famous ways to listen to music. Part of the reason for its popularity is the sound quality. Apple streams music at a much higher quality than all other platforms and is also the only one to offer spatial audio. Spatial audio adjusts the frequencies that each ear hears, making it seem as if the music playing is coming from all directions. Apple Music also has a much more soothing design aesthetic, leaning towards softer colors and simple fonts, a sharp contrast to Spotify’s bright green and black interface. New subscribers receive one month of Apple Music free before paying $10.99 a month. A family plan allows up to six people to listen for $16.99. (Screenshot/Irene John)
Musi:
Looking for a music app that goes beyond the basics? Musi has it all. Musi is currently the sixth most popular app in the Apple App Store for the music category and for good reason. Musi allows users to watch and listen to YouTube videos without being in the app. It’s free to download with an option to pay $5.99 to remove any advertisements. Even if you choose not to pay, your listening experience will continue uninterrupted as Musi advertisements do not disrupt the sound of the video playing. The app also includes unique features such as the ability to loop songs, favorite songs, share songs with friends and make playlists. (Screenshot/Shreya Shanmugam)
Pandora:
Although it is the oldest platform on the list, Pandora has wisened up in its streaming features. Released in 2000, the app offers a free plan as well as a premium and plus plan. The plus side of this service is that customers are able to access a 60 day free trial for the premium plan and a 30 day free trial for the plus plan. Listeners also have the unique ability to go offline while listening to their favorite songs or the platform’s collection of podcasts. To personalize their playlist, listeners can decide to thumbs up or thumbs down songs so that the platform can curate a unique listening experience for each user. (Screenshot/Shreya Shanmugam)
To “rap” it up, try out any of these streaming platforms to find your perfect melody.
