Let's Discuss Music Streaming Services ... Spotify, Google, Apple, Amazon, etc. (Hi Microsoft, you're etc.) (1 Viewer)

[Mister CIA]

And is Pandora still a thing? 

I'm a YouTube Music subscriber ($10/mo), and I'm pretty pleased.  I think I get the same streaming content as everyone else, AND I get ad-free YouTube.  On the flipside, it kind of sucks that I can't share a playlist with anyone who is not a YouTube music subscriber (last I checked).

Is there a compelling reason to switch to (or add) another service?

 

[skol asylum]

I'm pretty pleased.with the Spotify family plan. For 15.99 a month you get 6 accounts and I'm just really used to the interface I guess. I'm not familiar with the latest Youtube music service but I did have Google Music a few years ago. I preferred the Spotify interface and bells and whistles.

 

[zamboni]

Pretty happy with Apple - very easy to quickly add material to the iPhone and it’s rare that something is not in their catalog.

 

[FBG26]

I've tried Pandora, Google/Youtube, Spotify, and currently using Deezer. For pricing, I think the solo plans and family plans (5-6 accounts) are all about the same price for each of the services. I think Spotify has a good deal for two accounts at $12.99 (i think), so that's nice if you have a spouse/SO but don't have kids old enough for an account. 

For me, it came down to which service is compatible with my watch. I like to run without a phone, and different watch companies have deals with different music providers for downloading music to the watch. Garmin watches work with Deezer and Spotify so I'm trying Deezer. The only thing I don't like about Deezer is unrelated to my watch. This is truly a first world problem, but I can't cast from the Deezer app to my Sonos devices using my phone. I have to use the Sonos app (which is terrible) or voice commands to get Deezer music to play on my Sonos. As minor as this is, it will be the reason I switch back to Spotify. 

 

[CletiusMaximus]

We were on Amazon Prime Music, but that kind of sucked for family use.  We have been on a Spotify family plan for about six months.  I like it, but the truth is that when I am on my own - like working on a project in my basement or garage, I still go back to Pandora.  I have a few channels I created over 10 years ago, and find they do the best job at hitting the mood I am looking for and also are best for discovering new stuff that fits the genre.  Spotify's curated playlists are decent, but often veer into pop more than I want. I don't create playlists myself, but my kids like doing that so the Spotify works great for them.

 

[CletiusMaximus]

And is Pandora still a thing? 

I'm a YouTube Music subscriber ($10/mo), and I'm pretty pleased.  I think I get the same streaming content as everyone else, AND I get ad-free YouTube.  On the flipside, it kind of sucks that I can't share a playlist with anyone who is not a YouTube music subscriber (last I checked).

Is there a compelling reason to switch to (or add) another service?

When you're streaming via Youtube music, is it video or audio only?

 

[Binky The Doormat]

I don't create playlists myself, but my kids like doing that so the Spotify works great for them.

Spotify Family Plan here.  And I love creating playlists - I don't get too fancy - mainly create decade playlists.

But it's great because I only have stuff in there that I really like ...even though they get really big.  

 

[ChiefD]

Another vote for spotify. The family plan works great for us.

 

[Sullie]

I know everyone likes to $hit all over Pandora for whatever reason but I just don't see the point of paying for something I just don't use all that often so I just use free Pandora.  So, in my Subaru WRX, there's a Pandora App loaded on the NAVI screen, I fire it up on my phone and I'm off and running.  I, especially, like the loophole my Subie has built in.  If an ad pops up, I change the channel, another song starts playing, if I don't like it, I go back to the previous channel and a new song starts up and you get around the "6 skips limit for the free version" this way.  Same deal with my wife's Honda Pilot, the Pandora App is preloaded already so, I mean hell it's streaming music, I have playlists generated already there so why is it such a piece of crap?   I guess I'm ready for a fight - fight me about it why don't ya?

 

[acarey50]

We were on Amazon Prime Music, but that kind of sucked for family use.  We have been on a Spotify family plan for about six months.  I like it, but the truth is that when I am on my own - like working on a project in my basement or garage, I still go back to Pandora.  I have a few channels I created over 10 years ago, and find they do the best job at hitting the mood I am looking for and also are best for discovering new stuff that fits the genre.  Spotify's curated playlists are decent, but often veer into pop more than I want. I don't create playlists myself, but my kids like doing that so the Spotify works great for them.

Regarding Amazon, did you get the Amazon Unlimited option? That's what I have and I've found it is perfectly fine for family - unlimited streams, so if I am listening to something and each of my kids is, we can all listen simultaneously on different devices to different things. And any playlists any of us create is available to each other. Works for us. I upgraded after running into trying to stream some music at the gym about a year plus ago and couldn't without kicking my kid off of listening to what he was. Relatively inexpensive.

But I really think that they are all essentially the same at this point.

 

[Hov34]

Spotify family plan here and like the interface of Spotify compared to others.

One thing that does suck about Spotify is the shuffle feature.  On my larger playlists I sometimes here the same songs over and over while never hearing some of the other songs on the list.

 

[El Floppo]

Spotify's curated playlists are decent, but often veer into pop more than I want. I don't create playlists myself

Creating the playlists helps spotify fine tune it's algorithms to your tastes....I think. It amazes me how well it feeds me new/old stuff I don't know and genuinely like- even as a crotchety old music snob. Except when my daughter jumps on my account and gums up the works with pop crap.

 

[Ilov80s]

Love Spotify. They are also good about reading my mind. A couple years ago I felt like my playlist directory was too long and a PITA to scroll. I wished for folders to help organize and they did it.  Recently doing the generapalooza draft here I lamented that I couldn't sort my liked songs by genre. Boom, they added that filter feature. 

 

[Ron Swanson]

I have Amazon. Works just fine for me and seamlessly with all my Echo devices.  No kids and my wife doesn't really use it.

 

[Mister CIA]

When you're streaming via Youtube music, is it video or audio only?

It can be both.  I have youtube clips added to playlists right alongside regular audio files.

 

[El Floppo]

It can be both.  I have youtube clips added to playlists right alongside regular audio files.

I'm a big spotify fan because of the algorithms, but youtube sounds interesting. I assume/guess they have stuff like live recordings that aren't official audio releases that the other music services don't have?

 

[DJackson10]

And is Pandora still a thing? 

I'm a YouTube Music subscriber ($10/mo), and I'm pretty pleased.  I think I get the same streaming content as everyone else, AND I get ad-free YouTube.  On the flipside, it kind of sucks that I can't share a playlist with anyone who is not a YouTube music subscriber (last I checked).

Is there a compelling reason to switch to (or add) another service?

I got Spotify and Amazon Music. Very pleased with both. I switched from Spotify to Amazon Music when Spotify was only allowing you to like 2K in songs but they changed that in the last 2 yrs. Very happy with both. Spotify has most of the pods I listen too. Amazon is my go to music but sometimes doesn't have albums or songs I wants to listen too. Spotify also has I think better playlists.