Music streaming revisited for 2016

#1
Freak

Freak

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#1
So which service are you using these days?

I like Google Music quite a bit. I got the initial price of $7.99 and it now also comes with a YouTube red subscription. The music selection is good, they have a lot of playlists and it auto syncs my iTunes library from my Mac. With my kids, I need a family plan and they offer up to six users for $15. A great deal. And I watch a lot of YouTube so Red is a real benefit.

I'm just finishing a free three month trial of Apple Music. I don't particularly find the app all that user friendly. They claim to have the biggest music library and they have some good artist suggestions, but the playlists are really lacking -- unless I'm overlooking them. Also $15 for family.

Spotify. I love Spotify. I like mood and activity playlists, and from my experience theirs blow everything else out of the water. They don't currently have a family plan that's compatible with the others in price, however. That's the only downside for me right now, but it's one that might keep me away.

I'm curious to hear everyone else's recent experiences, and which is your favorite and why.
 
#5
#5
Freak said:
So which service are you using these days?

I like Google Music quite a bit. I got the initial price of $7.99 and it now also comes with a YouTube red subscription. The music selection is good, they have a lot of playlists and it auto syncs my iTunes library from my Mac. With my kids, I need a family plan and they offer up to six users for $15. A great deal. And I watch a lot of YouTube so Red is a real benefit.

I'm just finishing a free three month trial of Apple Music. I don't particularly find the app all that user friendly. They claim to have the biggest music library and they have some good artist suggestions, but the playlists are really lacking -- unless I'm overlooking them. Also $15 for family.

Spotify. I love Spotify. I like mood and activity playlists, and from my experience theirs blow everything else out of the water. They don't currently have a family plan that's compatible with the others in price, however. That's the only downside for me right now, but it's one that might keep me away.

I'm curious to hear everyone else's recent experiences, and which is your favorite and why.
Click to expand...

If you haven't checked the Spotify family plan for a while then check again. They just e-mailed a family plan offer to me today and I don't recall ever receiving one before.
 
#8
#8
My Pandora stations have gotten so dialed in on what I like that I've never been able to leave. Spotify is a great set up, but I always go back to Pandora.
 
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#12
#12
Went with the free 3 month trial of Apple Music, but wasn't that impressed. Went back to Rhapsody and pretty happy with it.
 
#13
#13
Just started a fee trail of Spotify. It's become my new favorite. You can save songs to be played while you're offline so you can save your data. I'm not sure if there's a limit. So far I'm over 800 and still adding to it. Plus you can skip, pick any song and no ads.
 
#14
#14
volfan_89 said:
Just started a fee trail of Spotify. It's become my new favorite. You can save songs to be played while you're offline so you can save your data. I'm not sure if there's a limit. So far I'm over 800 and still adding to it. Plus you can skip, pick any song and no ads.
Click to expand...

No limit.
 
#15
#15
I still use iTunes Match and just stream my personal library to all devices. The $25/year + buying 2-3 albums a year (generally on sale) is still cheaper than paying for Spotify or similar service in the long run.

I use Pandora a little but not much. Mostly to turn on kids music or Christmas music. It just seems like the same songs, or alternate versions of the same songs, get played too over and over.

Occasionally I use iTunes Radio too. Probably 50/50 with Pandora. Since I'm a match subscriber I don't get commercials there.
 
#16
#16
Spotify premium. I use it 95% of the time I listen to music. Great interface with my home audio (Denon Heos).
 
#17
#17
Primarily Spotify, occasionally Amazon Music as it comes with my Prime subscription. Pandora when I want to listen to a specific genre. Really haven't dabbled much with Google Music, but I need to give it a shot sometime.
 
#18
#18
Freak said:
So which service are you using these days?

I like Google Music quite a bit. I got the initial price of $7.99 and it now also comes with a YouTube red subscription. The music selection is good, they have a lot of playlists and it auto syncs my iTunes library from my Mac. With my kids, I need a family plan and they offer up to six users for $15. A great deal. And I watch a lot of YouTube so Red is a real benefit.

I'm just finishing a free three month trial of Apple Music. I don't particularly find the app all that user friendly. They claim to have the biggest music library and they have some good artist suggestions, but the playlists are really lacking -- unless I'm overlooking them. Also $15 for family.

Spotify. I love Spotify. I like mood and activity playlists, and from my experience theirs blow everything else out of the water. They don't currently have a family plan that's compatible with the others in price, however. That's the only downside for me right now, but it's one that might keep me away.

I'm curious to hear everyone else's recent experiences, and which is your favorite and why.
Click to expand...

Pandora with commercials because it's free.
 
#20
#20
What services are you guys using these days? I typically just use YouTube or Pandora, but I don’t get great reception where I live now. I want something I can use offline.
 
#21
#21
GeneralsHuntBears said:
What services are you guys using these days? I typically just use YouTube or Pandora, but I don’t get great reception where I live now. I want something I can use offline.
Click to expand...
Spotify 90%+ of the time. With a Premium subscription, you can download playlists/albums to your phone/CPU/watch. You just can't listen to Tool. (Yet).
 
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#24
#24
After years of not messing with it I caved on a Spotify sub. Mostly so my kids could play music on the Echo. Comes with Hulu so figured it’s worth it.

Still have iTunes Match too.
 
#25
#25
Apple is discontinuing itunes. Guess my 160g ipod i listen to in my car will be the final one playing music soon.
 
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