Spotify announced a price increase for its Premium Individual plan from RM14.90 to RM15.90 per month, and the Family plan will rise from RM23.80 to RM24.90 starting September.
Spotify is a music streaming service that revolutionised the music industry during its launch, offering unlimited access to its massive music and podcast library through its app for a monthly fee. However, with most Spotify subscribers on the wane due to the recent price hike announcement, some users are considering downgrading to Spotify’s Student plan, while some are ready to jump ship entirely.
While Spotify might be the best known music streaming app, but it’s not the only option. If you’re one of the many Spotify subscribers wondering about the other best music streaming service alternatives, this face-off is definitely for you.
Spotify vs. Apple Music
Both Apple Music and Spotify feature massive music libraries, each claiming that they boost more than 100 million songs on their platforms. FYI, Spotify includes around 2.6 million podcast titles, whereas there’s an entirely separate Apple Podcast service, clearly indicating that Apple Music has more pure music tracks in total.
Comparably, Apple Music also offers Lossless and Dolby Atmos support at a similar price point, enhancing the audio quality and providing a more immersive listening experience.
Plus point: For all you classical music enthusiasts, Apple Music also provides Apple Music Classical at the same price, a feature that is not readily available on Spotify.
Music library : Spotify 100 million vs. Apple Music 100 million
Free trial : Spotify 30 days vs. Apple Music 3 months
Winner: Apple Music
Spotify vs. YouTube Music
YouTube Music is an audio streaming service, an extension of the ever popular YouTube video platform. On the surface, it has a similar library and pricing to Spotify, and the audio quality is comparable for both services.
Though some might argue that the Spotify wins on podcasts and music library, YouTube Music, however, has a cheaper family plan, and is a better free option without any restrictions Spotify imposes. If you’re subscribed to Music Premium, you’ll get to play the music in the background, allowing you to multitask while listening to your favourite tracks. You get to download music for offline listening, which is very convenient when there’s no internet connection available.
Plus point: If you’re into listening to music covers that are not readily available on other music streaming services, YouTube Music is definitely the platform for you!
Music library : Spotify 100 million vs. YouTube Music 100 million
Free trial : Spotify 30 days vs. YouTube Music 30 days
Winner: YouTube Music
Spotify vs. Amazon Music
Amazon Music is one of the leading services worth considering. It boosts around 75 million songs, along with its own set of features comparable to Spotify. Both Amazon Music and Spotify have apps for iPhone and Android devices, as well as other popular media players.
It’s also worth noting that both apps can be used for free and offer 30-day trials for new members. The noticeable difference is, Amazon Music offers higher fidelity tracks at no extra charge, providing lossless listening experience that comes closer to the original recording quality.
Plus point: If you’re already an Amazon Prime subscriber, you’ll get to access an ad-free Amazon Music Prime as part of your subscription.
Music library : Spotify 100 million vs. Amazon Music 90 million
Free trial : Spotify 30 days vs. Amazon Music 30 days
Winner: It's a tie!
Spotify vs. Tidal
Tidal introduced its free subscription option in 2021, unsurprisingly called Tidal Free, which offers its entire music catalogue with limited interruptions. In terms of subscriptions, there are two packages that differentiate the options: HiFi and HiFi Plus. Both are available as single or family subscriptions, and they also offer student discounts.
However, here's the differences between Tidal and Spotify. Tidal streams at a CD-quality 1411kbps on its HiFi tier, and its top-tier, HiFi Plus, runs on Sony 360 Reality Audio and Dolby Atmos spatial audio. On the other hand, Spotify streams at three less generous compression rates: 96kbps, 160kbps and 320kbps.
Music library : Spotify 100 million vs. Tidal 100 million
Free trial : Spotify 30 days vs. Tidal 30 days
Winner: Tidal
Spotify vs. SoundCloud
Spotify is preferred for its large database of mainstream music, while on the other hand, Soundcloud focuses more on independent music. As of writing, Soundcloud has a more comprehensive catalogue with over 150 million songs, but the songs are mainly from independent musicians.
Soundcloud’s premium services, Soundcloud GO and GO+ cost roughly RM23/month and RM45.50/month respectively, and also offer a free plan to listen to the music and upload records for a given duration.
Plus point: Soundcloud offers a platform where anyone can upload and share their music, as well as interact with their fan base.
Music library : Spotify 100 million vs. SoundCloud 150 million
Free trial : Spotify 30 days vs. SoundCloud 30 days
Winner: SoundCloud
Final notes
For some people, especially music lovers, discovering the perfect music streaming service capable of masterfully curating the soundtrack of your life is indeed a musical bliss. Imagine having to shuffle through the app while finding songs that suit your mood while driving. What a hassle, right?
Likewise, the struggle to find the right device is a shared experience! Thanks to various marketplaces, finding appropriate devices that support all the apps is no longer a stressful matter. At CompAsia Malaysia, you can get awesome second-hand tech that supports them without having to spend a fortune. Find out what deals are running and get the tech by browsing our e-store today!