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Streaming music has completely changed the way we access and listen to music. Spotify, the no.1 music streaming site, king of the streaming market, is used by 217 million people worldwide. However, is this reign about to get cut short with competitor Apple Music becoming more and more popular? As part of some primary research on Sounds Like Streaming’s Instagram page, I found that 65% of people use a music streaming service; 62% of people said that Spotify was their personal site of choice. I also discovered that 70% of people who use a music streaming site pay for the service they use. In the race to the most paid subscribers, Spotify has already come in first place with 100 million paid subscribers, in comparison to Apple Music with 50 million paid subscribers. So which music streaming service really is the best of the best? Well there are certain factors to consider:
Price & Quality:
The price and quality of a service is always important to the user. Both Spotify and Apple Music offer their users a free 3-month trial for their premium services with a variety of plans to choose from post trial period. Students like myself can use both apps and access an unlimited number of songs/playlists for a small fee of £4.99 per month. Apple Music does not provide a free, ad-supported plan unlike Spotify and only allows users to listen to songs from their iTunes library for free. When questioning the stream quality of the music, the use of any music streaming site is questionable as the quality does not compare to that found on a CD or vinyl format. If you are concerned about the overall sound quality of your music, streaming music may not be the right option for you as it is more about easy accessibility at a cheap price.
Song Selection/Variety:
Both streaming services offer a library of over 50 million songs, catering for everyone from your Grandad to your best mate. However, Apple Music offers a unique feature which allows users to access their own personal library through the iCloud Music Library and matches the music on their library with similar songs on the iTunes catalog. This personalised feature is not provided by Spotify but the service does create a recommended for you playlist of songs based on your listening habits every week.
The advantages and disadvantages of using music streaming services
When investigating the champion of streaming sites, the positives and negatives of using these sites in general are important to acknowledge.
5 advantages of music streaming sites:
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Easily accessible
Anyone no matter what age can access music on the go, whether that be on the train on the way to work, on holiday at the beach or even on an airplane thousands of feet up in the air. All you need to create an account with a streaming service is a mobile device/laptop/tablet, whereas with CDs and vinyl you need a CD or record player which are not as popular today. Subscribers are able to store up to 3,000 tracks as offline playlists on their device, therefore you really can listen to music whenever and wherever!
2. Large variety of music
Streaming sites have any genre for any kind of mood as well as the latest music and not to forget the old bangers we all know and love. Whether you feel like jamming in your room to the charts or going for a run to a specially made fitness playlist, streaming services have everything to suit any preference.
3. Value for money
Most services are free of charge to use with a small added fee for the use of premium services.
4. Always up to date
Current charts and new releases are updated every week to keep you in the loop.
5. Share music with friends/family
Music streaming sites are a great way to share your playlists with the people you love, create playlists for special memorable events or even create a playlist for a special someone!
5 disadvantages of music streaming sites:
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If users have a free account with a streaming site they tend to experience lots of ads between streaming songs which can be frustrating, especially if the site is being used for a party or an event. No one wants to hear an ad in between their dance moves!
2. Ownership/usage rights
Listeners do not own the music they are listening to whereas the purchase of a CD/vinyl comes with ownership of the music.
3. Impact on musical artists
The option of a free account allows users to not pay for music which means that artists miss out on potential profits. The recent music industry revenue boom is all thanks to streaming, however the artists who provide the music do not see much of this at all. Spotify benefits the consumer rather than the artists who produce the content.
4. Poor quality of music
The quality of music provided by streaming sites can not be compared to that of a traditional vinyl, however is this factor that significant considering the small fee and amazing accessibility on offer?
5. Internet access is essential
In order to use a music streaming site an internet access is required to listen to and download songs, which cannot be accessed by everyone. Public wifi can usually be used free of charge, however personal wifi packages can be expensive and costly for some people which therefore limits their freedom with streaming experimentation.
So… who is the champion of the music streaming world?
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Overall, there is only one clear winner in the fight for King of the music streaming world and that has to be… Spotify! Although Apple Music is a strong contender, Spotify has paved the way for a new generation to listen to and enjoy music.
Come back next week to hear all about the effects of music streaming sites on musical artists.