Best music streaming services: Apple Music, Spotify, YouTube Premium and more compared

Finding the right music streaming service can transform how you enjoy your favourite songs.

While there are plenty of great free options available, a paid subscription often delivers a more seamless and satisfying experience in the long run. Many users eventually upgrade to avoid the interruptions of ads and to unlock enhanced features that free tiers typically restrict.

This guide breaks down both free and premium services, highlighting essential features such as music libraries, search functionality and overall user experience, helping you choose the best platform for your listening habits.

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What annoys people about free music services?

Free services are great for those making their music streaming service debut, but adverts and locked features often prompt many to consider upgrading to paid-for versions.

Free versions also tend to have lower audio quality (measured in kilobits per second or kbps), meaning the sound may not be as rich as with paid plans. Additionally, some free services impose restrictions, such as limits on how many times you can skip tracks.

You can also expect a less seamless experience, as both desktop and mobile versions frequently display banners or pop-ups promoting the benefits of a paid subscription. Another common drawback is the lack of downloadable content and offline listening, although some services might allow free podcast downloads.

Free music streaming services

Many music streaming services offer a free version to reel you in. You'll have access to extensive libraries, but will be interrupted by adverts.

Before choosing, think about what's important to you. For example, do you want an extensive catalogue of music to choose from or access to exclusive content? Do you care whether or not your number of skips is limited, or whether you can also watch music videos? 

Below, we've summarised what you get with the free versions of popular music streaming services, including Deezer, Spotify, YouTube Music and more.

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Spotify Free

Good for: If you occasionally listen to background music and don't mind ads.

Spotify Free is a popular service with more than 100m songs. But it's not all about the music, its library of podcasts is huge and they can be downloaded free of charge. 

The free version looks the same as Spotify Premium, although there are some stark differences. There are limits on the number of times you can skip tracks (only six per hour), playlists are shuffled and you won't have complete control over your playlists.

Spotify Free pros:

• Huge catalogue of songs and podcasts
• Personalised mixes
• Offers free downloads

Spotify Free cons:

• Includes adverts
• Limits on how many times songs can be skipped
• Playlists are shuffled
• Can't listen to music offline
• Audio quality is 128kbps on desktop and 160kbps on mobile (for Premium, it's 256kbps and 320kbps, respectively)

YouTube Music

Good for: If you enjoy a large selection of music and don't need to use your phone or tablet for anything else while listening.

You can stream unlimited tunes with YouTube Music and it has an enormous catalogue of more than 100m songs. Unlike Spotify, skips are unlimited, so you'll have more control over your precious playlists. 

However, one drawback is that the app needs to be open while using it, which can be frustrating. And as with most free music services, you'll also have adverts interrupting your streaming.

YouTube Music pros:

• Good range of music
• Unlimited skips
• Easy to watch music videos

YouTube Music cons:

• You're unable to continue listening to music when you leave the app
• Audio quality is 128kbps, whereas it's 256kbps for YouTube Music Premium.

A comfortable fit, great-sounding audio and useful features make a pair of the best headphones

Deezer Free

Good for: If you mainly use your desktop or laptop to stream.

With Deezer Free you can’t stream music offline, but you still have access to a vast library of more than 120m tracks, along with thousands of free podcasts and radio channels.

The free tier also includes a range of personalised mixes tailored to your listening habits, such as genre-based recommendations and the popular Flow feature, which helps you discover new music effortlessly.

However, there are some limitations: you can’t choose individual tracks and playback is restricted to shuffle mode. On mobile, you’re limited to six skips per hour, while on a computer, you can skip tracks without restriction.

Deezer Free pros

• Large music library
• Free podcasts and radio channels
• Greater skip flexibility on desktop or web player

Deezer Free cons

• No offline listening
• Shuffle-only playback
• Audio quality is 128kbps, whereas it's 320kbps for Deezer

Amazon Music Free

Good for: If you don't mind a more limited catalogue and want to integrate Alexa.

Amazon Music Free offers free access to top playlists and thousands of stations, with ads. On the Amazon Music apps for Android and iOS, you can listen to select songs from curated playlists on demand, and you can find playlists on the Amazon Music app in the Listen On Demand widget.

It has a limited catalogue compared with Amazon Music Unlimited (the version that you pay for). If you already buy music from Amazon, your songs will be stored within Amazon Music Free and you can download them to your device. 

You don't need an Amazon Prime membership to access this service, so if you do have a subscription, use Amazon Music Prime instead for its personalised streaming stations. 

Amazon Music Free pros

• Free to use with an Amazon account (Prime membership not required)
• Hands-free voice control with Alexa on supported devices

Amazon Music Free cons

• Shuffle-only playback
• Streaming is limited to one device at a time
• No access to full library, offline downloads, unlimited skips, or HD audio

SoundCloud Free

Good for: Exclusive and original content.

SoundCloud Free is a no-cost tier that offers listeners access to an extensive catalogue – more than 400m tracks uploaded by more than 40 million creators, according to SoundCloud, along with millions of podcasts and episodes. The platform is designed for discovering up-and-coming artists rather than accessing mainstream music.

Free users can create playlists, 'like' or repost tracks, and engage in social features such as commenting directly on the waveform at specific timepoints. The platform allows uploads up to three hours of audio per account and supports a wide range of formats.

Playback on the free tier is ad-supported and doesn't include offline listening. Users also benefit from unlimited skips and on-demand playback, where available, although some major-label content may be restricted to paid tiers.

SoundCloud Free pros

• Massive catalogue of emerging artists not found on mainstream platforms
• User-generated content, such as remixes and exclusive releases
• Customisable playlists and libraries

SoundCloud Free cons

• Audio and banner ads
• Varying audio quality levels, as many tracks are user-uploaded
• Limited mainstream music
• No free offline mode

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Music streaming subscription services

Investing in a paid music streaming subscription can significantly elevate your listening experience beyond what free tiers offer.

Unlike the interruptions and limitations common on no-cost plans, paid-for services eliminate ads, unlock on-demand playback and provide offline listening, so you can enjoy full control over your music anytime, anywhere.

They also typically offer higher-quality audio, broader access to exclusive tracks and new releases, and more robust features such as lyrics display, customisable mixes and multi-device syncing.

Below, we've summarised what each paid-for service offers and how much you can expect to pay.

Spotify Premium

• 100m+ music tracks
• 7m+ podcasts
• 250,000+ audiobooks

Good for: If you're looking for a popular, all-rounder streaming service with a large catalogue of music and podcasts.

Spotify is among the biggest names in the streaming world, with more than 265 million Premium subscribers as of the first quarter of 2025. It has four different Premium subscription types, meaning you can save money if you’re a couple, family or a student.

The platform supports both audio and video formats, offering a diverse range of content across various genres. Spotify's podcast library is accessible to all users, with features such as personalised recommendations, curated playlists, and the ability to follow and download episodes for offline listening.

There is also a Jam function, where you and other Spotify users can make music queues together from your respective devices.

After price increases in April 2024, Spotify introduced a new cheaper Basic plan for Individual, Duo and Family plans. It's the same as regular Premium options, except that it doesn't include audiobooks.

You can find out more, plus other ways to make your monthly bill cheaper, by heading to our guide on how to save up to £24 per year on Spotify.

How much is Spotify Premium?

Tidal

• 110m+ music tracks
• 650,000+ music videos

Good for: If you want curated content and broad device compatibility.

Tidal was launched in Norway in 2014 and is now majority-owned by Block-Inc. It doesn't offer a permanent free tier, but you can get a 30-day free trial. 

You'll be able to access hi-res audio, ad-free listening, offline downloads, unlimited skips, personalised playlists and Tidal Connect compatibility for streaming to external devices. Tidal also has an interesting feature where, if you switch, it will transfer your existing library and playlists over for you, so you don't have to start from scratch rebuilding them.

It’s worth noting that prices may be higher if you subscribe via app stores due to additional platform fees, so Tidal recommends subscribing directly through its website for the standard rates.

How much is Tidal?

Amazon Music Unlimited and Amazon Music Prime

• 100m+ music tracks
• 70,000+ podcasts

Good for: If you have an existing Amazon Prime membership.

Amazon has a few different music subscription services available, including Amazon Music Unlimited and Amazon Music Prime. Both are paid-for services, but have some distinct differences.

Amazon Music Prime is included at no extra cost with an Amazon Prime membership (which currently costs £8.99 per month or £95 per year). There is also a discounted Prime rate of £4.49 per month (or £47.49/year) for students and 18 to 22-year-olds after a six-month free trial.

With Music Prime, content is ad-free, but playback is generally shuffle-only – full on-demand access is only available through All‑Access Playlists, which you can download and listen to on demand. Skip limits apply outside of playlists, and there's no support for HD, Ultra HD, Spatial Audio or full offline control beyond those specific playlists.

Amazon Music Unlimited is a full-featured, on‑demand streaming service. It costs £10.99 per month for Amazon Prime members and £11.99 per month for non‑Prime members in the UK.

Like Music Prime, you'll have access to more than 100m tracks on-demand, although you'll also have additional features like unlimited skips and offline listening. It also includes a 30‑day free trial for new subscribers.

You can listen to both of these services on a smartphone, laptop or via Amazon devices, such as Fire TV and Amazon Echo.

How much is Amazon Music Unlimited?

Deezer Premium 

• 120m+ music tracks
• 32,000+ radio channels

Good for: If you want to access an enormous catalogue and like getting music recommendations as you listen.

Founded in France in 2007, Deezer allows users to listen to content from record labels such as Sony Music, Universal Music Group and Warner Music Group. 

It provides users in more than 180 countries access to music, podcasts, radios and other audio content catalogues. Notable features include Flow, a personalised recommendation stream; SongCatcher, a music recognition tool and Lyrics mode, which displays synchronised lyrics for many tracks.

Deezer supports a wide variety of platforms, including mobile apps, web, smart TVs, voice assistants, car systems and gaming consoles, and typically offers a one-month free trial of its Premium service to new users in most regions.

How much is Deezer?

Apple Music

• 100m+ music tracks

Good for: If you're listening to music mainly on Apple devices.

Apple Music is already installed on iPhones, iPads, Apple Watches, Apple TVs, Macs and HomePod minis, and you can use Siri to listen to Apple Music's catalogue. You can also use Apple Music on Android devices or listen to the service on your desktop through iTunes.

It's primarily a music streaming service and does not include podcasts as part of its subscription. However, Apple Podcasts, a separate app developed by Apple, provides access to a vast array of podcasts, of which there are now more than 2.6 million available.

The newest Apple Music plan is called Voice. It's cheaper than all other subscriptions, but only allows you to play music using Siri commands, can't download music for offline listening, and can only use it with other Apple devices.

How much is Apple Music?

Looking for Apple headphones to go with your Apple Music subscription? See our Apple headphones reviews

SoundCloud Go and SoundCloud Go+

• 135m+ music tracks (SoundCloud Go)
• 200m+ music tracks (SoundCloud Go+)

Good for: If you want to listen to up-and-coming independent artists.

SoundCloud was founded in Stockholm in 2007 and it has two premium tiers. SoundCloud Go has a smaller – but still impressive – catalogue, although you'll have to subscribe to Go+ for full access to all the tracks available on SoundCloud.

The Go plan allows users to save music offline and listen without interruptions, but limits access to certain premium tracks and higher-quality audio options available only in the Go+ tier. 

The premium Go+ tier allows users to access more mainstream tracks as well as music from independent artists. Go+ users also get features such as offline playlists and early access to new releases. 

How much is SoundCloud Go and Go+?

YouTube Premium

• 100m+ music tracks

Good for: If you want offline and background access to the entire YouTube video platform, combined with a music streaming service that integrates closely with your YouTube experience.

YouTube Premium provides ad-free access to all YouTube videos, offline downloads and background play across all devices. Subscribers can watch videos without interruptions and download content for offline viewing.

The service includes access to YouTube Music Premium, which offers a large music streaming library and thousands of playlists and stations. YouTube Music Premium also supports offline listening and ad-free playback.

YouTube doesn't have a dedicated podcast platform, but many podcasts and audio shows are available on the main YouTube platform as video or audio-only uploads. This means users can access a wide variety of podcasts, although there isn’t a specific podcast catalogue or app within YouTube Premium.

How much is YouTube Premium?

How to choose a music streaming service

With so many music streaming services available, it can be difficult to decide on which one to try. Below are some of our tips to help you choose.

Find the right music streaming plan for you

Most music streaming services have a few different subscription packages that you can sign up for, including a free version. If there are a few of you listening, then a family subscription will offer better value than individual accounts.

If you’re a student, then check whether the service offers you a discount.

Look for deals

Some services include music streaming as an added bonus, so when you take out a new mobile phone, broadband or TV contract, you'll get it for free.

Some will also offer you a month of premium for free or at a discount.

Browse the best broadband deals and mobile phone deals with our dedicated guides, or use our handy tool below to compare broadband deals.

Check which artists and genres are available

Some music streaming services have exclusive relationships with particular artists, so it’s worth checking that your favourite singer or band is available before signing up.

If you like a particular genre of music, then it’s good to check what the choice is like – you can do this by signing up for a free trial.

Streaming vs downloading

Streaming lets you listen to your favourite tracks instantly, online. But if you’re not connected to wi-fi – for example, in the car or on the train when you're commuting – then it can eat into your data allowance on your mobile contract.

Streaming service subscriptions that let you download songs, albums, or podcasts mean that you can listen to your content offline, so you save on your data and can listen even if you have no signal. It’s a useful feature if you're flying and need to have your phone on airplane mode, too. 

It’s a good idea to download content while connected to wi-fi and to keep track of your mobile data when you're out and about.

Creating playlists

With such an array of songs available on all music streaming services, your main library can get cluttered easily. Use playlists to arrange your music, so you can easily choose songs depending on the situation and your mood.

Pick the right device

Some Bluetooth speakers come with a music streaming app installed, although you’ll still need to pay for a subscription. Others can support certain streaming services, but not all. 

See our best wireless and Bluetooth speakers to find out which devices will support your chosen streaming service.

For a better listening experience, use our headphone reviews to find the best pair for your budget