In February 2022, Spotify faced criticism as various artists left the platform in protest against its association with podcaster Joe Rogan, prompting some subscribers to follow suit. Recently, additional concerns have arisen regarding Spotify’s CEO, Daniel Ek, investing in a company that specializes in AI technology for military drones. Moreover, Spotify’s default setting of public playlists led to the creation of “Panama Playlists,” which claims to expose the curated playlists of notable individuals.
Despite these controversies, Spotify remains a dominant music streaming service, offering numerous alternative platforms for music discovery. Consumers looking to explore different services have several options.
Spotify itself offers a variety of subscription plans, starting with the Individual Plan at $11.99/month, including ad-free listening and offline access. Family and Duo plans are available, priced at $19.99 and $16.99, respectively, with additional features for managing explicit content. A budget-friendly option is the Student Plan at $5.99/month.
Amazon Music, another significant player, provides tiered services including Amazon Music Free, which offers limited access with ads, and Amazon Music Unlimited, which offers superior audio quality and ad-free listening for $11.99/month.
Apple Music caters to Apple ecosystem users, boasting high-quality audio and no free tier. Its Individual Plan costs $10.99/month, with the Family Plan priced at $16.99.
Other notable services include Bandcamp, which allows users to support independent artists directly; Deezer, which has a Free and various paid tiers; Pandora, offering customizable radio and podcast options; Tidal, focused on high-fidelity streaming; and Qobuz, which emphasizes high-quality audio without a free tier.
As the music streaming landscape evolves, consumers are increasingly weighing their options amidst ongoing controversies and potential alternatives.
Source: https://www.theverge.com/22910685/music-listening-service-spotify-apple-youtube-amazon