Streaming services - what are YOU using?

KingstonJ

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Oct 23, 2019
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I am sure there are more than I can remember to list here, but some of the leaders are:
Sirius XM ($10.00)
Amazon Music ($9.99)
Apple Music ($9.99)
Google Play Music ($9.99)
Spotify ($9.99)
Tidal ($9.99)
LiveXLive (Slacker) ($9.99)
Pandora ($4.99)
iHeartRadio ($4.99) - this is live radio as well as streamed content

I am using Pandora right now, because I am not sure that the others offer enough to pay double the price every month. It adds up over a year, and I am pretty happy with Pandora while I'm writing or whatever.

What do you use, and why?
 
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scene

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Deezer and Tidal also offer family plan subscriptions

Thanks for that - and I did just have a look to see what the offers were...
Tidal:
£9.99pm, £19.99pm for CD quality service
- family offer (in UK) is half-price for extra users up to 4 max, i.e. £4.99pm / £9.99pm
- so for my family of 5 that would be nigh £30pm for equivalent to my existing Spotfy Family, or £60pm for CD quality.
- I could get a bit annoyed here, as in the US the prices are $9.99/$19.99pm for the single user, but $14.99/$29.99pm for up to SIX users.
- Can't see me swapping to Tidal at that price differential (unless I moved to the US...)

Deezer:
Basically it's the same costs as Spotify in the UK for the standard quality service
- £9.99pm/£14.99pm for Premium single user/family
- And they do Deezer HiFi (lossless) at £19.99pm
- But no option to combine HiFi+Family...

What I'd really like is:
Family account for use on all our devices (read "phones") + a lossless feed for the SONOS...
 

inias

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Oct 28, 2019
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Thanks for that - and I did just have a look to see what the offers were...
Tidal:
£9.99pm, £19.99pm for CD quality service
- family offer (in UK) is half-price for extra users up to 4 max, i.e. £4.99pm / £9.99pm
- so for my family of 5 that would be nigh £30pm for equivalent to my existing Spotfy Family, or £60pm for CD quality.
- I could get a bit annoyed here, as in the US the prices are $9.99/$19.99pm for the single user, but $14.99/$29.99pm for up to SIX users.
- Can't see me swapping to Tidal at that price differential (unless I moved to the US...)

Deezer:
Basically it's the same costs as Spotify in the UK for the standard quality service
- £9.99pm/£14.99pm for Premium single user/family
- And they do Deezer HiFi (lossless) at £19.99pm
- But no option to combine HiFi+Family...

What I'd really like is:
Family account for use on all our devices (read "phones") + a lossless feed for the SONOS...
I have the Tidal UK hifi family plan : £29.99 pm and you can add upto 5 family members.
 

Alaneg

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I currently use Tidal HiFi simply because of the CD quality. I have a Naim NAC N272 preamp/streamer that supports Tidal and Spotify, but as Spotify does not yet have CD quality I chose Tidal. I also use it on a Pixel 3 Android phone with the USB Audio app and a Dragonfly Red so that I can take advantage of the MQA option on Tidal. Also like the option to download at CD quality on Tidal. Would reconsider Spotify if they ever have a CD quality option.
 
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Tonestar1

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Spotify premium is my choice, been a subscriber since pretty much day dot. Not tried any of the others but don't feel I really need to as I'm happy with it. The fact I get it for free now as part of my phone contract ,means I'm even less likely to change for at least another year.
 

Fred_Barker

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Feb 17, 2013
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33 Spotify Tips Tricks and Features

Here is number 34
I can't remember the last time, (if ever) that I played an album or CD all the way through. My 1970's audio system included a cassette tape where I made 'mix-taps' to listen to on my Sony Walkman on the bus to and from the office.

As soon as digital music 'smart' playlists became available, I was able to curate playlist version of mix tapes. I always liked the concept of getting a service like Spotify to look after my music. (320kbs is fine when you're old or you have hearing loss from too many music venues!), but was was a real pain to easily create playlists, just seemed too much hassle to click on 1 track and ADD to meaningful named playlists.
I recently discovered http://smarterplaylists.playlistmachinery.com whereby you can use all sorts of built in options to enable up 1000 tracks at a time to be sorted, mixed, filtered, shuffled, and save to an existing or new name playlist. To avoid repeats, you can include recently played tracks to be skipped.
 
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scene

Well-known member
Here is number 34
I can't remember the last time, (if ever) that I played an album or CD all the way through. My 1970's audio system included a cassette tape where I made 'mix-taps' to listen to on my Sony Walkman on the bus to and from the office.

As soon as digital music 'smart' playlists became available, I was able to curate playlist version of mix tapes. I always liked the concept of getting a service like Spotify to look after my music. (320kbs is fine when you're old or you have hearing loss from too many music venues!), but was was a real pain to easily create playlists, just seemed too much hassle to click on 1 track and ADD to meaningful named playlists.
I recently discovered http://smarterplaylists.playlistmachinery.com whereby you can use all sorts of built in options to enable up 1000 tracks at a time to be sorted, mixed, filtered, shuffled, and save to an existing or new name playlist. To avoid repeats, you can include recently played tracks to be skipped.

I know what you mean about hearing and concerts!

But the playlist creator is really interesting and I think I may have to look into that.

It would be great if SONOS allowed you to export playlists easily...
 
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Fred_Barker

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I know what you mean about hearing and concerts!

But the playlist creator is really interesting and I think I may have to look into that.

It would be great if SONOS allowed you to export playlists easily...

On the same theme as the Spotty playlist manager...
You may also find this very useful when moving tracks across different playlists...

 

Hifinut2

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Oct 31, 2019
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Tidal for me, though slightly frustrating I can’t get the full MQA unfold with my Naim ND5 streamer, I can access some Masters using the mConnect app and enjoy Masters and Hifi on my iPhone and via a recently acquired Dragonfly Black DAC/headphone amp
 

scene

Well-known member
Sorry to hear that, but expected I guess....


I forgot to say that the Smarter Playlist author is a guy who curates Spotty playlists, so pukka stuff !!! He's here on Twit..


Hi Fred,

Thanks again (y)

Just tried the Playlist manager site here at home (and on Chrome - 2nd time after the warning...) and it all seems to work,.. Will have a proper look at it later, when I can give it proper attention. thx.
 
Nov 5, 2019
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I am sure there are more than I can remember to list here, but some of the leaders are:
Sirius XM ($10.00)
Amazon Music ($9.99)
Apple Music ($9.99)
Google Play Music ($9.99)
Spotify ($9.99)
Tidal ($9.99)
LiveXLive (Slacker) ($9.99)
Pandora ($4.99)
iHeartRadio ($4.99) - this is live radio as well as streamed content

I am using Pandora right now, because I am not sure that the others offer enough to pay double the price every month. It adds up over a year, and I am pretty happy with Pandora while I'm writing or whatever.

What do you use, and why?
Tidal HiRes $20/mo and worth more!

I have been serious audiophile since the glory days of vinyl 1980s. The Tidal Masters series recordings rival or equal SACD.

I also use blue tooth 5.0 streaming from a Galaxy Tab A (S-pen) octa core 512 gig through Audioengine b1 good cables 1975 Marantz 1060 1975 KEF 104 (two sets.)

The synergy in this system is heaven on earth. It's like IMAX 3D for my ears. One set of the 104s is unpowered. They provide baffling and add two extra passive reflectors and perhaps the un powered woofers help spread the sound stage as well.
 
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