Streaming services - what are YOU using?

[KingstonJ]

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?

 

[MMohammed]

I'm on Spotify at the moment, mainly because that was the best/ only real option back when I joined. However, sticking around for the interesting direction they're taking with podcasts.

 

[simonali]

I was on Deezer, but have swapped back to Spotify recently because Deezer's discover new music algorithm was/is totally useless.

 

[inias]

I started out with Spotify, then spent a while with Qobuz, followed by Deezer, have now switched to Tidal hifi for the past year or so...

 

[scene]

I'm on Spotify. Was on Premium (£9.99pm), now moved to Family (£14.99pm) - which with Mrs scene and the 3 boys works out as really good value. Not sure which of the others offer family price plans.

 

[inias]

Deezer and Tidal also offer family plan subscriptions

I'm on Spotify. Was on Premium (£9.99pm), now moved to Family (£14.99pm) - which with Mrs scene and the 3 boys works out as really good value. Not sure which of the others offer family price plans.

 

[scene]

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]

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.

 

[inias]

How Many Devices Can I Use Simultaneously?

You can use 1 device in online mode and 5 devices in offline mode simultaneously. Example 1: 1 PC/Mac in online mode & 5 smartphones/tablets in offline mode Example 2: 1 smartphone in online mo...

support.tidal.com

I haven't actually tested this but I presume this rule shall then apply individually to each member on the family plan...

 

[scene]

I have the Tidal UK hifi family plan : £29.99 pm and you can add upto 5 family members.

That's interesting - must have misread the costs (my bad) - getting a bit more interesting...

 

[Alaneg]

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.

 

[iceman16]

I use Qobuz on Auralic mini to Chord Qutest dac.

 

[nopiano]

I’m a Qobuz user too, the Studio level, as that gives up to 24/192 when available. (It pushes our home internet service as it requires 9.6mbps).
It’s currently £24.99 a month.

Primephonic is another one not in the original list, though I’ve not tried it myself.

 

[Tonestar1]

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]

33 Spotify Tips Tricks and Features

33 Spotify tips, tricks and features

Supercharge your Spotify experience

www.whathifi.com

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.

 

[iceman16]

I’m a Qobuz user too, the Studio level, as that gives up to 24/192 when available. (It pushes our home internet service as it requires 9.6mbps).
It’s currently £24.99 a month.

Primephonic is another one not in the original list, though I’ve not tried it myself.

Yep the studio level Im subscribed for a few months now👍

 

[scene]

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...

 

[Fred_Barker]

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...

Playlist Manager

playlist-manager.com

 

[Hifinut2]

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]

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

Playlist Manager

playlist-manager.com

Thanks Fred, I tried the link and got a "parked domain" warning from the proxy server here at work...
... I'll try it at the weekend when I get home.

 

[Fred_Barker]

Thanks Fred, I tried the link and got a "parked domain" warning from the proxy server here at work...
... I'll try it at the weekend when I get home.

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..

https://twitter.com/plamere

 

[scene]

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..

https://twitter.com/plamere

Hi Fred,

Thanks again 👍

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.

 

[TheJoker]

Tidal & Roon running through my innuos zenith MKIII, i have over 1000 albums on the zenith and use Tidal for new finds.

 

[idc]

I am still with Spotify, having got one of the original invites to join it. Now that King Crimson's albums are available and what with the link to Songkick for tracking bands and gigs, I cannot see any reason to change.

 

[David Rapalyea]

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.