Streaming services - what are YOU using?

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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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Which streaming service is better Spotify or Apple Music - actually I know the answer to this question too - Apple Music. I suppose you can’t complain at Spotify though when it’s free.
 
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iMark

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We've been subscribing to Spotify Premium almost from the moment the service became available in the Netherlands. We've eventually upgraded to a Family subscription so my partner and me can use the service individually simultaneously. It's really good value for money, compared to buying CDs and records.
The sound quality through Spotify Connect in our Yamaha R-N602 is very decent, although definitely not CD quality. But if we really like the music we will buy the disc anyway.
 
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scene

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We've been subscribing to Spotify Premium almost from the moment the service became available in the Netherlands. We've eventually upgraded to a Family subscription so my partner and me can use the service individually simultaneously. It's really good value for money, compared to buying CDs and records.
The sound quality through Spotify Connect in our Yamaha R-N602 is very decent, although definitely not CD quality. But if we really like the music we will buy the disc anyway.

That's pretty much what I've found and the approach I take. If we really like the cd we buy it and rip lossless to the NAS
 

Niallivm

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Oct 28, 2019
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My family and I use Apple Music, which is convenient on our iOS devices and sounds superior to Spotify on our home Sonos speakers.
Tidal is too expensive so I have Amazon Music HD on trial on my MacBook Pro and will most likely continue with this or move to Qobuz Premier for higher fidelity listening
 

JamesOK

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May 24, 2008
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Spotify here - have been on it for years. Interface is good, coverage is good. Also I have loads of playlists etc on there so I am a bit tied.

Have considered trying Tidal for the CD quality stuff, and given my stereo is out of the box for the first time in 2 years, now might be an appropriate time.
 

DCarmi

Well-known member
Use Spotify Family as it is cost effective for us. It does make it quite difficult to escape to another services. That said, Spotify do an good job of curation, recommendation, podcasts etc.

I made the decision to go with Spotify, largely because Amazon and Google were too busy trying to make life hard for users by having a spat. Spotify was by far the most flexible.

I'd consider HiRes but to be honest, I mostly stream through moderate earphones, smart speaker or car. I tend use vinyl or CD on the hifi. Compressed audio is fine if all you need is a bit of background music.
 

JamesOK

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May 24, 2008
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Use Spotify Family as it is cost effective for us. It does make it quite difficult to escape to another services. That said, Spotify do an good job of curation, recommendation, podcasts etc.

I made the decision to go with Spotify, largely because Amazon and Google were too busy trying to make life hard for users by having a spat. Spotify was by far the most flexible.

I'd consider HiRes but to be honest, I mostly stream through moderate earphones, smart speaker or car. I tend use vinyl or CD on the hifi. Compressed audio is fine if all you need is a bit of background music.
I actually use spotify for my stereo 8 times out of 10 too. Without wanting to start a tedious "can you tell the difference debate" the 320kbps stuff sounds alright.
 

Gray

Well-known member
Thanks for the kind comments, however THAT Fred Barker in the pic was Fred Barker, " the first television glove puppets with attitude" on TV in 1960's
I was there Fred, pre-Thames TV.
(Didn't find out Thunderbird 2 was green 'till Mum took me to see the cinema film).
Thanks for shattering my illusion, before today, Ollie Beak was a real owl.....with a bloke's voice.
Growing old 'aint fun - but we know it's better than the alternative.

Apologies to OP knaithrover. All TV show / old git discussion will be in the appropriate sub forum from now on.

Back to Streaming Services.....
 
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Minkey1

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Jan 16, 2012
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I'm an old git. Big 7 Oh tomorrow. But rediscovering an interest in music. Currently trialling Amazon Music HD. And, free with a Neos cam from Currys, 6 months free Spotify Premium.

I'm prepared for £5 extra with AMHD over Spotify's mp3 @320 but truth be told - on listening tests with mp3/320 and the same content with rips to FLAC and Wav, my old ears can't really tell the difference.

After the trials are over I'll probably stick with Spotify Premium at a tenner pm. Anything more is probably wasted on my ears and my kit.
 

Gray

Well-known member
I'm an old git. Big 7 Oh tomorrow. But rediscovering an interest in music. Currently trialling Amazon Music HD. And, free with a Neos cam from Currys, 6 months free Spotify Premium.

I'm prepared for £5 extra with AMHD over Spotify's mp3 @320 but truth be told - on listening tests with mp3/320 and the same content with rips to FLAC and Wav, my old ears can't really tell the difference.

After the trials are over I'll probably stick with Spotify Premium at a tenner pm. Anything more is probably wasted on my ears and my kit.
I think a few with younger ears often have trouble telling the difference too.
Happy birthday for tomorrow.
 

Fred_Barker

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Feb 17, 2013
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I was there Fred, pre-Thames TV.
(Didn't find out Thunderbird 2 was green 'till Mum took me to see the cinema film).
Thanks for shattering my illusion, before today, Ollie Beak was a real owl.....with a bloke's voice.

Surely Ollie Beak was just a puppet and buddy of Fred Barker and not an actual owl, unless you've seen a CGI version haha!!
 
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