I’m trying to decide which music app is best for phone and computer. I have Apple kit, but I don’t like Apple Music.
A nice simple interface, not too expensive, no ads. Spotify Premium, Deezer, YouTube music…
You may not like the interface but if you like or value music Apple Music is the best option really since they actually pay circa royalties of around one whole US cent per stream, the best of a bad lot. Tidal actually pays more, but their rates are dependent on various things so it could end up being less than apple, but if you really can’t stand Apple they’d be my suggestion.
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If your looking to download then I agree Apple is best, but if your looking to listen then try Got Radio. It is pure music no announcers just the odd advert and a load of eras and genres to choose from.
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Gold Radio is ok if you like the oldies.
Or radio garden if you want to wander round the world.
Deezer and Spotify nearly always have a 2 month free trail of their premium so you can try and then decide. If you have an IKEA card go on their site and there is I think a 4 month free with Spotify. Just don’t forget to cancel like I did last week 
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What do you want from the music “app”.
There’s no massive differences between the paid streaming services - it’s more which suits best. They all offer free trials. They all work with Alexa/Google home etc
Amazon has a free service - but it’s more “radio” than proper streaming.
YouTube can be used for free but it’s a nightmare to use in comparison as a streaming service. In part because it’s content is disorganised given anyone can put stuff up. It’s good if you want to listen to a specific thing - very good for obscure stuff although quality is variable.
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Thanks Tory, I’ve just started a trial of Spotify. It’s OK so far except for the ads. But I know I have to decide to subscribe to get rid of those.
Thanks for the suggestion David. I’ll take a look.
Once you are using the free one they’ll give you a message at some point offering to trail the paid one for free.
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I use TY [free] and have a library by artist. Playing tracks by an artist brings up other tracks in the side bar by same or similar.
The ‘similars’ I have played have introduced me to artists I would never have known about if I myself had to think of tracks to play. Examples are the astonishing Japanese jazz pianst, Hiromi, Stanley Clarke, who I now recognise as a monumental figure in jazz, on his instrument, as composer and as band leader, esp of young jazzers.
Ads in the middle of a track are annoying, for sure but subs do add up …
I also use Amazon music [free] The thing with Amz is if you ask Alexa to play a certain track, she will turn you down because specific tracks are only available by sub. But, “Here’s a station [?] similar to ….”
Sometimes the track that come up is the very track she refused to play! For sure, that track will come along a few tracks into her ‘similar’ choice.
The one that has me smiling is to ask for ‘So What?’ [‘Kind Of Blue’/Miles Davis] Alexa will refuse but the track she tends to play instead is ‘Freddie Freeloader’, on the same album! Most appropriate.
‘So What?’ will come up 3-4 tracks on - all of which will also be from ‘Kind Of Blue’
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Thank you everyone for your suggestions. I’m going to try all of them! Maybe I need to stick with iTunes for stuff I want to keep and store locally. I have only just realised iTunes is a completely separate thing from Apple Music.
A good question.
I would like to have playlists of music I have already bought (via iTunes), and my own music, and also stream to discover new stuff.
I’m going to have a look at TY. I read a review of it earlier today. Thanks Capn.
Choose which one you like. I agree about Apple Music: it seems needlessly complex, and they are not the best payers.
There’s a summary of royalty payments here https://www.musicianwave.com/how-much-does-spotify-pay-per-stream/
I have been using Tidal for a few years now. It’s easy to create playlists. If you get a family subscription then each can have his/her own playlists. I’d recommend it but you’ll need a little while to get used to any of them.
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Best for quality?
I’m a bit of a newcomer to internet music, I’ve never used it apart from looking at some music videos on youtube. But some time in the future I’d like to digitalize all my favourite music (i.e. find it song by song and download it) so I don’t have to use cd’s etc. any more. If I understand rightly many of these sites don’t allow you to download? If I had my list prepared in advance, I could probably do it all in a couple of months so I wouldn’t mind if it was an expensive site, I can unsubscribe afterwards when I’m done. I would also like a site that has limitless music, and music going back a while, a lot of my favourites aren’t very well known and come from different parts of the world too.
Any suggestions how I should go about this “far from urgent” project?
I’m not aware of any streaming site that allows you to do this. You can download for playing offline but not for keeping.
The reason they don’t is probably fairly obvious!
You can, of course, rip (“digitize”) your own CDs (whether that is lawful is debatable) using iTunes or the like. ITunes is easy to use but the error correction isn’t great. EAC or dbPowerAmp are better.
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I convert my CDs to mp3s and also download YouTube music as mp3 files.
Given that a great deal of my music collection was originally purchased on vinyl, then cassettes and finally CDs I feel no guilt whatsoever in backing my music up to mp3 format.
You should, mp3 is a low quality sound from your vinyl, cassette etc, you deserve better.
Oh and neither do I feel any guilt, I paid their royalties when I bought the original source material.
What other digital format is better?