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Deleting Spotify? These are the best alternatives

If you're looking for the best Spotify alternative, you have a wealth of options available, and they each offer a very competitive set of features.

Ty Pendlebury Editor
Ty Pendlebury is a journalism graduate of RMIT Melbourne, and has worked at CNET since 2006. He lives in New York City where he writes about streaming and home audio.
Expertise Ty has worked for radio, print, and online publications, and has been writing about home entertainment since 2004. He majored in Cinema Studies when studying at RMIT. He is an avid record collector and streaming music enthusiast. Credentials
  • Ty was nominated for Best New Journalist at the Australian IT Journalism awards, but he has only ever won one thing. As a youth, he was awarded a free session for the photography studio at a local supermarket.
Ty Pendlebury
2 min read
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Neil Young left Spotify last week in protest of the platform's support for controversial podcaster Joe Rogan. As a result, artists* and listeners alike have vowed to boycott Spotify in solidarity. Are you also looking to delete the music app? Thankfully, there is a bounty of good music streaming services out there, and some are able to offer an even better deal than Spotify does. Check the table at the end of this article to see how they compare.

Whether you personally disagree with Rogan or you are leaving for other reasons -- for instance, wanting better pay for musicians -- if you're looking for a Spotify alternative, here are your best options: 

  • Apple Music -- As the second-largest streaming provider in the world,  Apple Music  has the rights to Neil Young, Joni Mitchell and millions of other artists besides. It is also able to offer higher-quality streams, including lossless and spatial audio, for the same $10 a month. 
  • Tidal -- Tidal has long been associated with providing better deals for artists, and if you choose the $20 subscription, then 10% of your money goes directly to your highest-streamed artist that month.
qobuz.png

Qobuz is both an online store and streaming service

Screenshot: Ty Pendlebury/CNET
  • Qobuz -- Qobuz is both a digital music store and a high-end streaming service. Its high-res streaming plan is cheaper than Tidal's (from $13 a month) and doesn't require a specialized decoder. If you're looking for an alternative to the "big" streaming companies this is your best bet. 
  • Amazon Music Unlimited -- For $8 a month, if you're a Prime member, this is the cheapest way you can stream music in high-res. 
  • Free option (with ads): YouTube: The video streamer is always a great place to find music, including Young's, but the quality is inconsistent and it doesn't always benefit the artist. 

If you're looking for services that still offer Neil Young in particular, you can try DeezerNapsterYouTube Music and Pandora Premium. In addition, SiriusXM has revived its Neil Young radio channel.

If you want to be able to transfer your music library from Spotify first, it's best to sign up for Soundiiz. The service works with all the major streaming services, and a monthly subscription costs $4.50. Once your music is transferred, you can cancel the service if you wish.

*It's worth noting that while Joni Mitchell announced she would pull her music from the service, it's still available at the time this was published.

Streaming services compared


Amazon Music UnlimitedApple MusicQobuzSpotifyTidalYouTube Music
Monthly fee Prime members: $8, £8, N/A; Non-Prime members: $10, £10, AU$12; Echo-only service: Free, AU$5$10, £10, AU$12; Voice $5, £5, AU$6$13, AU$20$10, £10, AU$12HiFi: $10, £10, AU$15; HiFi Plus: $20, £20, AU$24$10, £10, AU$12
Free option? Yes, with adsNoNoYes, with adsYesYes, with ads
Free trial period 30 days3 months30 days30 days3 months30 days
Music library size 75 million90 million70 millionOver 70 millionOver 80 millionOver 60 million
Maximum bitrate 256Kbps, 3,730 Kbps (HD)256Kbps, TBD6,971Kbps320Kbps1,411Kbps320Kbps
Family plan? Yes, $15, £15, AU$18 for up to 6 peopleYes, $15, £15, AU$18 for up to 6 peopleYes, $16.67, £16.67, AU$44.99Yes $16 per month, up to 6Yes, 50% off each additional account, up to 4Yes, $15, £15, AU$18 per month for up to 6 people
Student discount NoYes, Price varies by countryNoYes, $5, £5 with Hulu and ShowtimeStudent HiFi: $5, Student HiFi plus: $10 (US only)Yes, $5
US military discount NoNoNoNoYesNo
Offline listening Mobile and desktopMobile onlyMobile and desktopMobile and desktopMobile onlyPremium and mobile only
Radio stations YesYesNoYesNoYes
Podcasts YesNoNoYesYesYes
Music videos NoYesNoYesYesYes
Music locker functionality NoYesNoNoNoYes