Which music download service is best?
Music downloads have been around for decades, allowing users to purchase individual songs or albums digitally. In recent years, music streaming has surged in popularity, but many users still prefer to own their music via downloads. When it comes to downloading music, consumers have several major services to choose from.
The top music download services include iTunes, Amazon Music, Google Play Music, and more. Each service has its own strengths and weaknesses regarding library size, audio quality, pricing models, and device compatibility. This article provides an overview of the leading music download platforms available today.
With music downloads, users can curate their own music libraries and listen offline whenever they want. Downloads give consumers full ownership and control over their music. However, streaming services offer vast on-demand libraries without purchasing individual tracks or albums. Both options have their benefits for different types of listeners.
By evaluating factors like song selection, audio fidelity, user experience, and cost, consumers can determine which service best fits their music downloading needs. This analysis looks at the top contenders in depth.
iTunes
iTunes is Apple’s music download service that is tightly integrated with their devices and ecosystem. Owned and operated by Apple, iTunes offers deep integration with Apple devices like the iPhone, iPad, and Mac computers.
With iTunes, users can easily sync music libraries between devices, access the iTunes store directly from their devices, and utilize features like iTunes Match to store their library in the cloud. Purchasing and downloading music is seamless with iTunes if you live within the Apple ecosystem.
However, iTunes is limited as a music service given its focus on Apple devices. With iTunes you can only use Apple devices to access the library and music downloads.
Amazon Music
Amazon Music is a streaming music service developed by Amazon. It offers users access to over 90 million songs which can be streamed online or downloaded for offline listening1. The service comes bundled with an Amazon Prime subscription, which means Amazon Prime members can access Amazon Music at no additional cost. This gives Amazon Music a built-in customer base, with Amazon Prime having over 200 million members worldwide as of 20222.
One of the key benefits of Amazon Music is its extensive music library. With over 90 million songs, it has one of the largest catalogs among streaming services. This vast selection gives users more options to find both major label hits as well as indie and niche genres. The service is frequently updated with new releases across various genres.
Overall, Amazon Music’s inclusion in Prime, huge song catalog, and frequent new music make it a compelling option for music streaming. It offers notable competition to services like Spotify and Apple Music.
Google Play Music
Google Play Music is Google’s music streaming service that comes bundled with a YouTube Red subscription. One of the key features of Google Play Music is the ability to upload up to 50,000 of your own songs to the cloud for free and stream them alongside Google Play’s catalog of over 40 million songs.
According to a recent Business Insider chart, Google Play Music has a 6% market share compared to Pandora’s 32% and Spotify’s 18% (source). Although not as popular as other services, the integration with YouTube Red makes Google Play Music a compelling option for many users.
SoundCloud
SoundCloud is an audio distribution platform that lets users upload, share, promote, and download music (FinancesOnline.com, 2024). Founded in 2007 and headquartered in Berlin, Germany, SoundCloud has grown to become one of the world’s largest music streaming services with over 250 million tracks hosted as of 2021 (BusinessofApps.com, 2024). The platform is known for its focus on emerging and independent artists, offering them tools to share and monetize their content. Users can upload up to 3 hours of audio for free, while premium accounts allow for unlimited uploads. SoundCloud’s revenue mainly comes from paid subscriptions, with over 40 million subscribers as of 2021 paying $4.99 to $9.99 per month for an ad-free experience and offline listening (Zipdo.com, 2024). Unlike pure music streaming services, SoundCloud allows users to directly support artists through donations and merchandise purchases. However, the platform does offer a catalog of popular music that users can stream and limited downloading capability with a premium subscription. Overall, SoundCloud fills an important niche in music discovery and artist empowerment.
Bandcamp
Bandcamp is a music download service and online community focused on supporting independent artists. According to the About Us page on their website, Bandcamp aims to help artists “find their audience and build careers in music.”
Unlike mainstream music platforms, Bandcamp provides direct support to artists through their revenue model. As explained in this Fast Company article, artists earn significantly more revenue from Bandcamp sales compared to streaming services. Physical music sales, which make up nearly 50% of Bandcamp revenue, are especially profitable for artists.
With a catalog of over 1 million independent artists, Bandcamp caters to fans of indie music and deep cuts not found on mainstream platforms. The hands-on, artist-focused business model makes Bandcamp a preferred destination for both artists and indie music aficionados.
Music Quality
The audio quality offered by each music streaming service can vary significantly. Some services like Spotify stream most songs using lossy compression formats like mp3 and Ogg Vorbis at a bitrate of 160kbps for free users and 320kbps for premium users (1). This results in good but not audiophile quality. Other services like Tidal offer CD quality lossless formats like FLAC at 1411kbps, and even high resolution lossless at rates up to 9216kbps for premium subscribers (2).
Here’s a comparison of the maximum audio quality offered by the most popular streaming services:
- Spotify: 320kbps Ogg Vorbis (premium)
- Apple Music: 256kbps AAC
- Amazon Music: 256kbps MP3
- YouTube Music: 256kbps AAC
- Tidal: 9216kbps FLAC (hi-res lossless)
So audiophiles seeking the best quality will want to check out Tidal’s lossless offerings, while more casual listeners may find Spotify or Apple Music sufficient. The free tiers of services like Spotify and Pandora also provide solid quality for most users. Overall, lossless and hi-res options are expanding for those seeking premium quality.
(1) https://www.cnet.com/tech/services-and-software/best-music-streaming-service/
(2) https://www.whathifi.com/best-buys/streaming/best-music-streaming-services
Library Size
When it comes to the number of songs available, Apple Music has the largest library with over 75 million songs. Amazon Music has around 70 million songs, while Google Play Music has around 40 million. So Apple Music edges out the competition when it comes to overall library size. However, all three services offer expansive music libraries that will satisfy most listeners.
It’s worth noting that while Apple may technically have the most songs, Amazon and Google Play both offer strong libraries as well. Unless you have very obscure musical tastes, you’ll likely find everything you want on any of these three services.
Pricing Models
The pricing models for music streaming services generally fall into three categories: purchasing songs individually, subscription plans, and ad-supported free tiers. Purchasing songs allows you to own each track and download them for offline listening. According to Consumer Reports, individual song purchases on iTunes cost $0.99-$1.29 per track.
Subscription plans give you access to stream large catalogs of music for a monthly fee. Prices range from $9.99-$19.99 per month depending on the service and plan features, with student discounts sometimes available. For example, Spotify Premium is $9.99/month while Apple Music is $9.99/month or $4.99/month for students (Business Insider). Subscriptions often include offline listening.
Finally, some services like Spotify Free and Pandora offer ad-supported free tiers. These provide free access to stream music, but include advertisements periodically. The free tiers offer fewer features than paid plans. For instance, Spotify Free has limited skips per hour.
Conclusion
When comparing the top music download services, a few key factors emerge in determining which platform provides the best overall value. iTunes and Amazon Music shine when it comes to library size, offering over 70 million songs. However, their standard pricing at $9.99 per month is higher than competitors. Google Play Music and Spotify offer solid libraries of 30-40 million songs but at more affordable monthly plans. SoundCloud and Bandcamp have smaller catalogs focused on independent artists, but their free tiers make them appealing.
Overall, Spotify strikes the best balance between music quality, library size, and cost. Their free ad-supported tier still provides good access to mainstream music. Premium upgrades unlock high quality streams, playlists, offline listening, and ad-free access across devices. For just $9.99 per month, Spotify makes an excellent option for most mainstream music listeners looking for an all-around music service.