🎵 /music streaming/
📌 Written by Dan and Monica / FMHY.net 📅 Last updated: 1.2.25 👑 For now, this focuses on the "big 4" streaming apps 🚫 Not covered: Deezer, Qobuz, Amazon Music, SoundCloud, and regional apps (e.g., Boomplay, Genie)
🎧 Spotify
💰 $12.99/month | Desktop | Android | iOS
📈 Royalties: $4.37 per 1,000 streams
✅ Pros
- Reliable apps (mobile & desktop are great)
- Excellent cross-device connectivity
- Strong social features (Jam, collaborative playlists)
- Includes podcasts & audiobooks
- Smart search function (corrects typos well)
❌ Cons
- Anti-artist policies: Lowest royalties & fake artist accusations
- Repetitive recommendations
- Cluttered design over the years
- Poor sound quality
- Business controversies
🎯 Bottom Line: User-friendly but profit-driven.
🎯 Best For: Social music lovers & all-in-one entertainment seekers.
🍏 Apple Music
💰 $10.99/month
📈 Royalties: $10 per 1,000 streams
✅ Pros
- Top-tier sound quality (Dolby Atmos, lossless audio)
- Excellent for classical music lovers
- Well-organized new release tracking
- Fantastic DJ Mix catalogue
- Clean app design
❌ Cons
- Weak search function
- Subpar mobile & desktop apps
- Poor recommendation algorithm
- Apple Music Radio is decent, but exclusive interviews end up on YouTube anyway
- Weak cross-device integration
- Podcasts require a separate app
🎯 Bottom Line: Great content, if you can find it.
🎯 Best For: Apple die-hards & DJ mix enthusiasts.
🌊 Tidal
💰 $10.99/month
📈 Royalties: $13 per 1,000 streams
✅ Pros
- Equal-best sound quality (on par with Apple Music)
- Highest royalty rate for artists
- Insanely detailed credits
- Well-designed app (blend of Apple Music & Spotify)
- DJ-friendly (integrates with Serato & VirtualDJ)
❌ Cons
- Weak search function
- Catalogue often missing key content
- Buggy & slow app
- Frequent layoffs & uncertainty
- No collaborative playlists
🎯 Bottom Line: Easy to like, hard to love.
🎯 Best For: DJs, audiophiles, and music nerds.
▶️ YouTube Music
💰 $10.99/month | Desktop | Android | iOS
📈 Royalties: $5.90 per 1,000 streams
✅ Pros
- Largest catalogue (thanks to YouTube)
- Includes remixes, DJ mixes, bootlegs, unreleased music, etc.
- Best-in-class recommendations (powered by YouTube algorithm)
- Google Podcasts now integrated
❌ Cons
- Buggy mobile app, no official desktop app (web-only)
- Clunky UI design
- Inconsistent sound quality (depends on YouTube Music vs. YouTube)
- Unclear royalty payouts
- Low adoption among users
🎯 Bottom Line: Deep catalogue at the expense of everything else.
🎯 Best For: Niche music lovers, music discoverers & heavy YouTube users.