[Sheel]

Most of us play our music via streaming from some application or the other. While I am using Amazon Prime and music library of Prime is okay [its better than Prime video as far as content goes], it is not elaborate and I at some point would prefer to have some other app to stream my music.

Your preference / s and why?

EDIT : Have shifted to You Tube Music, while quality of streaming is similar to Amazon Music, the library is huge. Has good collection & equally likeable recommendations.

[BANDHAV]

Spotify.

For me it has the first mover (download) advantage, this was the first music app I used. Piror to this I used my downloaded playlist.

PS: Recently used the Amazon Music and listened to 90s Indian Pop station, buckets and buckets of nostalgia was poured on me.

[BoneCollector]

After the advent of Android Auto, I started using Amazon Prime but there were songs that would not be available on it. Then I took membership of Gaana Plus. Now I use both of them interchangeably. Hindi as well as English, both songs are available on them. Otherwise I tune in to FM. That's why I've not voted.

For regular listening, I hardly get time. You can also try Gaana. The membership is also not that costly.

[Rajeevraj]

Prime for me. Good enough collection for my needs and the value for money that is the USP for Amazon is unbeatable.

[KaandBaaz]

Currently have Amazon Music ( as it comes free with the Video Streaming and Shopping App) and additionally have subscribed to YouTube premium (189/month for 6 users). The advantage of YouTube is that you have all the songs also it gives the Advt free experience.

[Crow]

Apple Music. It’s an excellent deal at ₹149/month for six people and has an amazing library of music. It also lets you add music from other sources, such as DRM-free music purchased elsewhere, to your library and syncs it across devices. I love their “lyrics sync” feature that shows the current lyrics being sung and automatically scrolls it so you can sing along if you want to.

I’d have been on Spotify but their India catalogue doesn’t have a lot of songs due to legal/ contractual disputes with a couple of major record labels. Now my entire family is on Apple Music and I don’t think we’ll switch back.

[asingh1977]

I like Spotify. Easy to use and set up play settings. Also has a great “like” section. Though Amazon has a good collection—I find it over engineered and cumbersome with too much clicking. YouTube is fine, unless you minimise it.

[narayans80]

More often than not, I hear songs only over Android Auto in car, so my experience is slightly skewed in that aspect. Here's my experience with the Music apps so far:

Amazon Music - Good collections, stable on Android Auto for multiple hours, audio quality isn't that great (probably lower bitrate?). Interface is so-so. You don't pay anything extra other than the Prime subscription, which can be used for other things.

Youtube Music - As a standalone music app its good, audio quality is much better than Amazon Music. But Android Auto experience sucks, crashes out multiple times a day. The differentiator is that you can download some of the music videos as audio.

Apple Music - Used only as a standalone music app, had a very good collection and best interface of the lot. Never used it with Android Auto, so can't comment.

Gaana - No perceivable difference in collections to me. Lousy interface and it is the most expensive of the lot. No USP.

Yet to try Spotify in India.

For now, my vote is with Amazon Music, even though its sound quality isn't that great.

[IshaanIan]

Unfortunately I have to pay for nearly everything since most of them have their unique advantages.

Spotify has better recommendations and playlist options but audio quality and content available in India sucks

Apple Music has more Drake

Youtube Premium is worth it considering its overlap with Youtube and its audio quality but recommendations are too repetitive

Wynk music surprisingly the audio quality is great and has a lot of content considering it comes free with my service provider being airtel so I don't mind its existence on my phone.

Having tried everything and adapted to using a bit of each, I still miss the days of downloading music and storing it on a 160gb iPod Classic and on your phone itself

[phamilyman]

Eventually, I think the winner in Bharat (not just the erudite TBHPians who are well above average in English articulation) will be Youtube Music. For English / international music listeners, the playing field is much more level.



I had blogged about it in the past - summary below but I think those interested can read the comments as well: https://www.linkedin.com/posts/hitan...283646464-e2GT


a. Music = newness & variety. For me, that means the latest music I heard at a party, or someone's ringtone. Where do independent artistes and brands upload their music, especially vernacular India? Youtube. Where does every new vernacular release drop? Youtube! It is the only mass network that allows creators to EARN from their hardwork. As of April, I found considerable gaps in newly launched Punjabi music.

b. Breadth of content = It is practically a ONE STOP SHOP to listen to content such as podcasts, standup comedy or similar user generated content (TVF? AIB?) at one's leisure.
c. All cool features / AI / recommendation engines of any leader (say Spotify) can be matched by Google in no time.

[pganapathy]

Youtube, cos I just turn that on and listen to music the entire time I am at the office. But, I haven't registered for premium or any other app. Not a fan of apps in general. Prefer music saved on a device if possible.

[GTO]

For English music, nothing touches Spotify! I have a USA account which gives me access to their full library. Absolutely top-class music discovery, quality & collection. The no.1 by far.

I also use YouTube a lot. Their algorithms are brilliant. Have many "YouTube Mixes" which play songs based on my preferences and I end up loving 70% of them.

I use Gaana once or twice a week for Hindi music.

Lastly, am part of the (oldschool) group that downloads + catalogs all songs I like. Have ~3,000 songs in my neatly-organised iTunes.

[dhanushs]

I use Apple Music most of the time. Just because of its convenience and it that fact that it does have most of the songs I want. For songs I cant find, it's google and wherever the song is.

[alpha1]

Gaana and Wynk after running the following apps for a month or so:
1) Jio Saavn
2) Spotify
3) Gaana
4) Wynk
5) Hungama

[StarrySky]

Amazon Prime for me. I have tried Gaana and Spotify as well. I was disappointed with Gaana app integration with Android Auto. I don't have complaints against Spotify, but I was using the free version with ads. When ad-free Prime music came along with my Amazon Prime subscription, I switched to Amazon totally. I mostly listen to Indian songs and for my purpose, Prime is pretty good.