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5 Keys to choose your music subscription in Streaming

Streaming music services allow you to listen to almost any song or album for a small monthly fee. There is a wide range of streaming services, but the most important worldwide are: Spotify, Rdio, Apple Music, Rhapsody, Google Play Music, Freeaudiolibrary, Xbox Music, Deezer, Napster and Mog Rara. Even so, most providers have a similar proposal: for a fee of approximately € 10 per month, they offer unlimited access to their libraries to play music via web or mobile.

Often, the music of these streaming services is used as a musical thread. Recently, but, online platforms for the sale of royalty-free music have appeared, in which the user can download music as a musical thread and without paying rights.

With such a range of streaming services it can be difficult to decide which one to choose. Here are the key questions to reflect before deciding.

What is in the music catalog?

In a comparative study of the best streaming music services, you can see that everyone has vast catalogs with at least 20 million songs. That means that it is very likely to find all, or almost all, the songs that you want to listen to in any of the service you choose.
While most of the libraries of subscription services are very large, there are still some important gaps. Some very popular artists are not available and their most recent versions are often excluded to encourage their purchase.

Similarly, several new artists are choosing not to transmit their music, since the use of these services does not bring them a sufficient benefit. Taylor Swift is the most prominent example: the artist did not give permission to distribute her most recent album "1989" on any streaming service and removed all her Spotify records. Still, their older albums are still available through Rdio, Rhapsody, Google Play Music and others. However, almost all of Swift's discography is available on Apple Music.

Freeaudiolibrary distributes music without copyright through its website, which means that for the payment of an economic monthly amount it is possible to obtain music without copyright. Since freeaudiolibrary musicians do not belong to management companies such as SGAE, no managing entity can claim the payment of fees for the use of such music.

Before subscribing to a monthly subscription it is advisable to register for a free trial, if available, and thus know if the digital platform offers the desired music.

How can I listen to my music?

Almost all of the services have applications for iOS, Android and Windows Phone, as well as systems for listening to your stereo or computer. Depending on the service, the application or the web player will be better. For example, the Spotify desktop application has more keyboard functions and controls, which are not available in the web player.

Some services also synchronize with home audio devices, such as Sonos players and smart TVs. Others, such as Spotify and Xbox Music, can play music on the PlayStation or Xbox.

Through the demos of freeaudiolibrary it is possible to listen to music without copyright, as well as download free music and sound effects for free.

Is there a trial version or a free subscription?

Almost all platforms offer a free trial period, which usually lasts from a week to a month. Apple Music is generously offering a free three-month trial period from the moment you sign up. Subscription payment is generally monthly, so it is easy to cancel after a month or two, if the benefits do not meet the needs.

In addition, Spotify, Rdio, Google Play Music, among others, allow you to listen to music for free, but the music will be constantly interrupted by announcements between songs.

Are there family plans or discounts for students?

Some services offer family plans with discounts, making it cheaper for multiple users in a home. Many services, such as Spotify and Rdio, also offer discounts for university students. It is necessary to check if the requirements are met before registering.

In which countries are the services available?

Spotify, Rdio, Apple Music and Google Play Music are available in several countries, but especially in America, Western Europe, parts of Asia and Australia. For international listeners or those who travel frequently, it is worth checking if the service of interest will transmit where they need it.

Rhapsody is only in the US, but its counterpart Napster is available in the United Kingdom, France, Italy and other parts of Europe. Other services, including MOG, Deezer and Rara, are not available in the US, but it is possible to register if you reside in Europe, Australia, New Zealand, Asia and South America.

Freeaudiolibrary is the largest and most important online platform for the distribution of royalty-free music in Spain. It is a totally Spanish company, with which you can contact in case of doubt or problem. Thanks to managing a catalog of more than 20,000 music tracks, working with royalty-free music and at affordable prices we can compete with other companies around the world.