Pandora's social sharing capabilities are pretty weak compared to Spotify's wide range of Facebook, Twitter and Messenger capabilities. Differences: Spotify is clearly better if you want a wide. TuneIn Radio is one of the most popular radio apps. In fact, it is more than just that. You can listen to news broadcasts, podcasts, sports news, and audiobooks. The news channels include CNN, MSNBC, and FOX News and the sports ones include MLB, NFL, and ESPN Radio among many others.
With so many applications for mobile phones and computers these days, it’s easy to lose track of what’s out there, let alone which apps contain the best quality. Here you will find the top five internet music apps on the market and what makes them stand out from their competitors.
There are things that one must look at when choosing which application to invest time and money in. These include user interface, song library, audio quality, features, compatibility and how much it costs. That being said, let’s begin the list with a count down from number five:
5. Pandora
Pandora internet radio is by far the weakest competitor to the rest of the choices in this list. Numbers don’t lie, however, and Pandora boasts over 250 million general users, which crushes Spotify’s 40 million. This may sound like a lot, although only north of 3 million of those users are paying members, while Spotify possesses over 10 million paid subscribers. The reason Pandora doesn’t have a solid paid subscriber to free subscriber ratio is simply because Pandora One (the paid version of Pandora), doesn’t offer very much as opposed to the free version. For $4.99 a month, users get no ads, more skips per day and less pauses (fewer time outs). The price is one of the cheaper options available, but you’re really getting what you pay for with this bargain.
Pandora features custom playlists that are very intuitive and easy to use.
One area where Pandora excels is in the user interface department. Creating stations is the primary feature on the free version of Pandora and they do it well. The content within the stations are true to the artist or song that the user chooses, although there is a significant amount of ads present and it is rare to go a few songs without hearing from advertisers. Pandora’s song library is also not one to drool over either, containing just over 1 million songs. What make Pandora one of the more attractive options, however, is the compatibility aspect. Pandora is available on Apple mobile products, Windows phone, Blackberry, Android devices, Kindle Fire, Nook, Mac and PC, smart TV’s, streaming players, blu ray players and many more. Pandora even comes standard in some automobiles such as Honda, Chevrolet and Toyota, among others. Click here to see the full list of compatible vehicles, and here for a list of compatible in-home devices.
4. iHeartRadio
An example of iHeartRadio’s local radio station feature.
Next on our list comes the iHeartRadio app. iHeartRadio’s 40 million users enjoy a free music experience with a catalog of over 18 million songs and far less ads than the free version of Pandora. iHeartRadio is the most unique app in this selection because it allows users to listen to content from radio stations locally and across the country. The app uses the phone’s location service to determine where the user is and uses that data to come up with local radio stations. In addition to this feature, users have the ability to listen to talk shows, television and radio, from around the country in little snippets so as to not give away too much free content. iHeartRadio is readily available on a number of devices including Apple products, Android devices, Windows devices, the Blackberry 10, streaming devices and a number of vehicles. To see the full list of compatible machines, click here. The user interface is also very easy to use and has a very small learning curve making this app a must have for those who are avid radio listeners.
Below is an info graphic displaying audio quality and library size of the applications:3. Rhapsody
Rhapsody’s home page on its mobile app, displaying featured music and new releases along with what is currently playing at the bottom.
Coming in at number three is Rhapsody. Rhapsody begins the list of applications that allow users to pay a certain amount of money per month (in Rhapsody’s case, $9.99 a month) in order to have the ability to download songs that are available to them when the user is offline. Rhapsody enjoys the largest library out of all of the options in this list (over 32 million songs, which is updated every Tuesday with new music) due to its acquisition of Napster at the beginning of 2012. This gave Rhapsody access to Napster’s library of songs as well as their subscribers. The user interface on Rhapsody’s mobile app is well put together, however, is a bit more involved than it’s competitors seen earlier in this list and requires a bit of a learning curve due to its extra features. There is no free version of this application, only a 30 day trial that can only be used once, making this one of the few disadvantages to Rhapsody. Compatibility for the Rhapsody application is average compared to its competitors. The only vehicle that it is available to sync with without using any cables is Ford, along with only being compatible with a small number of smart TV’s including Vizio, LG and more. See the full list of compatible devices for Rhapsody here.
2. Beats Music
Beats Music comes in as a close second to Spotify in this list. The allure of this application cannot be denied, it is absolutely beautiful. It is clear, however, that the design is meant to appeal to a younger demographic and may not be for everyone. The user interface is intuitive and fun to use, showcasing a modern design to match to Beats by Dre brand. The features that make up the app are fresh and take a fun spin on finding new music. “The sentence” is an exclusive feature to Beats Music, playing music for whatever the user is in the mood for by creating a sentence comprised of four categories (see photo to the right). This feature adds a comedic value to the app while being able to have fun finding new music. Beats Music consists of over 20 million songs, which is updated every Tuesday, similar to Rhapsody, with over 30 genres to select from in the “find it” option. Another unique feature that the app offers is profiles to famous musicians, similar to Twitter in that the usernames begin with an “@” symbol. These profiles contain a bio about the artist, latest releases, top songs, the ability to follow them and a “beats playlist” of their best work. The profiles are organized by Beats Music moderators and not the musicians themselves, however. The cost of this service after the 14 day free trial is $9.99 a month and is free for the first 30 days, or, for AT&T users, it is $14.99 a month for a family of five while being free for the first 90 days. Alternatives to spotify and apple music. The compatibility of Beats Music is its only downfall, as it has a limited selection of suited devices, being a relatively new application. Currently, the apps serves users with Apple products from the past few years (i.e. iPad third generation, iPhone 4, etc.), Android devices running OS 4.03 or higher, Windows Phone 8 or higher, Sonos wireless speakers, and the latest versions of Google Chrome, Internet Explorer, Firefox and Safari.
1. Spotify
Spotify’s sleek user interface presenting the “genre and moods” categories.
Although there is a lot to like about Beats Music, Spotify ran away with the title of best Internet music app because of its ability to stream music without being forced to pay a monthly fee after the free trial is complete. Users of the app can stream full albums on shuffle for free at any time with a set number of skips given, on top of being able to create their own stations, similar to Pandora and iHeartRadio. Like Beats Music, Spotify offers a premium version of their service for $9.99 a month, which gives users the ability to download an unlimited amount of music for the user’s offline listening pleasure. There is also a $4.99 unlimited option that is limited to desktops and laptops in addition to not being able to download songs. Spotify features a 20 million song catalog, which is updated every Tuesday when new music typically comes out, the same goes for Beats Music and Rhapsody. Compatibility isn’t Spotify’s sting suit, however, making this its only downfall. Like the rest of its counterparts, Spotify is available on Mac and Windows computers, Apple mobile products, Android devices, Windows Phone 8, as well as a number of Blackberry devices. Lastly, the user interface is just as good, if not better than Beats Music while maintaining a more mature look. There is a bit of a learning curve, but this won’t be too much of a hassle and isn’t a make or break feature for the app. Uncovering new music is made very easy with the “Discover” tab, which shows what music is trending in the user’s area and what is popular in general on Spotify. The “Browse” tab features a “Genre and Moods” category which is broken up into different subcategories so the user can listen to the type of music they are in the mood for at that moment, similar to Beats Music’s “The Sentence.”
There are many more quality internet music applications on the market than what is just on this list. That being said, a few honorable mentions include Slacker, Rdio and iTunes Radio. Slacker claims to have 10 times the amount of music than Pandora, with playlists that Spotify “can’t touch.” Like Spotify, there is a free streaming alternative with ads and limited skips, along with two different payment options if the user elects to go that route. There is a $3.99 radio plus option, which gives the user unlimited skips with no ads, as well as a $9.99 premium package with the same features as the previous option on top of being able to listen offline and having unlimited access to their library. Rdio is another free internet music app with the choice of paying $9.99 for an ad-free listening experience of their 25 million song catalog. Lastly, there is iTunes Radio, which failed to make the list simply for the fact that it is only on Apple products and nothing else, along with not having many features and not having an alternative payment option available.
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What bitrate does Spotify stream at? This is might be the first question that you may take a deep consideration before choosing Spotify music as your music streaming service. Generally speaking, you may have known that 320kbps is the highest streaming quality that you can get from Spotify, but I guess, you may be unclear on how can you get it. Don't worry, here is the full introduction of the Spotify bitrate comes for you.
In this post, we will share you with the details of the bitrate of Spotify free and Premium and the full tutorial to adjust Spotify bitrate for enjoying the lossless audio streaming service. Apart from this, you will get extra tips on how to get Spotify music downloaded with high quality. Curious, right? Let's get started with the first part: What bitrate is Spotify use?
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![]() Part 1. What Bitrate Does Spotify Stream At?
Spotify offers automatic, low, normal, high, and very high quality with different bitrates for different users by formatting the music as OGG Vorbis format. Following is the full table about all the bitrates that Spotify streaming at.
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According to the table above, the highest bitrate for Spotify Free users is 160kbps while the highest for premium users is 320 kbps. After learning about the Spotify bitrate, you can set about setting the Spotify bitrates to enjoy the high quality of Spotify. Keep reading.
Part 2. How to Get High Quality Streaming on Spotify?
There are two ways for you to enjoy high quality on Spotify. The first method is to set the high quality, and the second is to use Spotify equalizer. Take these 2 methods together will be better for you to get lossless audio.
Method 1. How to Set High Music Quality on Spotify
Following we will take the Windows as an example. If you want to enjoy high music quality on your Mobile devices or MacBook, you can also follow the same operation to make it. Downloading the Spotify app first to prepare the following operation.
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One Step to Set Your Music Quality on Spotify
- Run the Spotify app on your computer or mobile devices, and the whole main interface of Spotify will appear. Now click to 'Down-arrow' button to enter the Settings page.
- On the Settings page, scroll down to 'Music Quality'. Under the Music Quality, there is 'Streaming quality'. Hit to the 'Down-arrow' button to choose the high quality. Spotify Free users can choose 160 kbps high quality while Premium users 320 kbps.
If the high quality doesn't suit your needs on enjoying Spotify, then you can set the Spotify Equalizer to enhance the sound quality.
Method 2. How to Set Music Equalizer for Enjoying Spotify Music
Spotify equalizer is only available on mobile devices. In this post, we will take the iPhone 7 as an example. Operations are the same on Android and other mobile devices.
Two-Step to Use Music Equalizer for Enjoying Spotify Music
Step 1. Open Settings page of Spotify Music
- Run the Spotify app on your Mobile. On the main interface of Spotify, hit the 'Gear' button to enter the Settings page, where you can see various settings for Spotify.
Step 2. Choose Your Favorite Music Equalizers of Spotify
- On the Spotify Settings page, click to 'Playback' for the following operation. Scroll down to 'Equalizer' then press the 'Button' to open the Spotify equalizer. As a Hip-hop fan, I will choose Hip-hop as my music equalizer of Spotify.
After learning how to enjoy lossless audio from Spotify, we would like to share you with an extra tips to fulfill your needs on the lossless audio streaming of Spotify. Keep reading to get the ultimate lossless audio streaming service from Spotify.
Extra Tips: How to Get Spotify Music Downloaded with High-Quality Bitrate?
As a premium users, you just need to press the button to get your music fully downloaded with the same bitrate. However, even though you have fully downloaded, the music is kept in cached files. Even harder if you are Spotify Free member. Here we would like to give you an extra tips on getting Spotify music downloaded with high and lossless audio parameter. So that Premium subscribers can enjoy 320Kbps sound quality while Free 160kbps.
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To download Spotify Music for free, a best Spotify Music converter or downloader is required. And TuneFab Spotify Music Converter is such a handy music converter as well as high quality music downloader for both Spotify Free and Premium to download Spotify Music, playlists, albums and more with high quality (For Spotify Premium, reach up to 320 kbps, for Free users, reach up to 160 kbps) to various and common music file formats like MP3, M4A, WAV, FLAC and more. Learn more from the following features of the TuneFab Spotify Music Converter.
Features of TuneFab Spotify Music Converter:
- Cover all kinds of Spotify music: tracks, songs, playlists, albums, audiobooks, even podcasts (Mac only), and more.
- Download Spotify music and store as common audio formats: MP3, M4A, WAV, FLAC, OGG, AIFF (Mac only).
- Superfast conversion speed to speed up the whole conversion: 5X conversion speed. (Windows Only)
- Spotify Bitrate and sample rate can be adjusted as per your need. For example, the maximum reaches up to 320 kbps, satisfy Spotify Free and Premium needs.
- Various output settings are available for options.
- Keep original audio quality with metadata and ID3 tags preserved.
- Fully compatible with Windows 10/8/7 and macOS 10.10 to 10.15.
- Dig out more.
We will take Windows as an example. If you are running the macOS system, please keep reading since the whole operation is the same.
Step 1. Run TuneFab Spotify Music Converter
- Choose the right version from the button above to download and install TuneFab Spotify Music Converter on your computer. After the installation is over, hit the 'iCon' to run it on your computer. Then you will see the main interface as follow.
Step 2. Add Spotify Music/Playlists/Albums to Spotify Music Converter
- On the main interface of Spotify Music Converter, there is an 'Add Files' button. Click to 'Add Files' button, then you can add the Spotify music by copying the Spotify URL and paste it onto the main interface or dragging the Spotify Playlists/Albums and dropping them onto the Spotify Music Converter.
- We highly recommend Spotify users to add Spotify Music via dragging and dropping methods. When all the music has successfully added, bear in mind to click on to 'Add' again.
Step 3. Set Output Folder & Output Format
- Now, click to 'Options', next to 'Add Files' to set your output settings.
- On the 'General' tag, you can choose the output folder and customize the output files. Hit the 'Select…' button, you can choose the output folder according to your need. If you don't make any changes, then all the Spotify music will be stored in the default output folder.
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- Move to the below of Output Folder, you can see 'Output Files', where you can customize the way that your output files display. Besides you can choose the sorting way of the output folders like Album. More output file settings are available to select as per your needs.
- Now, move to the 'Advanced' tag, next to the 'General'. On the Advanced page, you can adjust the conversion speed, reaches up to 5X, and Spotify bitrates and more. Besides, you can choose audio formats from the drop-down list. MP3, M4A, WAV, FLAC, OGG are available for selection.
Tips: We highly recommend choosing MP3 or M4A with 320Kbps bitrates and 44100 Hz for output the high audio quality.
Step 4. Download Spotify Music with High-Quality Preserved
You are one step closer to fully download Spotify Music now. Just click to 'Convert' and then to download Spotify Music with High Quality. Just waiting for several minutes, then you can enjoy Spotify Music with high quality fully downloaded.
That's all for today. It is time for you to make up your mind on choosing your favorite music bitrate that you want to enjoy on your Spotify Music, one of the best streaming services. However, no matter what bitrate you may be going to choose, I am sure that you can free from the problem with downloading Spotify Music with the High quality now. Thanks for reading, hope you will enjoy Spotify freely right here. See you!
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