iTunes: For a while now, iTunes has set the standard for listening to music on the go. They’ve always been great at adapting to the changes in the music market. First it was Genius Mixes, now it’s iTunes Radio. On the plus side, iTunes Radio offers Featured Stations. They mix your personal faves with new songs you might like. I think it as Genius Mixes 2.0. Plus they allow you to buy songs right while listening so adding them to your library is seamless. The depth of Apple’s music selection is ridiculous too. With approximately 27 million tracks in its library, iTunes radio blows competitors out the water. Overall the new features Apple has added to it’s music services are great but the biggest downside is that if you don’t have an Apple Product, you’re not privy to their services.
Spotify: Spotify is great because it lets you follow artists and sync music from your desktop. Similar to its competitors, you can create a radio station so Spotify will play recommended music based on your initial interest. They also have a mobile app that can be utilized with a subscription. The app can notify you when a new album for an artist you follow have been released and when a playlist has been updated. The social media integration with Facebook also allows you to share your music with your friends with ease. Spotify is great for desktop or at home listening if iTunes isn’t your thing because it allows you access to 20 million songs (which is comparable to itunes) but the real power of the app can be seen once you pay for a subscription. Plus there’s great news! You can get the student rate for just $4.99 a month.
Google Play Music: So I recently discovered the Google Play Music ecosystem after getting a new tablet. Long story short, I love it. You can add your own music library (up to 20,000 songs) and plus you don’t have to worry about songs you don’t like or bad playlists bothering you, and it’s ad free! For $9.99 a month you can get an all access pass which allows you to enjoy more than 30 million songs, along with music videos and curated music stations customized for your moment, mood or activity. With titles ranging from: Taking an Autumn stroll, to From South beach to St. Tropez, or Going for a Bike Ride, Google will always find the right songs for you. Don’t like it? You can switch the songs as much as you’d like without penalty. Plus, as of about a week ago, by signing up for Google Play Music you also get access to the YouTube Music Key beta. You can enjoy millions of music videos ad-free, and keep the music playing in the background or when you’re offline. While the price is a little steeper, this is undoubtedly the best music streaming service out there.