I used to recommend Deezer, mostly for the fact it was the closest to what Google Play Music used to be in terms of layout and functions. But recently they decided to do a downright gross redesign and then actively insulted paying customers that didn’t like it. So they’re out.
YouTube Music is trash and I’m not paying Google for anything anyway, after they killed Play Music.
So I tried Apple Music (from an iPad I barely ever use), then Tidal, and honestly? They’re all doing the same things. Some are in different states of enshitification, but they’re all on the same road. What Spotify gets away with, all the others eventually attempt or copy. The problem is simply the industry and customers that allow the abuse.
But if you must use one, I would suggest Tidal. It seems the least far along the path, but it’ll get there too.
And remember, there are services like Soundiiz and TuneMyMusic that will help you transfer and sync across all these services. They’re not perfect, but they’re better than nothing.
I’m getting ready to start curating my own collection again with Lidarr and Jellyfin but that might be a bit involved for most people.
Tidal has recently eliminated its most expensive plan and bundled everything it offered into the cheaper tier. So it’s actually the opposite of enshittification. I love it
I’m a big fan of Qobuz. Extensive catalog, hi-res tracks, good suggestions that are genuinely new to me, and doesn’t drown me in Drake/Post Malone new releases.
I enjoyed Deezer for a time, would still be there otherwise. Never saw the appeal of Spotify, used YTM/Google Play for years.
Which do you recommend?
I used to recommend Deezer, mostly for the fact it was the closest to what Google Play Music used to be in terms of layout and functions. But recently they decided to do a downright gross redesign and then actively insulted paying customers that didn’t like it. So they’re out.
YouTube Music is trash and I’m not paying Google for anything anyway, after they killed Play Music.
So I tried Apple Music (from an iPad I barely ever use), then Tidal, and honestly? They’re all doing the same things. Some are in different states of enshitification, but they’re all on the same road. What Spotify gets away with, all the others eventually attempt or copy. The problem is simply the industry and customers that allow the abuse.
But if you must use one, I would suggest Tidal. It seems the least far along the path, but it’ll get there too.
And remember, there are services like Soundiiz and TuneMyMusic that will help you transfer and sync across all these services. They’re not perfect, but they’re better than nothing.
I’m getting ready to start curating my own collection again with Lidarr and Jellyfin but that might be a bit involved for most people.
Tidal has recently eliminated its most expensive plan and bundled everything it offered into the cheaper tier. So it’s actually the opposite of enshittification. I love it
I’m a big fan of Qobuz. Extensive catalog, hi-res tracks, good suggestions that are genuinely new to me, and doesn’t drown me in Drake/Post Malone new releases.
I enjoyed Deezer for a time, would still be there otherwise. Never saw the appeal of Spotify, used YTM/Google Play for years.