The existence of Spotify has given birth to numerous music streaming platforms. But Spotify remains to be the most popular among the bunch with millions of users more than any other.
If you’re looking to subscribe to a music streaming platform, is Spotify truly worth it? In this post, we discuss everything there is to know about this as well as draw some comparisons among popular competitions. Stick till the end to know the verdict!
What is Spotify?
Spotify is a music streaming platform launched in October 2008. It’s based in Sweden and since then, it has grown to a worldwide phenomenon that we know today. It’s now available to 79 countries on 5 continents around the globe.
Currently known as the biggest and most popular music streaming platform, Spotify boasts 286 million active users monthly. Of these numbers, 130 million are Spotify Premium subscribers. Aside from that, there are currently more than 50 million tracks available in the platform. If you’ve never tried this music platform or still considering it, you’ve come to the right place! By the end of this post, hopefully, you will see if Spotify is for you.
How does Spotify work?
If this is your first-time hearing or knowing about music streaming platforms, you don’t have to be confused. We live in a high-tech world right now where convenience is a must. With that said, getting started with Spotify is as easy as following these steps:
Go to the Spotify website to sign up for a new account.
Select a subscription tier (Spotify free, Spotify Premium). We’ll talk about the difference of the two below.
Download the Spotify app from Google Play Store or App Store.
Open the app and sign in to your account.
That’s how easy it is to listen to unlimited music! Now, let’s talk about what to expect inside the app.
Spotify Features (Free & Premium)
Being the world’s leading music streaming platform, Spotify is loaded with features here and there. Even though it was launched more than two decades ago, it still evolves today. But for now, let’s have a look at the current features Spotify has which includes the free and premium ones.
Spotify Free Features:
Over 50 million available tracks to listen to
Availability of podcasts and audiobooks
Travel abroad with your music for up to 14 days
Pick and play any track on a mobile device
Responsive and fast app
Ability to create playlists
Follow friends to see what they’re listening to
Discover new music based on your interests and current playlist
Compatibility with a variety of devices (Consoles, speakers, TV, smart watches, smartphones, car)
Spotify Connect
Spotify Pets
Spotify Kids
Spotify Gift
Spotify Premium Features:
All of the above without restrictions
No ads
Offline listening
High quality audio
Unlimited skips
Spotify Free Trial (Free 3 months of Premium, cancel anytime)
What are the Different Spotify Premium Plans?
If you do decide to spend money to get the best music experience with Spotify, you can even customize your plan. To know which Spotify Premium plan suits you, read the following.
Spotify Premium Individual ($2.58/month) – If you’re living alone or are planning to use Spotify alone, then this is the best premium plan for you. You get all the features above!
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Spotify Premium Student ($4.99/month) – For students that are currently enrolled at a college or university, this is the perfect plan for you! Aside from that, you get 50% off the subscription for up to 4 years!
Spotify Premium Duo – The premium duo is perfect for couples, partners or two people living together. In here, you’ll get 2 premium accounts for one discounted price. Aside from that, the exclusive feature Duo Mix will be available that allows you to listen to tracks that are according to the tastes of both accounts.
Spotify Premium Family – For a family of music lovers, Spotify Premium Family is the suitable plan. It’s perfect for families of up to 6 members plus you get an exclusive feature called Family Mix. This lets everyone get a playlist based on the music tastes of everyone in the family. Most importantly, you can also access a feature that lets parents control access to explicit music for the members of the family.
5 Reasons to Avail Spotify Premium
For some people, the free version of Spotify is good enough for their everyday listening needs. But for those serious music enthusiasts, the premium version is necessary. So, if you’re still not convinced whether the premium plan is right for you, here are the top reasons to avail Spotify Premium.
Free lets you listen at only 96 kilobits/second or high quality 160 kbps. But Premium allows you to listen to up to 320kbps which allows for a richer and detailed output.
With free, you are limited with the number of times you can skip in the shuffled section. While Spotify premium allows you to skip as many songs as you like.
Who likes ads? In the free version, you’ll be riddled with ads even which could ruin the experience of listening to music. The ads are completely non-existent when you avail the premium plan.
You also get exclusive and early access to new albums from your favorite artists for two weeks for premium users.
You can listen to up to 10,000 songs offline in the premium version.
Spotify vs. Other Music Streaming Platforms
Thanks to the success of Spotify, countless music streaming platforms have also emerged. Most of them are from big companies such as Amazon, YouTube and Apple. If you’re undecided among these choices, these quick comparisons should help you.
Spotify vs. YouTube Music
One of the biggest differences between the two is the availability of podcasts and audiobooks. Spotify allows you to access over 700,000+ podcasts while YouTube music focuses on music and music videos solely.
Spotify is the master of music discovery. This music streaming platform releases tons of weekly music that’s suitable for your taste. While there’s also a music discovery feature for YouTube Music, it isn’t as complex and dedicated as Spotify.
Overall, Spotify boasts more playlists for each genre than YouTube Music. This is thanks to the fact that it’s the largest music streaming platform in the world.
Spotify vs. Apple Music
In terms of device compatibility, Spotify can connect to more devices such as speakers, consoles etc. As long as a device is Spotify Connect compatible, it can do so. On the other hand, Apple Music only allows you to connect to Apple devices primarily.
In terms of music discovery, the two platforms are similar in that they feature playlists weekly based on your interests. But if you want a variety of playlists, you should go for Spotify. However, if you’re a radio lover, then Apple Music is for you.
Both platforms allow you to follow artists and friends. But what’s interesting is that you can have group sessions in Spotify which allows you to collaborate on a shared playlist.
Spotify vs. Amazon Music
The most notable difference is that Spotify allows you to listen to tracks on-demand without cost (with ads) while Amazon Music doesn’t let you.
Both the apps of these music streaming platforms are top-notch and user-friendly. But when it comes to their websites, Spotify is the clear winner with clean and minimal designs and intuitive controls.
Although there are a lot of features between the two, Spotify still holds the top spot especially for people who want to just listen to music.
Spotify vs. Pandora
One of the most obvious differences between the two is that Spotify offers more than songs. Spotify features a lot more available podcast.
Both have similar functions: customization, music discovery and assortment of albums.
In terms of music discovery, Spotify is at the top since it has a ton of playlists weekly based on your interests.
Spotify Incorrect Username or Password
At times, you may come across the issue of a forgotten username or password related to your account. That is not a problem at all. There are a few quick fixes to this issue…
Make sure you are using the correct account. Confirm your email and phone number.
You can also go to “Forgot your password” to recover both your username and password.
Make sure if you have an Apple or Facebook account to link one of these to your Spotify. This way, you won’t forget your account information, as it is already linked to another source.
In the event that you have a linked Apple or Facebook account, but still have the message displayed, there is another option. You can uninstall Spotify from your Android or close the application on your PC and clear your cache and saved passwords.
Next, reinstall and reopen Spotify. Try logging in again using your linked account and log into your Facebook or Apple account. This should fix the solution, if all else has already failed.
Currently known as the biggest and most popular music streaming platform, Spotify boasts 286 million active users monthly. Of these numbers, 130 million are Spotify Premium subscribers. Aside from that, there are currently more than 50 million tracks available in the platform. If you’ve never tried this music platform or still considering it, you’ve come to the right place! By the end of this post, hopefully, you will see if Spotify is for you.
That’s how easy it is to listen to unlimited music! Now, let’s talk about what to expect inside the app.
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