Spotify(01 of10)
Open Image ModalLaunched back in 2008, Spotify has quickly out-run its competitors to become to go-to streaming service for bright young things. It has a library of 20 million songs and deals with with Sony, EMI, Warner and Universal, so you can expect the latest albums to hit their service pretty darn quickly. The service offers paid-for and ad-supported models, so you can use it for free if you like. And it has good social media facilities, so you quickly get a sense of what your friends are listening to. You can also download apps from places such as Last fm, NME, Hype Machine and Lazify, which will widen your music experience. As well as being able to store albums offline (they’re called playlists).It’s basically a good all-round service, although music lovers have criticised it’s music selection for not including more offbeat, eclectic artists. (credit:Spotify)
Google Play Music All Access(02 of10)
Open Image ModalThis is definitely a service to watch. Sure, at this stage it only offers a paltry 18 millions songs, but critics say it’s still a bit of a winner.Unlike other services, you can store up to 20,000 songs locally, which means that you’re on your way to having a comprehensive personal music library and streaming service in one.It also does everything else its competitors do. Such as encouraging sharing of music and recommendations from others, while offering curated lists of songs. It's also got Google Plus built it. And is even available on iOS.If you’re not sure, they’re offering a one-month free trial. The only commonly cited drawback is that this system might be a little unreliable. But it’s still in its early stages, having only rolled out its first phase a couple of years ago, so it might be worth sticking with it. (credit:engadget.com)
Xbox Music(03 of10)
Open Image ModalWith more than 30 million music tracks available and a £9 per month subscription fee, Xbox Music is a solid bet. It comes in slightly cheaper than most other services, plus there’s a one month free trial.The service works on Microsoft devices (like Xbox) but also on iOS and Android. Although some have criticised its mobile app on the Windows phone. Plus it streams quickly. So all-in-all, it’s a pretty good deal. (credit:windowsphone.com)
Rdio(04 of10)
Open Image ModalFrom the people who gave you such life-saving apps as Skype, comes Rdio.Beautifully designed, you feel cool just for using it. But service-wise, it's not dissimilar to Spotify.You can subscribe to a similar free advert-supported service. And it links seamlessly with your social media life, posting your likes and loves to Facebook in an instant. It also costs £10 a month, and has 20 million songs in the library. On the down side, users have mentioned that some of its features aren’t quite perfected. For example, their ‘collection matching’ music file option has bugs. (credit:businessinsider.com)
Deezer(05 of10)
Open Image ModalBegun in 2007, this service now has 35 million tracks in its library, more than 16 million users and is available in 182 countries.There are lots of deals for first-time users. So this might be a great service to try, before you make your final decision.You can subscribe to the service for just £5 per month for the first six months, and this includes unlimited access to its mobile app. There are also deals available for Orange/EE customers. Or if you buy a Sonos speaker system, you can use it for free. The one current drawback is probably it’s mobile app. Users tend to agree that it’s a bit dated and need some tweaking. (credit:Deezer.com)
Nokia Mix Radio(06 of10)
Open Image ModalIf you’re genuinely in the mood for a service that does all the work for you, look no further than Nokia Mix Radio. This streaming service picks tracks for you to listen to at random. Wonderfully, there are no adverts, and you’ll find that the service personalises over time, as it learns your music tastes.You can also download four playlist mixes to take with you when you’re offline and on-the-go. So for £4 a month, with good quality audio, is there really a downside?Oh yes, it’s available for Windows Phone 8 only. (credit:conversations.nokia.com)
Last.fm(07 of10)
Open Image ModalEarlier this year, Last.fm closed its music subscription service to focus on personalised listening. Via the Last.fm Player, you can continue to take advantage of its 'Scrobbler' service.Basically, this device helps you discover new music based on your personal tastes and listening habits. It notes whatever you've been listening to on external programmes, and makes suggestions. Definitely a service for those who want an easy route into new music. (credit:Last.fm)
Rara(08 of10)
Open Image ModalWith near CD-quality sound and more than 22 million songs available, this service is very popular among music-lovers. The company doesn’t offer an ad-based subscription model, as it wants to focus on keep the money flowing towards musicians, rather than corporations.It also prides itself on offering users carefully curated music playlists, put together by musicologists, rather than algorithms. Additionally, the service works well on devices with poor web connections, due to its back-end technology. (credit:apps.microsoft.com)
Shuffler.fm(09 of10)
Open Image ModalIf you really want to join the music elite, then it might be time to download Shuffler.fm.This streaming service aims to curate the best music from the world's web-based tastemakers.Not only is there a library of 20 million songs, but music journalists, bloggers and DJ’s will send users regular updates about what's hot right now. (credit:Shuffler.fm)
Blinkbox Music(10 of10)
Open Image ModalThis free music streaming service is cheap and cheerful.Owned by Tesco, the advertising-supported service has more than 12 million tracks available for use in the UK and Ireland. (credit:Tesco.com)