When it comes to online music, Spotify is one of the most popular. Thanks to this platform it is possible to listen and download songs in a completely legal way. Born in 2006, this service has had a noticeable spread in recent years thanks to its nature, which is free of charge. Even though there are paid subscriptions that eliminate advertising spots, it is possible to use the platform completely free of charge.
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To think that Spotify is the only service of this kind available online is wrong. There are several sites and platforms that offer in part freeway (with the mode often called freemium ) free but at the same time legal on the web. In this article we will go to identify main alternatives to Spotify, giving a quick look at the characteristics that distinguish them from the various competitors.
The alternatives to Spotify
Despite the many features of Spotify, there is no lack of those looking for something different. In this sense, as we will see in the next lines, there are really interesting alternatives that, although many inspired in some way to Spotify, offer a different user experience.
Last.fm
Launched in 2002, Last.fm is the free alternative to Spotify. The first feature that catches the eye by relying on this platform is that advertising is less pressing than its most quoted competitor. At a closer look, however, you can understand how Last.fm is still a worthy competitor for Spotify. Thanks to algorithms that work on playlists, the platform automatically proposes other songs that are relevant to the user’s tastes and, sometimes, also offers themed music events.
Among other things, you can see the chronology of the songs you’ve listened to, save them in playlists, watch the global listening trends and find other people with similar musical tastes to ours. In the search for songs, two parameters can be indicated, that is, musical genre and decade. Once this is done you can indulge yourself with the tracks identified and find practically new songs of our kind / favorite period. To take advantage of Last.fm eliminating advertising it is necessary to pay a subscription of 3 euros per month- all in all a very low figure for a decidedly pleasant service.
Soundcloud
Soundcloud is a service that differs slightly from Spotify. In fact, in addition to music streaming, it focuses, particularly on podcasts. For those who are a habitual user of this content, this name will certainly not sound like new.
The service is aimed at users also in terms of uploads- here you can upload your own podcasts to make them available to anyone. And on the purely musical side? SoundCloud offers only part of its content at a free level. In order to access the totality of content present, it is necessary to rely on a monthly subscription of 9.99 euros. Is this a valid alternative? SoundCloud seems a great service for podcasts, while for real music, maybe you can find something cheaper.
Deezer
Deezer is another noteworthy alternative to Spotify. This platform can count on millions and millions of songs that can be cataloged and divided into playlists. The same playlists can be shared and downloaded. Present a podcast service and also the ability to follow the lyrics of the song you are listening to.
The tracks are offered in 128 Kbit / s standard quality but you can get high-quality audio by subscribing a subscription from 9.99 euros per month. With it, you can also access the library of audiobooks.
Jamendo
A little known but rather interesting service is Jamendo. The songs in the database are numerous and, among other things, you can download them for free. This is because they are available under a Creative Commons license and therefore users can use these tracks as they see fit. Although gradually Jamendo is opening up to “commercial” music, it is an interesting platform for getting to know singers and bands of the independent scene or in any case on the launch pad for success.
Ampache
It could not miss an alternative to Spotify that was totally free and opensource. This is Ampache and, in addition to offering an excellent catalog under the musical point of view, also offers numerous videos.
In addition to being compatible with Windows, Android, iOS, and Linux, this software is able to interact with a large number of programs such as Dropbox, the old Winamp, VLC, SoundCloud and many others… of course, the music is mostly CC and free from copyright. Although not comparable to Spotify, it may be curious to try this app.
Google Play Music
Even Google wanted to launch in this area, with the Google Play Music app. Backed by a 90-day trial period, this app shows users an interesting alternative to Spotify.
The platform in question does not shine for originality- it does not have audiobooks or exclusive content, limited to the purchase and/or download of tracks and entire albums. Subscriptions range from 9.99 up to 14.99 euros. A service that, although interesting, appears rather far from Spotify.
Apple Music
We could not finish the list without naming Apple Music. With a library that can count over 30 million songs, what is offered by Apple is not limited to simply listening. It is, in fact, possible to follow bands and interact with other users through comments. Also, in this case, the service is free for the first three months- at the end of this period, the subscription varies from 9.99 up to 14.99 euros.
Please note– in spite of what one might think, Apple Music is also available on external platforms such as Windows and Android.
