Streaming Shakeup: Alternatives to Spotify Gain Traction
Listeners are increasingly exploringโ music streaming services beyond Spotify, driven by concerns over โpricing,โค artist compensation,โ and content control. A recent โคanalysis by c’t uplink โข highlights how competitors like Deezer, Tidal, Appleโฃ Music, and others are positioning themselves to capitalize on growing dissatisfaction withโข the dominant platform.
The shift comes as Spotify faces scrutiny over its royalty rates and โrecent changes to its subscription tiers.While Spotify remains the market leader, alternativesโ are attracting usersโค with features โlike lossless audio quality,โฃ hi-res streaming, and more โfavorable artist payout models. This evolvingโ landscape presents both โคopportunities and challenges for โmusicโข fans and creators alike, possibly reshaping the future ofโ music consumption.
c’t uplink‘s assessment โdetails specific โคadvantagesโ offered by โeach service:
Deezer: โ Offers a “Flow” personalized playlist and โคa focus on audio โคquality,โ including FLAC streaming.
Tidal: Emphasizes โhigh-fidelity audio andโ direct artist โsupport through itsโข artist-owned โขplatform.
Appleโ Music: Integrates seamlessly within the Apple ecosystem and provides spatial audio with Dolby Atmos.
qobuz: Caters to audiophiles with a vastโข catalog of high-resolution audio tracks.
The article notes that while SpotifyS extensive library and โestablished user base remain significant advantages,these alternativeโ services are actively addressing โkey pain points for both listeners and artists,potentially leading toโ a more diversified and competitive streaming market. Readers can find c’t on Mastodon, Instagram, Facebook, Bluesky, and Threads, and also inโ print magazine format.
