Soundcloud Vs. Spotify Vs. Pandora, Which Music Streaming Service is the Best

Technology is evolving day in day out, which is why today there are very many applications, specifically music streaming applications. There are very many music streaming applications and it is the wish of every application developer that their music streaming application get recognized by mobile and computer users around the globe. Currently, three music streaming applications have received proper recognition. The three applications are SoundCloud, Spotify, and Pandora. This article will try to identify which music streaming application is better.

Soundcloud

Sound cloud is a music streaming application that is considered home to both upcoming and discovered artists. The sound cloud allows you to listen to music that you love and also gives you a platform to share any audio or rather songs that you have created.  The application permits artists to share up to 5 music tracks on their profiles to showcase their best creations. There is also a comment section that allows fans to comment on what they think or feel about the specific music. For the artists, it is easy to know the number of times and from where your music has been streamed. Most importantly music lovers using the sound cloud can search for any music of their liking from the search tab provided.

Pros

• Sound cloud notifies its user of newly uploaded songs
• You can choose to subscribe to paid options, but you can use still use SoundCloud for free
• You get to enjoy pre-released music
• You can follow people with similar music tastes to you. Once they like a song, you will be notified
• Sound cloud recommends music that you should listen to. The music is related to what you often listen
• It is compatible with several platforms, web, desktop, android, and windows
• Sound cloud users can create their playlists and share them with others
• Good audio quality

Cons

• There are audio adverts when streaming music
• Sound cloud interface is full of problems and bugs
• It restricts searching for music. You can’t easily search creative commons music

Spotify

Spotify is among the well-known music streaming apps. It is estimated to have almost 140 million users all over the globe. Music lovers can use Spotify for free but will be limited to the type and number of songs they listen to. To experience Spotify properly, users have to subscribe to the paid versions. Paid versions allow users to listen to all types of music artists and albums without any restrictions.

Spotify generally is user-friendly. First, it is effortless to search and discover music. There is a discovery tab that consists of songs that you may like based on what music you have been listening to. Spotify encourages sharing; users can share their favorite music and also their playlist across all social media platforms. You will also be notified of new music and music-related news.

Pros

• Spotify is easy and enjoyable to use
• It is compatible with various platforms iOS, Android, and web browser
• It has a one-month free trial
• It offers different premium subscription plans, that is individual and family
• You can still listen to music when you are offline Spotify is free of advertisements
• Spotify has a massive music catalog

Cons

• Spotify is unavailable in several countries
• You can only stream music, and there isn’t an option for downloading

Pandora

Pandora has also made a name for itself in the music streaming industry. Pandora is compatible with most platforms from android to windows, iOS, web, and so many other platforms. The free Pandora version has a lot of ads and it is limited to six skips per hour when playing a combination of songs. However, with Pandora plus which costs around $4.99 a month and $54.89 a year, you can enjoy an ad-free radio and music streaming and an unlimited number of skips. Pandora’s music genome algorithm helps the user to create their playlist. It also predicts the music that you might like based on what you have been listening to overtime.

Pandora allows its users to like or dislike music being streamed. Depending on the type of music you like, Pandora will attempt to predict and recommend songs that you should listen to. It also allows its user to share their playlist with their friends or other Pandora users.

Pros

• Pandora is compatible with different platforms.
• Offers access to over 30 million songs
• It has both free and premium subscriptions
• It predicts the music you are likely to like

Cons

• It is only available in a few countries such as the US, Australia, and New Zealand.
• It does not have a family plan like the other streaming platforms.
• A lot of ads in Pandora’s free version

All music streaming applications aim to offer the same thing to its user, each of the three applications Soundcloud, Spotify and Pandora have one unique feature or characteristic which attracts people and music lovers around the globe to use it. If you are looking to choose which music streaming app to use, research the features and characteristics and consider the subscription price.