In many ways, free streaming music resembles classic, terrestrial radio. You may not enjoy the sweet sounds that Hi-Res Audio delivers. You may not be able to listen to songs on demand, or fire up particular playlists. You may be limited to just six song skips per hour. What Are the Downsides to Free Music Streaming?įree music listening has its inconveniences, however. Not everyone needs those features, of course, so free music tiers are extremely valuable. Those for-pay service levels are aimed at customers who really want to explore the depths of what a streaming music service offers. You may ask, 'What about big names, such as Apple Music or SiriusXM Internet Radio?' Those excellent streaming music are definitely worth your time, but they are premium-only affairs with premium-only features. Though some of the listed services have price tags attached, rest assured that they all have no-cost tiers. Spotify has many free playlists and podcasts. iHeartRadio blends live, terrestrial radio with playlists. For example, LiveXLive differentiates itself with Stories, a hosted program that features interesting tales, ranging from love to horror. If you think you'll miss out on good content by going the free route, think again-these streaming services offer a surprising amount of content. These are our favorites.īuying Guide: The Best Free Online Streaming Music Services for 2023 What Is the Best Free Music Streaming Service? Many popular streaming music services offer free tiers that offer no-cost listening. However, that doesn't mean you must pay for online music. Those trailblazing services, among others, helped internet music listening go legit and created a new music industry revenue stream. Digital downloads and online streaming music services eventually became the norm, thanks to the likes of iTunes and Pandora, respectively. Over time, the music industry morphed to take advantage of the new digital landscape and to find new ways to capture dollars previously lost to Napster and BearShare. Back then, people purchased CDs, traditional radio still held weight, MTV was hot, and file sharing had become commonplace for those with PCs and fast internet connections. Music consumption has changed a lot since the year 2000. Read our editorial mission (Opens in a new window) & see how we test (Opens in a new window). Since 1982, PCMag has tested and rated thousands of products to help you make better buying decisions. How to Set Up Two-Factor Authentication.How to Record the Screen on Your Windows PC or Mac.How to Convert YouTube Videos to MP3 Files.How to Save Money on Your Cell Phone Bill.How to Free Up Space on Your iPhone or iPad.How to Block Robotexts and Spam Messages.

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