Meanwhile, Spotify's planned HiFi (lossless) tier is still MIA and the company can't say when it will be coming. Unlike Spotify, competitors like Apple Music, Amazon Music Unlimited and Tidal are now offering lossless or even Dolby Atmos music at no extra charge. Spotify also offers the best free tier: Without paying a dime or providing a credit card number, you can listen to millions of tunes and even stream Spotify Connect to numerous Wi-Fi devices. This is thanks to a fun, easy-to-use interface, an extensive catalog and the best device compatibility. When it comes to choosing a service, it's a close race between Spotify Premium and Apple Music, but Spotify still wins as the best music streaming service overall.

The service has also ramped up its nonmusic content with a push toward podcasts, which indirectly led to folk-rock icon Neil Young removing his music from the service. It offers a number of curated music discovery services, including its Discover Weekly playlist, and is constantly implementing new ones, such as Stations and an AI DJ. Spotify is a pioneer in music streaming and is arguably the best-known service.

Spotify hifi