The Internet has changed the way we get our news, watch movies, and pay our bills. It’s not surprising, then, that it has also changed the way we listen to music. Today, the web is home to several top music-streaming services – online services that allow users to listen to their favorite music on their laptops, desktops, and mobile devices.
But which music-streaming services are the best? Here are some recommendations:
Pandora: Pandora is very widely used because of its simple user interface. After navigating to the website, you are able to input a song or artist you want to hear and Pandora will create a “radio” station based upon that information. This is an excellent way to learn about new artists with similar sounds. The stations that Pandora creates are easily personalized as well. If Pandora chooses an artist that you don’t like, you can click the thumbs down symbol on the song. Pandora allows for further customization by allowing you to “seed” your station with different artists. While you can enjoy Pandora without creating an account, it is crucial if you want to save your personalized stations.
Grooveshark: Grooveshark is similar to Pandora. But you can also make your own playlists manually, all without creating an account. However, those that want to save their play lists will have to sign up for a free account. Like Pandora, Grooveshark also provides suggestions for songs that you might like determined by your past musical selections. Grooveshark also has an intriguing feature: You can help build the service’s database of music by adding your own favorite songs and artists if you don’t find them in Grooveshark’s existing collection.
Rhapsody: Rhapsody has stayed fairly popular due to its huge database of music. It has more then 14 million songs. Unfortunately, while many of the services we have discussed offer a free version, Rhapsody does not. It is $10 a month for unlimited music.
Spotify: Spotify is a Swedish music-streaming service that was launched in 2008. It has quickly grown to one of the most well-known and widely used services out there. People like the flexibility of Spotify. When you search for an artist, you can listen to a complete album or decide to use the radio function and Spotify will find similar artists for you to enjoy. Another advantage of Spotify is that you may create your own playlists and share them with other users if you so choose.
