which music streaming service? opinions wanted

[jonnyboy666]

hmm . . . so this thread was worthwhile for me to ask about then.

seemed to have turned in to a rant for many of you. didn't mean to cause that!

any chance you guys can answer the original question to help me decide rather than getting all environmental or upset at with rich person gets to make the most money out of me.

apologies if that's a little blunt!!

 

[highlandsflyer]

That’s a very relevant point. But of all the material things to purchase, well-appreciated music has to rank amongst the most justifiable?
(I’ve recently paid £90 for an audiophile mastering of Joni Mitchell’s Court and Spark CD. Never spent anything like that before on a CD, but it’s the best production ever and sounds superb. One of my favourite albums, and in the long run might just be one of the best value thing I’ve ever bought…)

Crikey! I'd expect to hear Joni's moaning round my gaff for that money!

What bitrate is considered optimal, and which streaming service is best bang for the buck?

 

[MattiThundrrr]

Absolutely. It's all about making mindful choices. Charity shops are full of essentially unsellable mass produced CDs & DVDs - which a lot of people will have only listened to/watched once.

Lol unsellable to you perhaps, but that's my jam! All I but is used CDs and records. I barely buy anything new anymore. Ms Dice has occasionally picked up a few new albums, but there aren't many making new albums that I'm interested in.

 

[MattiThundrrr]

any chance you guys can answer the original question to help me decide rather than getting all environmental or upset at with rich person gets to make the most money out of me.

Sorry guy, you asked for opinions on public forum. That means that anyone can say their piece. The thread drift into CDs, LPs and tape is a bit of a sidetrack, but predictable, this is a retro themed forum after all. However, the streaming advice is legit. Some people factor the environment and business ethics into their music purchases.

 

[ferrus]

Fair do’s! I’d certainly like to learn what’s the best sound quality streaming available..

 

[CassidyAce]

Crikey! I'd expect to hear Joni's moaning round my gaff for that money!

What bitrate is considered optimal, and which streaming service is best bang for the buck?

If you want the best audio quality, look for lossless high resolution flac files. Apple uses its own ALAC format which is also lossless but flac is usually considered marginally superior due to having a higher bit-depth, although whether the difference is noticeable to most people on most devices is debatable. Both are very good and the quality of the original recordings is likely to make more difference to the listener.

In terms of bang for buck, it depends on what matters to you. Tidal's selling point is its audio quality. Spotify's audio quality is lower but it bundles in a lot of podcasts and some audiobooks. Amazon offers both high quality audio and a wide selection of podcasts, but the Android app has a lot of bad reviews focused on reliability. They all cost about the same and they all have their strengths and flaws; the best bang for your buck depends on which strengths and flaws matter most to you.

They all seem to offer free trials so the sensible option would be to try one and see what you think.