Turn on, tune in ... and stream
THE most popular way to enjoy music these days is through streaming – listening to favourite tunes over the internet. The Mail on Sunday analyses the key choices and costs to consider when logging on for music.
STREAMING IS TOP OF THE POPS
STREAMING has become the favourite way to tap in to music, with a record 45billion tunes listened to over the internet in Britain last year. The average household makes more than 1,500 ‘audio streams’ a year and this format now accounts for a third of all the music we listen to.
According to the British Phonographic Industry, interest in streaming rose by more than two-thirds last year thanks to a growing appreciation of this new technology in our homes. Simon Lucas, editor of music equipment enthusiasts’ magazine What Hi-Fi?, says: ‘There has been a massive change in the way we listen to music. These days people enjoy streaming favourite tracks, a bit like how we used to tune in to a radio for music in the old days but instead we now get to pick what we want to hear. There is not the same demand to listen to music on CDs, LPs and via a download as there once was. People prefer to stream and if they like the music they may buy it later on.’
In contrast to the boom in audio streaming, music downloads and CD purchases are on the decline, falling 30 and 12 per cent respectively last year. Last year, 47million CDs were bought while 18million albums were downloaded.
Meanwhile, although vinyl is enjoying a resurgence of interest, with sales up by 50 per cent last year, only 3.2million albums were bought.
The number of albums listened to through streaming last year was estimated to be 45million.
HOW TO HOOK UP TO ONLINE MUSIC
THE idea of using the internet for listening to music is still a novelty for many people but modern technology allows everyone to try it out for free.
Streaming relies on the internet because you are listening to a constant ‘stream’ of music data being piped over the web in real time. It is not to be confused with downloading music off the internet into a file as is often done in Mp3 format.
Thanks to i mproved i nternet speeds and reliability, most households can easily tap into the technology through their computer or smartphone.
Even if you use basic broadband piped down a telephone wire it should work fine, though you may occasionally lose connection if others in the home are using the internet at the same time and the speed drops to below one megabit per second.
Those using fibre optics should never have trouble streaming favourite tunes.
First, you must download a free app that provides the software that enables you to gain access to the millions of musical tracks available on the internet.
The biggest music streaming provider is Spotify but others also worth considering include Amazon Music Unlimited, Apple Music, Deezer, Google Play Music, Napster, Qobuz and Tidal.
These companies usually offer free trials or a basic streaming service for nothing, so it is possible to listen to music without spending money. But they will often then try to get you to sign up to enjoy valuable extras, such as being able to download music through the app that you can listen to later, for a ‘premium’ price of perhaps £10 a month. This service is great when you want to listen to music later on when not connected to the internet, perhaps if you are out travelling on public transport. It is important to remember that any music stored will automatically disappear when a contract ends.
Gennaro Castaldo, a spokesman for the British Phonographic Industry, says: ‘Streaming enhances the whole experience of enjoying music. It offers a wonderful way for people to experience all kinds of music that they might never have listened to before. Many people now stream to develop their musical tastes. They then perhaps buy a hard copy as a CD or vinyl if they really love it.’
Although it is possible to stream music through internet connections on your phone using networks such a
3G and 4G, it is important to be aware that there could be hefty additional charges. Music streaming can use 100 megabytes of data per hour and if you exceed a mobile phone package limit then charges can escalate up to £5 a megabyte.
GET IN TUNE WITH A PROVIDER
MUSIC streaming is dominated by Swedish firm Spotify, which has more than 40million subscribers worldwide and a 44 per cent slice of the market.
Yet despite Spotify’s mass-market appeal there are other providers that you should consider.
Gadget review website Pocketlint says you should look at Apple Music which has a 19 cent stake of the market. But it believes smaller niche players can have more interesting content and intuitive features that big companies often fail to offer.
It recommends exploring Amazon Music Unlimited, Deezer, Google Play Music, Mixcloud, Napster, Qobuz and Tidal before deciding on which streamer to use. The biggest provider in the market with 40 million paying subscribers and 125million users overall. You can listen for free if willing to suffer occasional adverts.
Premium service is £9.99 a month and allows you to also listen offline, enjoying stored music when not on the internet. A family package (maximum six) is available for £14.99 a month while students pay a discounted rate of £4.99 a month.
APPLE MUSIC
The service was only launched in 2015 and is already the second biggest. As with Spotify, individual membership costs £9.99 a month, family membership for up to six people costs £14.99 and discounted student membership costs £4.99 a month.
AMAZON MUSIC UNLIMITED
Unlimited streaming costs £3.99 a month for one Amazon music device such as an Echo. For £9.99 a month – discounted to £7.99 a month for Prime members already signed up to the £69 a year next-day postal service – you can also use smartphones and laptops. You pay £14.99 a month for a family of six to use. Promotes itself as a high-end streaming music service offering better quality sound than competitors. Offers a basic service for £9.99 a month and top quality streaming at £19.99 a month. Music streaming service charging £9.99 a month for its premium option. It charges £19.99 a month for a Hi-Fi ‘true CD quality’ sound. Reinvented itself as a music streamer (no longer an illegal downloader). A basic Napster Unlimited service allows you to stream through a computer – but not store music offline – at a cost of £5 a month. Napster Unlimited Plus Mobile allows you to use various devices and play offline. It costs £10 a month. Promotes itself as a radio service to be tailored to your personal tastes. The service is free. A French streaming company offers a free basic listening service where it provides an unlimited mix of songs it thinks you might enjoy. A premium service where you pick the tracks costs £9.99 a month and you can store music offline. A family service for six people offering unlimited music is £14.99 a month.
GOOGLE PLAY MUSIC
Provided by the biggest internet search engine, this streaming service gives access to millions of music tracks and costs £9.99 a month. A similar service for a family of six is £14.99 a month. The relationships which companies have with artists is another consideration.
For example, singer Taylor Swift does not offer her music on Spotify because she is annoyed it pays less than 0.01p to an artist every time one of their tunes is streamed.
Apple Music, which Taylor Swift has signed up to, claims to pay about 70 per cent of the monthly subscription fee from customers back to music labels and artists.