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ultra_prescriptivist t1_je2i7kq wrote

I've done a lot of comparing different streaming platforms and I've come to the conclusion that none of them are enough to completely replace my local FLAC library.

A quick summary, from my personal experience:

Apple Music - good quality master recordings (for the most part), and affordable. Let down by the fact that Apple are Apple and purposefully make things difficult if you are not already inside their little walled garden.

Amazon - terrible apps and search functionality

Spotify - good cross platform support, great music discovery, but little attention given to master recording quality. Their new TikTok style UI has me worried, as well.

Tidal - MQA, overpriced for what it is

Deezer - basically Spotify but with less functionality and same lack of attention to master recording quality

Qobuz - Nice apps, good attention to master recording quality but terrible search functionality and music discovery

YouTube Music - huge library, nice clean apps, but music quality is a mixed bag

As far as sound quality goes, the differences between different services are often grossly exaggerated. Essentially, if they use the same master recordings, and they generally do, then they will all sound the same (all other things, like volume, being equal).

Ultimately, the fact that you don't have any control over what master recordings are being used (in some cases, only crappy, dynamically compressed remasters are available instead of the original CD) is a big problem for me, and the other is that you are basically just renting the music you listen to.

So for now I use Spotify for music discovery and mobile/social listening but still continue to buy and download local files through Qobuz and Bandcamp.

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