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7 Best Apple Music Alternatives You Can Try in 2026

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By Justin SabrinaUpdated on May 07, 2026

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Summary
Want to switch from Apple Music to another music service? Check out this post. This post will introduce the top 7 best Apple Music alternatives for unique features, competitive prices, and awesome streaming experience.

Apple Music is one of the most popular streaming music platforms worldwide. People love its seamless integration across Apple devices, well-structured music library management, expertly curated playlists and karaoke Sing feature. However, as Apple Music's FairPlay DRM protections that limit playback and storage flexibility, many users want to to switch over from Apple Music to another music service.

If you're searching for the best Apple Music alternatives, you'd better put your eyes on this article. Whether you want a free alternative to Apple Music or a premium service with high-fidelity audio, this article covers all you need. Here we'll explore the top 7 Apple Music alternatives, comparing features, pricing, sound quality, and user experience.

Best Apple Music Alternatives

CONTENTS

What Are the Alternatives to Apple Music? (Quick Look)

  • 1. Spotify
  • 2. Amazon Music
  • 3. Tidal
  • 4. Deezer
  • 5. YouTube Music
  • 6. SoundCloud
  • 7. Pandora Music

1.Spotify

Since its launched in Sweden in October 2008, Spotify has become the king of streaming music service. As of the first quarter of 2026, it has over 761 million monthly active users (MAUs) and 293 million premium subscribers worldwide. As the top 1 alternative to Apple Music, Spotify offers a massive music library, advanced recommendation algorithms, and cross-platform compatibility. Unlike Apple Music, which requires a paid subscription, Spotify allows you to stream over 100 million tracks, 7 million podcast titles, and 700,000 audiobooks (with ad support) for free!

It also stands out due to its intuitive interface and personalized playlists like Discover Weekly and Daily Mix. Whether you're a casual listener or a music enthusiast, Spotify delivers a seamless listening experience across devices. New to Spotify? You can definitely get Spotify Premium free for 1 month!

best apple music alternative - spotify

💰 Subscription Price:

  • Free plan (ad-supported)
  • Premium Individual: $12.99/Month
  • Premium Student Plan: $6.99/Month
  • Premium Duo Plan: $18.99/Month
  • Premium Family Plan: $21.99/Month (Up to six individual accounts)

⭐ Free Trial: 30-day free trial for new users

🎧 Sound Quality:

  • Free tier: 128kbps (mobile app) / 160kbps (desktop)
  • Premium tier: Up to 320kbps Ogg Vorbis, or lossless audio in up to 24-bit/44.1 kHz FLAC

👍 Pros:

  • Excellent music discovery algorithm.
  • Offers a smart AI DJ feature.
  • Massive library (over 100 million songs).
  • Excellent free tier for casual listeners.
  • Seamless cross-device playback (Spotify Connect).
  • Strong social and collaborative features.

👎 Cons:

  • Artist payouts are relatively low.
  • Free tier has annoying ads and mobile restrictions.
  • Podcast focus may clutter the music experience.

2. Amazon Music

If Spotify doesn't quite hit the mark on Amazon devices, Amazon Music is a strong Apple Music alternative. It's highly compatible with Amazon devices such as Fire tablets, Fire TV, and Alexa-enabled smart speakers, etc, delivering a smooth and high-quality streaming experience. If you're already an Amazon Prime subscriber, you can access to over 100 million ad-free songs and podcasts, and download Amazon Prime Music for free on your authorized devices.

Alternatively, you can subscribe to a standalone Amazon Music Unlimited, and HD (850 kbps), Ultra HD (3730 kbps), spatial audio streaming, unlimited skips, and offline listening. If you don't want to pay for it, you can either join up a free tier, or get a 30-day free trial of Amazon Prime or Amazon Music Unlimited!

best apple music alternative - Amazon Music

💰 Subscription Price:

  • Amazon Music Free (limited access), no cost
  • Amazon Prime Membership (included with Prime Music, Prime Video, etc.), costs $14.99 monthly or $139 annually.
  • Amazon Music Unlimited: $12.99/month, or $11.99/month for Prime members
  • Amazon Music Unlimited Family: $21.99/month (up to 6 accounts)
  • Amazon Music Unlimited for Students: $5.99/month
  • Single Device Plan: $5.99/month (for one Echo or Fire TV device)

⭐ Free Trial: 30-day free trial of Amazon Prime or Music Unlimited for new users

🎧 Sound Quality:

  • Free tier: SD) quality
  • Prime Music: Up to 320kbps
  • Unlimited Standard: Up to 320kbps
  • Unlimited HD: 16-bit/44.1kHz (CD quality)
  • Ultra HD: Up to 24-bit/192 kHz
  • Spatial Audio: Dolby Atmos on thousands of tracks

👍 Pros:

  • Best value for Prime members (included music with membership).
  • Genuine lossless HD and Ultra HD audio at no extra cost.
  • Auto-rip for physical CD purchases.
  • X-Ray lyrics provide interesting song facts.
  • Deep Alexa integration for smart home users.

👎 Cons:

  • Limited free tier functionality.
  • Desktop app can be slow and buggy.
  • Podcast selection is limited compared to Spotify.
  • Discovery and curation are weaker than Apple Music or Spotify.

3. Tidal

Tidal is widely recognized as one of the best alternatives to Apple Music for audiophiles. It is famous for its artist-centric approach and high-fidelity audio up to 24-bit/192kHz (Master Quality Authenticated - MQA), offering a premium listening experience. The catalog includes over 110 million tracks, plus 650,000 music videos and concert films. It also offers a rubust selection of curated playlists by music experts and artists. The interface is sleek but less intuitive than Spotify.

The main drawback is the subscription price. Since April 2024, Tidal has stopped offering free, ad-supported versions. New users can sign up for a 30-day free trial on Tidal official website or app. After that, you need to pay $10.99 per month. Moreover, you are not able to download Tidal music to computer, as the download function is only available for mobile devices.

best apple music alternative - tidal

💰 Subscription Price:

  • Tidal Individual plan: $10.99/month
  • Tidal Family plan: $16.99/month (up to 6 accounts, CD quality)
  • Tidal Student plan: $5.49/month
  • DJ Extension add-on: Available for Individual and Student plans for additional $9/month

⭐ Free Trial: Yes, typically 30 days

🎧 Sound Quality:

  • High (Lossless/CD Quality): 16-bit/44.1 kHz FLAC
  • Max (HiRes FLAC): Up to 24-bit/192 kHz
  • Dolby Atmos: Lossy (Dolby Digital Plus), usually around 768 kbps

👍 Pros:

  • Best sound quality of any mainstream streaming service.
  • Excellent for classical, jazz, and audiophile genres.
  • Includes music videos, live performances, and exclusive content.
  • Tidal Connect for multi-room listening.
  • Artist payout (highest among major streamers).

👎 Cons:

  • Higher cost for top-tier plans.
  • Smaller library compared to Apple Music and Spotify.
  • Tidal app does not consistently remember playback position.

4. Deezer

Another great streaming alternative to Apple Music refers to Deezer. Founded in France, Deezer is particularly strong in Europe, Latin America, and Africa. What makes Deezer stand out? Its large music catalog (over 90 million tracks) and unique features like Flow (a personalized music stream), SongCatcher (identifies songs playing around you, like Shazam built-in). Its interface is clean and intuitive across mobile, desktop, and web.

As a solid Apple Music alternative, Deezer provides a free ad-supported plan, while its Premium subscribers enjoy CD-quality lossless audio (16-bit/44.1kHz) and offline listening mode. But sometimes the Deezer app is buggy when you are connecting to an unstable nework. Don't worry, you can refer to this full guide to fix Deezer not working.

best apple music alternative - deezer

💰 Subscription Price:

  • Deezer Free: Ad-supported
  • Deezer Premium: $11.99/month
  • Deezer Duo: $15.99/month (2 accounts)
  • Deezer Family: $19.99/month (up to 6 accounts, individual Flows)
  • Deezer Student: $5.99/month

⭐ Free Trial: Yes, 1 month free trial

🎧 Sound Quality:

  • Free tier: Basic (64kb/s) or Standard (128kb/s) audio quality
  • Premium tier: High Quality (HQ) - 320kbps; or High Fidelity sound - 16-bit/44.1kHz FLAC

👍 Pros:

  • Free tier offered.
  • HiFi audio available.
  • Unique discovery features.
  • Global catalog strong in non-US markets.
  • Flow creates an amazing personalized listening experience.

👎 Cons:

  • Less popular in some regions.
  • Smaller social and community features.
  • Flow playback can repeat tracks after long sessions.
  • Podcast selection lags behind Spotify.

5. YouTube Music

YouTube Music is a free alternative to Apple Music that you can direct access to its music library via your Google account. It combines official tracks, covers, music videos, remixes, live performances, and user-uploaded content not available on Apple Music or Spotify. Discovery is powered by Google's AI, which can be eerily good when you use the "mixed for you" playlists.

While the free version is ad-supported and restricted background play on mobile, YouTube Music Premium and YouTube Premium lets you enjoy background play, ad-free streaming, and offline downloads. Replacing to subscribe to Premium tier, you may also utilize a powerful YouTube music downloader to download YouTube music to MP3 for free!

best apple music alternative - YouTube Music

💰 Subscription Price:

  • YouTube Music Free: Ad-supported
  • YouTube Music Premium (Individual): $10.99/month
  • YouTube Music Premium (Family): $16.99/month (up to 5 accounts)
  • YouTube Music Premium (Student): $5.49/month
  • YouTube Premium (includes Music Premium): $15.99/month (Individual)
  • YouTube Premium Family: $26.99/month (up to 5 accounts)
  • YouTube Premium Student: $8.99/month

⭐ Free Trial: 1 month free trial for YouTube Music Premium or YouTube Premium

🎧 Sound Quality:

  • Free tier: 128kbps AAC
  • Premium tier: Up to 256kbps AAC (no lossless available)

👍 Pros:

  • Unbeatable selection of remixes, covers, and rare tracks.
  • YouTube Premium bundle gives ad-free video streaming.
  • Smart downloads work seamlessly offline.
  • Google's recommendation AI is powerful.
  • Great for discovering new artists via algorithm.

👎 Cons:

  • Audio quality caps at 256kbps (no lossless).
  • Interface is cluttered with video thumbnails.
  • Offline downloads expire after 30 days (requires reconnecting).
  • No support for podcasts (unless uploaded as videos).

6. SoundCloud

SoundCloud is not only a free Apple Music alternative, but also one of the best MP3 music downloaders for PC and phone. Unlike above streaming music platforms, SoundCloud focuses on emerging artists, DJ sets, remixes, and underground tracks. The platform boasts over 320 million tracks, many of which are exclusive to SoundCloud.

The free version of SoundCloud lets users stream most tracks with ads, and some songs can even be downloaded as MP3 files if enabled by the uploader. For ad-free listening and offline playback, you can upgrade to SoundCloud Go or SoundCloud Go+ (the latter unlocks the full catalog, including major artists like Drake, Taylor Swift, and The Weeknd). It's perfect for discovering new talent and underground music.

best apple music alternative - SoundCloud

💰 Subscription Price:

  • Free plan available
  • SoundCloud Go: $4.99/month (7-day free trial)
  • SoundCloud Go+: $10.99/month (30-day free trial), $5.49/month for Student

⭐ Free Trial: 7-day for Go, or 30-day for Go+

🎧 Sound Quality:

  • Free tier: 128kbps MP3 (variable)
  • Go / Go+ tier: Up to 256kbps AAC (decent but not lossless)

👍 Pros:

  • Massive library of remixes, DJ sets, and lo-fi beats.
  • Best platform for discovering underground and emerging artists.
  • Some songs can be downloaded as MP3 files for free.
  • Users can comment on specific moments in a track.

👎 Cons:

  • Inconsistent audio quality.
  • Not all mainstream tracks available compared to other platforms.

7. Pandora Music

Pandora Music is another good option to replace Apple Music. Founded in 2000, Pandora is known for its radio-style listening experience and smart music recommendation system. This platform focuses on lean-back listening: you start a station based on an artist, song, or genre, and Pandora plays a continuous stream of similar tracks.

Similar to Spotify, Pandora Music is a freemium service. The free tier includes ads and limited skips; Pandora Plus removes ads and allows offline radio stations; Pandora Premium adds full on-demand search, playlists, and unlimited skips. However, Pandora Music is only available in the US, Australia, and New Zealand. Moreover, it lacks Hi-Res audio, the Pandora Premium subscribers can receive 192kbps on their mobile devices. Even with a Premium subscription, you cannot directly download Pandora music to computer, unless you use a third-party Pandora music downloader.

best apple music alternative - pandora

💰 Subscription Price:

  • Pandora Free: Ad-supported
  • Pandora Plus: $4.99/month (30-day free trial)
  • Pandora Premium: $10.99/month (60-day free trial)
  • Pandora Premium Student: $5.99/month
  • Pandora Premium Family: $17.99/month (up to 6 accounts)

⭐ Free Trial: 30-day for Plus, or 60-day for Premium

🎧 Sound Quality:

  • Free tier: 128kbps AAC
  • Plus: 128kbps AAC (same)
  • Premium: Up to 192kbps AAC (higher quality streams, not lossless)

👍 Pros:

  • Free tier available.
  • Easy-to-use radio feature.
  • Industry-leading radio station personalization.
  • Very affordable plans compared with other services.
  • Excellent for background listening while working or driving.

👎 Cons:

  • Limited global availability.
  • Interface feels dated compared to rivals.
  • Only available in the US, Australia, and New Zealand.
  • On-demand catalog is smaller than Apple Music or Spotify.
  • Lower sound quality (worst of all Apple Music alternatives).

Bonus: Download Streaming Music to MP3

Streaming music services are convenient, but they come with limitations. Even with a paid subscription, all your downloaded songs are actually cached files that can only be played within the official app. Once your subscription ends, your downloads disappear. To keep the music permanently and enjoy a flexible offline playback experience, you need a professional third-party streaming music downloader tool.

UkeySoft MusicOne Converter is an all-in-one music converter, downloader, player, and manager for Windows and Mac. It supports downloading music from 7 major platforms, including Apple Music, Spotify, Amazon Music, Tidal, Deezer, YouTube Music, and Pandora Music. It helps you unlock DRM protection and converts streaming music tracks, playlists, albums, podcasts, audibooks to common MP3, AAC, M4A, FLAC, or WAV formats. For ad-supported users, this great tool also assists you to remove ads on music tracks. Once converted, you can keep the music files forever and enjoy them on any device or player without internet or official app, even without a subscription.

With 16X faster conversion speed, high-quality output (up to 320kbps MP3 or 640kbps AAC/M4A), and preserved ID3 tags, it ensures an excellent offline listening experience. Additionally, UkeySoft organizes music files automatically and includes a built-in music player, making it easier to play and manage your downloaded library.

Main Features of UkeySoft All-in-One Music Converter:

  • Download music from 7 major platforms to Mac or PC.
  • Download songs, albums, playlists, podcasts, audiobooks, etc.
  • Convert music to MP3, M4A, AAC, WAV, FLAC, AIFF formats.
  • Download music 16X fast speed with lossless audio output.
  • Batch convert whole playlists or albums with one click.
  • Preserve ID3 tags like song title, artist, album, and artwork.
  • Built-in web player, no separate streaming music apps needed.

Step 1. Select a Platform and Log In Account
Download and install UkeySoft All-in-One Music Converter. Launch the software, select Spotify from the main interface.

launch ukeysoft music converter

Next, you need to log in to your Spotify account (free or premium) to access the official music library.

sign in spotify account

Step 2. Configure Output Settings
Click the Menu > Preference. A small window will pop up, allowing you to set the output format, output quality, output folder, output file name and more settings.

set output formats

Step 3. Browse, Open, and Add Songs
Browse Spotify library online and open the tracks, podcast, playlist or album you want to download. Then click the green "+" icon in the right side.

add spotify song

A list of tracks will appear. All songs are selected by default, uncheck any you don't want to convert.

select songs

Step 4. Start to Convert Spotify Music to MP3
Click "Convert" button, the software will immediately begin to start downloading and converting Spotify music to MP3 quickly.

convert spotify music to mp3

Step 5. Find Output Spotify Songs
Once complete, click the blue folder icon next to any song to visit the history. You can now enjoy these high-quality Spotify songs anytime!

get converted spotify music

To access your downloaded Spotify MP3 music files, please click on the folder icon next to the song name, it will navigate to the output folder.

output spotify music files

Final Words

To sum up, there are the top 7 Apple Music alternatives that each offer unique features and music catalog. You can choose the one based on your listening habits, budget, and preferred features. If you are new to the service, you and even start a free trial before joining its paid version. If you want full control over your music and the ability to keep songs forever, third-party tools like UkeySoft All-in-One Music Converter can enhance your experience even further. It allows you to download high-quality MP3 music from Apple Music and its alternatives to play offline and keep forever. The software offers a free trial, you can download it right now!

Best Apple Music Alternatives
Justin Sabrina

Justin Sabrina

Justin Sabrina has over 10 years of content writing experience. She specializes in product reviews, how-to guides, tips and tricks, top lists, etc. on data encryption, multi-media conversion, screen recording and iOS unlocking. At UkeySoft, she performs in-depth research SEO copywriting and collaborates with our R & D team to offer effective software solution, most of her articles on software are helpful and easy to read, helping our reader easily solve problems through using software or apps.

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