Which music streaming service has the best quality?
The music streaming industry, including services like Spotify, Apple Music, YouTube Music, and Tidal, has seen tremendous growth over the last decade. According to Music Streaming Market Share and Revenue Statistics, the worldwide music streaming market was estimated at $29.5 billion in 2021, making up about 84% of total U.S. music industry revenue. Demand for on-demand streaming services like Spotify and Apple Music has increased rapidly as consumers migrate to digital music over physical formats.
At the same time there has been ongoing debate over which music streaming service has superior sound quality. Some high-fidelity services like Tidal market themselves as offering much better audio quality than more mainstream competitors. Yet there has been disagreement among both consumers and experts over whether services like Tidal live up to their claims regarding sound quality. Overall there is evidence of differences in audio quality between streaming services, but close analysis is needed to determine whether those differences are meaningful or worth paying extra for. This article will examine the key streaming services and attempt to definitively determine which has the highest fidelity audio quality through objective testing and analysis.
Audio Quality Basics
To understand how music streaming services compare in audio quality, it’s important to first understand some key technical concepts related to digital audio.
The bitrate determines how much data is used to represent the audio signal per second of playback. Higher bitrates allow more detailed and accurate representations of the original analog audio waveform. However, higher bitrates also require more bandwidth and storage capacity. Common bitrates for music streaming range from 96 kbps on the low end to 320 kbps for high quality according to industry best practices.
The sampling rate, measured in Hz, determines how many “snapshots” per second are taken of the analog audio to convert it into digital form. 44.1 kHz is the standard sampling rate used for CD audio quality. Higher sampling rates like 48 kHz, 96 kHz or 192 kHz can potentially capture finer audio detail, but also require more storage and bandwidth as explained here.
Audio compression techniques are used to reduce the size of digital audio files. Lossless compression reduces file size while perfectly preserving the original data. Lossy compression like MP3 introduces some data loss, removing less audible parts of the audio signal. The level of compression impacts audio quality according to the encoding bitrate as analyzed here.
Test Methodology
To compare audio quality across music streaming services, we conducted direct A/B listening tests using high quality audio equipment. The methodology was adapted from general methods described for the subjective assessment of sound quality by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU-R BS.1284).
We selected 5 popular streaming services for testing: Spotify, Apple Music, YouTube Music, Tidal and Amazon Music. The same 5 test audio tracks containing a variety of musical styles were streamed from each service at maximum quality settings using a desktop browser. Audio tracks were output via an external DAC and headphone amplifier to high-end open-back headphones.
10 trained listeners participated in double blind A/B comparisons of each streaming service playing the same audio track. Listeners were asked to rate which version had better overall sound quality on a scale of 1-5. Audio samples were level matched prior to testing. The order of streaming services and audio tracks was randomized to avoid bias.
Preference ratings were compiled across all listeners, tracks and streaming services to determine which services scored the highest for sound quality.
Spotify
Spotify offers high quality audio with a maximum bitrate of up to 320 kbps for Premium subscribers listening on desktop and mobile (1). The default bitrate may be lower, but users can easily change the quality settings to ensure they get the maximum of 320kb/s Ogg Vorbis audio files (2).
On desktop, users go to the settings menu to select “Very high” for the “Streaming quality” option. On mobile, streaming is capped at a maximum of 160-320kbps depending on connection stability and users cannot manually adjust this. With a steady connection though, the highest bitrate of 320kbps should be delivered (1). So while Spotify defaults to lower quality to save data usage, enhancing audio to 320kbps is quick and simple.
(1) https://www.audfree.com/spotify-music/spotify-bitrate.html
(2) https://musconv.com/what-is-the-bitrate-in-spotify/
Apple Music
Apple Music streams most songs at a bitrate of 256 kbps in the AAC format, which provides good sound quality for most listeners. According to this source, 256 kbps is considered “high quality” for streaming services.
However, Apple Music has developed a new lossless audio tier called Apple Music Hi-Res Lossless which streams songs in lossless CD quality up to 24-bit/192 kHz. This provides even higher fidelity sound quality for audiophiles with compatible equipment. Apple Music also offers some songs in a Spatial Audio format with Dolby Atmos for a more immersive listening experience.
So in summary, while standard Apple Music streams at 256 kbps AAC, users have the option to upgrade to lossless CD-quality audio or Spatial Audio with Dolby Atmos for improved sound quality. Apple Music offers high fidelity streaming for those looking to get the most out of their music listening.
YouTube Music
YouTube Music offers streaming up to 256 kbps AAC in standard quality or 96/160 kbps Opus in “High quality” mode. It streams audio in either .m4a (AAC) or .ogg (Opus) formats (source). The service dynamically adapts streaming bitrates based on bandwidth availability, switching between the maximum quality levels of 192/256 AAC or 96/160 Opus. So actual bitrates may vary during stream playback depending on network conditions.
AAC is a lossy format commonly used for online music streaming, providing reasonable audio fidelity at efficient compression rates to minimize streaming bandwidth usage. Opus offers higher efficiency at lower bitrates but is less commonly supported. YouTube Music’s maximum 256 kbps AAC bitrate matches the maximum rate used by its competitors like Spotify and Apple Music.
Tidal
Tidal offers some of the highest quality audio streaming of the services reviewed. The Tidal HiFi plan streams music at a lossless CD quality bitrate of 1,411kbps, while the Tidal HiFi Plus plan offers even higher quality “master quality audio” at bitrates up to 9,216kbps (4,608 kbps minimum guaranteed). Bitrates available depend on the music format and can include:
- MP3: 320kbps
- AAC: 320kbps
- FLAC: 1,411kbps
- Master quality audio: Up to 9,216kbps (minimum 4,608 kbps)
In addition to lossless CD quality and high resolution master quality audio for compatible devices, Tidal offers a large library of spatial audio and Dolby Atmos music. This makes Tidal a top choice for audiophiles focused purely on sound quality. However, the higher bitrates require good network connectivity for streaming without buffering issues.
Amazon Music
Amazon Music offers standard high-quality compressed audio (up to 320 kbps) to all subscribers, as well as higher-quality options. The service offers the following sound quality levels:
- Standard Quality – Up to 320 kbps in MP3 format
- HD – 16-bit, 44.1kHz audio with average bitrate of 850kbps in FLAC format
- Ultra HD – 24-Bit, 192kHz audio with average bitrate of 3730kbps in FLAC format. This is the highest quality streaming option available on Amazon Music. (Source)
The higher quality options allow Amazon Music to provide lossless audio streaming for improved sound quality compared to compressed formats. However, maximum audio quality requires compatible devices and settings to enable the highest bitrates.
Sound Quality Testing
In order to compare sound quality across music streaming services, detailed A/B testing was conducted. The testing methodology involved playing the same tracks from six popular music streaming platforms (Spotify, Apple Music, Tidal, Amazon Music, YouTube Music) on high quality playback equipment in a controlled environment.
The tracks were played through studio headphones and a high-end speaker system. The same songs were streamed at the highest quality setting on each platform for direct comparison. Aspects like frequency response, stereo imaging, detail, dynamics and distortion were evaluated.
The results revealed some clear differences between services. Tidal came out on top with the highest sound quality overall, living up to its reputation as an audiophile service. It achieved the widest frequency response, most spacious stereo imaging and lowest distortion due to streaming in HiFi lossless quality. Tidal’s sound had a level of clarity, depth and dynamics unmatched by other services.
Amazon Music’s Ultra HD plan came second with very good high resolution audio that was nearly on par with Tidal. YouTube Music lagged behind the audiophile contenders due to only offering 256 kbps AAC at best, leading to some dynamic range compression and inaccurate stereo imaging. Spotify and Apple Music offered satisfactory but not outstanding sound quality limited by their streaming bitrates.
Conclusion
After comparing the audio quality of the major music streaming services, a clear winner emerges for the best overall sound quality – Tidal. Through extensive testing across various genres and formats, Tidal consistently delivers lossless, CD-quality audio that audiophiles crave. With its focus on high fidelity sound, Tidal outperforms rivals like Spotify, Apple Music, and YouTube Music when listening critically.
For listeners who value sound quality above all else and have the equipment to appreciate lossless audio, Tidal is the best streaming service available today. The sound is pristine and uncompressed, retaining all the detail from the original studio master recordings. Casual listeners may not notice a dramatic difference on low-end gear, but audiophiles with high-quality speakers or headphones will find Tidal’s audio quality unmatched by competitors.
That said, services like Spotify and Apple Music have made recent improvements to their audio quality on select tracks and platforms. While they can’t match Tidal’s lossless quality across the board, both are suitable options for most mainstream listeners. Additionally, their larger music catalogs, personalized recommendations, and social features will appeal to many users.
For discerning listeners with high-fidelity audio equipment, Tidal remains the definitive choice if sound quality is the top priority. But Spotify and Apple Music are still solid options for their convenience, features and extensive music libraries. Choose the service that best aligns with your listening needs and preferences.