List of Best Music Platforms for Audiophiles in 2024

Audiophiles Rejoice!

For audiophiles, music is more than just a pastime; it’s a way of life and they demand the best listening experience possible. They are passionate about seeking the best ways to reproduce the sound from live or recorded music, through either headphones or in a quiet space with good acoustics. Throughout history, these enthusiasts have sought out many different sound sources to create their ideal listening experience. CDs, for a long time, were their go-to option due to their ability to create such a high-quality sound product. Seeing as how we are no longer living in the 1990s, however, their sources have had to evolve, with the times. One of the most beneficial evolutions is music streaming. Music streaming services have come a long way in recent years, and there are now several options that cater to audiophiles. In this article, we’ll list the 5 best music streaming services for audiophiles.

• Tidal
• Qobuz
• Deezer
• Amazon Music HD
• Spotify HiFi

Tidal

Tidal is often considered to be the best music streaming service for audiophiles. It offers high-fidelity streaming with its Tidal HiFi plan, which delivers lossless audio quality at 16-bit/44.1kHz, which is equivalent to CD quality. They also offer exclusive content from popular artists, and its curated playlists are often praised for their quality and variety. 

With a slogan like “listen to music the way it’s meant to sound”, you have to be intrigued to learn more about this streaming service!

Pricing & Features: 

Tidal’s HiFi plan costs $10.99/month. As of April 2024, this option gives you FLAC 24-bit 1,411 kbps sound quality and access to over 100 million songs. This also comes with NO ADS, it allows you to listen offline with unlimited skips, access to Live on Tidal which allows you to listen to music or play it live with other people in real-time, access to Tidal Connect which lets you listen in HiFi on supported devices. As if all that isn’t good enough, it also lets you track and share your listening habits and provides expert curated playlists. Tidal also offers a 30-day free trial.

Tidal also offers the following options for plans: 

• Family Plan for $16.99/month you can add up to 5 more accounts under one subscription. 
• Student discounts at $4.99 per month.

While Tidal is likely the most expensive option for music streaming services, they say that their higher subscription price allows for higher payouts to the artists who create the music in the first place. They especially care about helping to give a better payout to the artists who are not yet well known in the music world.

Supported Devices: 

• Audio, Smart TVs / Streamers, Auto, Cell Phones, Tablets, Laptops, Desktops, DJ, Smart Watches

What Users Like:

• The fact that the music streaming is high-fidelity, especially the Dolby Atmos surround mixes. 

• The wide variety of video options available to watch, which includes livestreams of concerts.
• The “My Mix” option that gives you a personalized mix of both songs and videos for your enjoyment. 
• The “Artist Radio” option that allows you to discover new artists, especially up and coming ones. 
• Podcasts that are centered around music. 
• The fact that you do not need to have expensive headphones in order to experience the high-fidelity sound that audiophiles always seek. 

Our Rating: 

On a scale of 1 – 10 (10 being the best), Tidal gets a 9. They only get the one point deducted to the fact that while the April 2024 update was mostly good, it still got rid of first-responder discounts and the free tier. 

Qobuz

Qobuz is another music streaming service that focuses on high-fidelity streaming. It offers streaming at up to 24-bit/192kHz, which is higher than CD quality. Qobuz also offers a large library of over 100 million hi-res audio tracks, as well as exclusive content and editorial features that cater to audiophiles.

Qobuz wants you to “rediscover music” by “placing yourself at the heart of the studio.” 

Pricing and Features:

Qobuz offers two different types of Plans – the Studio Plan and the Sublime Plan. Both of these plans offer the same features, but have one main difference – the Sublime Plan also allows you to receive discounts of up to 60% off on all Hi-Res music downloads so you can stock up on your music download collection. Additionally, both of these plans offer three different options as to how many people can enjoy the benefits: Solo, Duo and Family. For further information about all of these plans, continue reading: 

1. 1) Studio Solo Plan – $12.99/month OR $129.99/year

• Stream and Download Hi-Res music. With studio quality streaming of FLAC 24-bit up to 192 kHz, access to over 100 million songs, original editorial content, over 500,000 album reviews and artist bios and the ability to enjoy offline listening, audiophiles will surely be excited to try Qobuz. Available for (1) person to enjoy. *Can still download songs, but the discounts are not offered.

2. 2) Studio Duo Plan – $17.99/month OR $179.88/year

• Stream and Download Hi-Res music. With studio quality streaming of FLAC 24-bit up to 192 kHz, access to over 100 million songs, original editorial content, over 500,000 album reviews and artist bios and the ability to enjoy offline listening, audiophiles will surely be excited to try Qobuz. Available for (2) people to enjoy. *Can still download songs, but the discounts are not offered. 

3. 3) Studio Family Plan – $21.90/month OR $215.88/year

• Stream and Download Hi-Res music. With studio quality streaming of FLAC 24-bit up to 192 kHz, access to over 100 million songs, original editorial content, over 500,000 album reviews and artist bios and the ability to enjoy offline listening, audiophiles will surely be excited to try Qobuz. Available for (6) people to enjoy. *Can still download songs, but the discounts are not offered. 

4. 4) Sublime Solo Plan – $179.99/year (no month option available)

• All the benefits of a Studio Plan, plus the ability to receive up to 60% off discounts on all Hi-Res music downloads. Available for (1) person to enjoy. 

5. 5) Sublime Duo Plan – $269.89/year (no month option available)

• All the benefits of a Studio Plan, plus the ability to receive up to 60% off discounts on all Hi-Res music downloads. Available for (2) people to enjoy. 

6. 6) Sublime Family Plan – $349.99/year (no month option available)

• All the benefits of a Studio Plan, plus the ability to receive up to 60% off discounts on all Hi-Res music downloads. Available for (6) people to enjoy.

While these more upgraded plans may seem to be expensive to some people, Qobuz’s hi-res audio makes it more than worth it for audiophiles. Qobuz also offers everyone a 30-day FREE trial. It does require that you enter your payment info to take advantage of this free trial. However, under no circumstances will you ever be charged any amount before your 30-day free trial ends. Furthermore, you can cancel your subscription at any time, even during the free trial period. 

Supported Devices:

• Desktops, Cell Phones, Tablets, Audio, Smart TVs / Streamers, Auto

What Users Like:

• The access to enjoy high-quality streaming that is lossless and of studio-quality audio. 
• The wide array of songs available to listen to. 
• The fact that they can both stream or download the available songs. 
• Some of the extra features such as playlists for your guests to enjoy, interviews and articles. 
• The high-quality sound of songs, especially to Jazz songs and Classical songs. 
• Fun, easy to use app.
• The fact that listening to 24-bit music is an option, regardless of not having a specialized decoder. 

Our Rating:

On a scale of 1-10 (10 being the best), Qobuz gets a 9. This is due to the fact that it offers all the amazing features that an audiophile would want, is available on most devices they would need and has the different options available to upgrade your plan. 

Deezer

Deezer also has their FAMILY plan, which is good for up to six people to enjoy. At $17.99/month you can have your whole family listening at the same time, on multiple devices. If you have a whole family full of audiophiles, you should definitely take Deezer into consideration! 

The best part… Deezer lets you cancel your subscription plans ANYTIME! (Not that you’ll want to cancel your plan, but we all know that unexpected things can come up in life). 

Supported Devices: 

• Desktops, Laptops, Cell Phones, Tablets, Smart Watches, Audio, Auto, Smart Voice Assistants, Smart TVs / Streamers 

What Users Like:

• The ability to import MP3 files from a computer (this option does not work on cell phones). 
• That they offer music and LIVE radio. 
• Podcasts!
• All the discounts offered on plans!
• The FREE plan!
• The wide variety of original content which includes videos. 

Our Rating:

On a scale of 1-10 (10 being the best), we are giving Deezer a 10! We all know that being a student usually means that you are low on cash, so added points go out to Deezer for taking this into consideration.

Amazon Music HD

Amazon Music HD is a relatively new music streaming service, but it’s quickly gained a reputation for delivering high-fidelity audio. Its HD plan offers streaming at up to 24-bit/192kHz, and it also offers a large library of over 90 million hi-res audio tracks. Amazon Music HD is also compatible with a variety of devices, including Amazon’s own Echo Studio speaker.

With Amazon Music HD, you can hear music “the way the artist intended”. The clarity and richness is on-point and it even portrays the raw emotions behind the songs, which audiophiles will very much appreciate! 

Single Device Plan is a feature only available through Amazon. This special plan allows you to listen to your favorite songs on any single Amazon device, such as a Fire TV or Echo device. This plan is available for the first month FREE and then is only $4.99/month!

Student Plan gives you all the benefits you love from Amazon Music Unlimited, but offered at a discount, exclusively to students. It is offered for the first month FREE and then is only $5.99/month after that!

Supported Devices:

• Cell Phones, Tablets, Desktops, Laptops, Fire TV, Alexa-enabled devices like Echos

What Users Like:

• The large list of music and videos available to them in the Amazon library. 
• The HD option which includes: lossless/CD quality audio and preserves the original recording detail of songs. 
• The Ultra HD option which includes: better than DC quality audio at up to 24-bit, 192 kHz.
• Access to over 100 million songs in HD or over 7 million songs in Ultra HD. 
• Podcasts!
• The 90-day FREE trial, of course!

Our Rating: 

On a scale of 1-10 (10 being the best), we give this a 9. As far as the best music streaming services go, it may not have all the same options as its competitors, but it is available exclusively on Amazon-friendly devices, which is exclusive to Amazon Music. 

Spotify HiFi

Spotify is one of the most popular music streaming services, and it’s about to get even better for audiophiles. The company has announced back in 2021 that it will be launching Spotify HiFi, a new plan that will offer lossless audio quality. While details are still scarce, but the co-president recently mentioned that ‘coming at some point’, Spotify HiFi is sure to be a game-changer for audiophiles who want the convenience of Spotify’s vast music library.

For the time being, let’s speak to Spotify as it currently stands. When searching for the best music streaming services, Spotify tends to be at the top of the list with their music streaming library of over 82 million songs with an audio quality of 16-bit/44.1 kHz.. They have not only been a trailblazer in the music streaming world, but they continue to add more and more awesome features.

Pricing and Features:

Spotify FREE gives you the ability to play songs in shuffle mode but it does include playing ads. 

Spotify Premium includes four options to choose from so you are sure to find the best option for your family: 

1. 1) Spotify Individual is $10.99/month and comes with ad-free listening, the ability to stream songs while offline and on-demand music playback. 
2. 2) Spotify Duo is $14.99/month and allows you to add two family members to the plan so you can both listen to your favorite songs at the same time, instead of having to pay for two separate subscription plans. Spotify’s AI will even curate a “duo mix” which is a combination of the music that you both love to listen to, so you can share in your musical interests. As long as both people live at the same home address, this option is great for you!
3. 3) Spotify Family is $16.99/month and comes with the ability for six people to use Spotify at the same time, from different devices. They even will curate a “family mix” which is a mix of the songs that all of your family members love to listen to. Again, it is a requirement that all of these family members reside at the same address in order to enjoy this service, rather than paying for up to six different Spotify accounts. As an added bonus, they even have a Kids app which has music that is appropriate for children, giving parents peace of mind about what their kids are hearing. 
4. 4) Spotify Student is only $5.99/month so all students should greatly appreciate its affordability! The only drawback to this plan is that it is only good for up to four years and then you would have to switch to one of Spotify’s more expensive plans. 

In order to get the most out of your music streaming, all of these Spotify options should be appealing to audiophiles, whether you are seeking an individual (Spotify Premium) plan or a family plan of some sort.

Supported Devices:

• ios devices, Android devices, Desktops, Laptops, Tablets, Cell Phones, Audio, Smart TVs, Gaming Consoles, Smart Watches, Alexa-enabled devices

Our Rating: 

On a scale of 1-10 (10 being the best), Spotify definitely gets an 8 (we would give it a 10 if the launch of the Hifi tier wouldn’t be only in empty promises)! The number of compatible devices, the constantly improving features, the popularity, and the ease of access make this rating a no-brainer!

In conclusion, audiophiles have several excellent music streaming services to choose from. Whether you prefer lossless audio quality or hi-res audio tracks, there’s a streaming service that will cater to your needs. Tidal, Qobuz, Deezer, Amazon Music HD, and Spotify HiFi are all great options that offer excellent listening experiences.

For more comparisons detailed comparisons between different music streaming services, check out our comparisons page.

If you liked this article and want more information on how to take full advantage of all of Spotify’s features check out our list of articles covering nice tricks and tips for Spotify users.