It’d be an understatement to say that iTunes revolutionized how we listen to music. Upon its introduction in early 2001, iTunes introduced music lovers to the notion of accessible downloadable music that paid artists while still putting the power into consumers’ hands.
Of course, a lot has changed in 20 years. Now, iTunes is facing some extremely stiff competition thanks to the popularity of streaming.
Is iTunes still the most popular music app? Is it even the most cost-effective app? What other apps should music fans check out?
If you’re looking for the best way to get your favorite music onto your devices, you’ve come to the right place. Keep reading as we look at the evolution of iTunes and explore its competitors to help you find the greatest option!
Is iTunes Still the Most Popular Music App?
Right off the bat, let’s answer the burning question: No, iTunes is no longer the biggest music platform out there. Not by a long shot! Heck, it’s not even Apple’s most popular music service anymore.
What’s more, you’ll barely see a mention of iTunes if you look up articles on the most popular music streaming service.
While iTunes is still around and works on a wide range of devices, including Android phones, these days iTunes is primarily a place to collect your music library if you need to listen to your favorite songs offline.
With that said, you can still use iTunes to buy individual songs and full albums, as well as movies and TV shows.
Other Apps to Explore
Though iTunes is far from obsolete, music lovers would do well to expand their horizons a bit. Below, you’ll find our picks for the best music apps out there today.
Spotify
Spotify is the biggest reason why iTunes was unseated as king of music apps. For the price of a single album on iTunes, subscribers have access to millions of songs and podcasts.
What’s more, Spotify really eats iTunes’ lunch by allowing users to download their favorites to their phones for offline listening.
Plus, Spotify’s ad-supported service is free.
Apple Music
For anyone who doesn’t want to dive outside of the Apple ecosystem, Apple Music is the perfect middle ground between Spotify and iTunes.
Though it might not have Spotify’s subscriber base, Apple Music has some major perks of its own.
For instance, it’s one of the only streaming services to offer lossless quality audio — something that Spotify doesn’t even have.
Likewise, users can integrate Apple Music with their iTunes library. And if you’re worried about duplicates in itunes when you connect the two services, rest assured that’s an easy fix.
Amazon Music Prime
Amazon’s music streaming library isn’t as vast as Apple’s or Spotify’s, however it is free to all Amazon Prime subscribers. As such, you won’t have to pay that extra $10 or so per month to stream music.
As an added bonus, users no longer have to pay extra for ultra HD quality audio.
Your Guide to the Best Music Apps Out There
As much as we love iTunes, it’s understandable why it’s no longer the most popular music app. In the era of streaming, there are so many better and more affordable options — some of which you can get for free!
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