For those of us whose passion or work leads us to follow the machinery and magic of recorded music, there are infinite avenues for education.
Jumping from platform to platform is the norm. In bursts of listening we search for the perfect beat via online radio stations, playlist generators, mixtapes, podcasts and streaming services. Many of us leap from headphones to car to house using new-era systems including Tidal, Apple Music, Spotify, Soundcloud, Mixcloud, YouTube and Bandcamp.
And those of us who harness streaming as a means to monitor the bounty of new music have even more avenues for education through famous and anonymous tastemakers we stumble upon.
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To paraphrase Sly Stone, everybody is a curator. Your barista might know more about 1990s hip-hop than the dude on Power 106, and she has the YouTube playlist to prove it. Some random girl on Spotify can accrue as many followers via social media as Red Alert or Dewey Phillips did in their prime.
In this new landscape, however, even the dedicated music lover can be overwhelmed by a whirlwind of rapid change.
How head-spinning has the business been? 2015 closed with news that amid billion-dollar streaming deals the lowly record player was the most purchased piece of electronic gear during the holiday season. As the vinyl resurgence continued, though, music streaming overtook downloads and physical product as the format of choice for the majority of listeners.
Behind the scenes, the rapper Jay Z bought a service and relaunched it as Tidal, introducing it in the spring as an “artist-friendly” concern centered on high-fidelity sound, artist-created playlists and exclusive content. Apple Music’s summer arrival generated a media frenzy as well as subscriber numbers that recently surpassed 10 million.
A few months later the indie-centric streaming service Rdio was acquired by Pandora, suggesting that Pandora will augment its successful radio model with on-demand action.
In this new landscape, however, even the dedicated music lover can be overwhelmed by a whirlwind of rapid change.
— Randall Roberts, Los Angeles Times
All the while, Spotify continued to hold a majority of the market with its efficient “freemium” model, established user-base and active social media presence. As industry leader, though, Spotify was also the biggest target for artists-rights activists. In the last month two class-action suits have been filed against the media giant, both claiming unlicensed use of recordings. And this week the service announced a partnership with the lyrics site Genius for a new “Behind the Lyrics” playlist series.
The year was capped when the Beatles estate finally negotiated terms that landed its catalog on the splash pages of every major streaming service. For weeks, Beatles songs have been hovering near the top of the worldwide streaming charts.
The upshot? All those services offered those same Beatles songs and 30 million others. The average listener, however, need commit to only one such service.
But which service is the best?
That depends on whether you’re an active or passive listener, how much money you want to spend and how you listen to music.
Apple Music, Spotify and Tidal revel in the new world of curated playlists and on-demand listening. Each works well for those who like to keep up on new music by relying on tips from friends, a plugged-in sibling or trusted record-store clerk.
Most will find much to love from Apple Music, whose in-house staff of editors and curators drop incisive playlists that mix deep cuts with new sounds across genres. As a springboard into the millions of tracks, the platform’s app offers direct connections to new releases and themed playlists as well as the DJ and artist programmed Beats 1 radio, a timeline-style “connect” portal that allows fans to follow their favorite artists and an algorithm-driven radio service similar to Pandora. A separate “My Music” page collects all the tunes you’ve liked and collected in a separate spot.
Spotify’s app is a little more frustrating, mostly because it doesn’t offer one of the platform’s best features: a timeline of what your friends are listening to. Spotify’s desktop version has it, but it’s either buried or hidden on the app. More prominent are worldwide charts, new releases and playlist pages, each of which offers frequently updated tips and recommendations. Within 24 hours of David Bowie’s death, a comprehensive playlist had accrued more than 150,000 followers. My favorite feature is the Spotify Discover personalized playlist, which generates weekly tips based on past listening habits.
Audio snobs have long dismissed streaming music as a poor substitute for higher-fidelity formats such as lossless audio files, LPs and compact discs. Neil Young removed most of his albums from many services because he wasn’t happy with how they sounded. But in the last year fidelity has improved across the board. Leading the charge have been two services, Tidal and Deezer. The latter is competitive in Europe and has just announced entry into the U.S. market.
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Madonna performs at the Forum in Inglewood on Oct. 27, 2015. Read the review.
(Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times) 2/82
Don Henley performs at the Forum in Inglewood on Oct. 9, 2015. Read the review.
(Katie Falkenberg / Los Angeles Times) 3/82
Los Lobos perform at El Gallo Plaza in East Los Angeles on Sept. 29, 2015. Read the review.
(Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times) 4/82
Silversun Pickups perform at the Hollywood Forever Cemetery Masonic Lodge on Sept. 28, 2015. Read the review.
(Lawrence K. Ho / Los Angeles Times) 5/82
R. Kelly, cigar and mike in hand, performs at the Forum in Inglewood on Oct. 10. Read the Times review.
(Axel Koester / For the Los Angeles Times) 6/82
Grace Jones in concert at the Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles on Sep. 27.
(Lawrence K. Ho / Los Angeles Times) 7/82
Lauryn Hill performs at the Greek Theatre on Sept. 14, 2015. Read the review.
(Lawrence K. Ho / Los Angeles Times) 8/82
Little Big Town band member Phillip Sweet performs at the Greek Theatre in Los Angeles on Sept. 10.
(Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times) 9/82
Miguel performs at the Hollywood Forever Cemetery on Sept. 4, 2015. Read the review.
(Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times) 10/82
D’Angelo and the Vanguard performs at FYF Fest at Exposition Park on Aug. 23, 2015. Read the review.
(Christina House / For The Times) 11/82
Morrissey takes the stage at FYF Fest on Aug. 23, 2015. Read the review.
(Christina House / For The Times) 12/82
Solange onstage at FYF Fest on Aug. 23, 2015.
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FKA Twigs performs at FYF Fest at Exposition Park on Aug. 23, 2015.
(Christina House / For The Times) 14/82
Kanye West performs during FYF Fest on Aug. 22.
(Francine Orr / Los Angeles Times) 15/82
Jehnny Beth performs with Savages at FYF Fest on Aug. 22, 2015.
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Taylor Swift performs at Staples Center in August.
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Shania Twain at Staples Center in Los Angeles on Aug. 20.
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Aretha Franklin at the Microsoft Theatre in Los Angeles on Aug. 2.
(Lawrence K. Ho / Los Angeles Times) 19/82
The Weeknd performs during Hard Summer at the Fairplex in Pomona on Aug. 1, 2015. Read the review.
(Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times) 20/82
Mötley Crüe celebrates the end of another concert, at the Matthew Knight Arena in Eugene, Ore., on July 22.
(Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times) 21/82
John Famiglietti, left, front man Jake Duzsik, and Jupiter Keyes of the L.A. experimental band Health performing at the Echo in Los Angeles on July 22, 2015.
(Lawrence K. Ho / Los Angeles Times) 22/82
Ben Gibbard of Death Cab for Cutie performing at the Hollywood Bowl on July 12.
(Lawrence K. Ho / Los Angeles Times) 23/82
Kendrick Lamar performing at the BET Experience at Staples Center on June 27.
(Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times) 24/82
Underworld performs at the Hollywood Bowl on June 21. Read the review.
(Lawrence K. Ho / Los Angeles Times) 25/82
Brian Wilson at the Greek Theater on Saturday, June 20. It was also his 73rd birthday.
(Michael Robinson Chávez / Los Angeles Times) 26/82
D’Angelo performs at Club Nokia on June 8, 2015. Read the review.
(Lawrence K. Ho / Los Angeles Times) 29/82
Ciara performs at Club Nokia on May 30, 2015.
(Michael Robinson Chávez / Los Angeles Times) 30/82
U2 guitarist The Edge, left, and lead singer Bono perform at the Forum on Tuesday, May 26. It was the first night of five at the venue.
(Michael Robinson Chavez / Los Angeles Times) 31/82
Guitarist Ron Wood, singer Mick Jagger, drummer Charlie Watts and guitarist Keith Richards of the Rolling Stones play Petco Park in San Diego on May 24, on the opening night of their 2015 American tour.
(Rick Loomis / Los Angeles Times) 32/82
Neil Diamond performs at the Hollywood Bowl on Saturday, May 23, 2015.
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Steve Aoki, EDM DJ, producer and recording artist, performs on Broadway between 4th and 6th streets in downtown Los Angeles, May 16, 2015.
(Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times) 34/82
Rapper Big Sean performs at Rock in Rio in Las Vegas on May 16.
(Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times) 36/82
Sia performs during the Wango Tango concert at the StubHub Center on May 9, 2105, in Carson.
(Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times) 37/82
Justin Bieber performs during the Wango Tango concert at the StubHub Center on May 9, 2105, in Carson.
(Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times) 38/82
Kanye West performs in shadowy lights during the Wango Tango concert at the StubHub Center on May 9, 2105, in Carson.
(Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times) 39/82
Ne-Yo performs in front of a full house during the Wango Tango concert at the StubHub Center on May 9, 2105, in Carson.
(Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times) 40/82
Nick Jonas performs during the Wango Tango concert at the StubHub Center on May 9, 2105 in Carson.
(Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times) 41/82
James Hatfield fronts Metallica at the Rock in Rio Festival in Las Vegas on May 9.
(Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times) 42/82
Chester Bennington and Linkin Park play the Rock in Rio fest in Las Vegas on May 9.
(Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times) 43/82
Tim McIlrath, lead singer for the Chicago-based, melodic hardcore band Rise Against, wades into the crowd at Rock in Rio on May 9.
(Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times) 44/82
Gwen Stefani fronts No Doubt at Rock in Rio in Las Vegas on May 8.
(Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times) 45/82
Janet Weiss, left, and Corin Tucker perform during the
Sleater-Kinney concert at the Palladium in Hollywood on April 30.
(Lawrence K. Ho / Los Angeles Times) 46/82
Carrie Brownstein performs during the
Sleater-Kinney concert at the Palladium in Hollywood on April 30.
(Lawrence K. Ho / Los Angeles Times) 47/82
Swedish-born soft-indie-rock artist
Jose Gonzalez performs at the Regent on April 30.
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Bassist Dusty Hill, left, and guitarist Billy Gibbons of ZZ Top perform on the Palomino Stage at the
Stagecoach Country Music Festival on April 25.
(Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times) 51/82
Rumer performs at the Masonic Lodge at Hollywood Forever Cemetary in Hollywood on April 23.
(Lawrence K. Ho / Los Angeles Times) 52/82
Kanye West makes a surprise appearance during the Weeknd’s performance at the
Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival on April 18.
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Marina and the Diamonds perform at the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival on April 18. (Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times)
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FKA Twigs performs at the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival on April 18. (Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times)
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Barry Manilow performs at the Staples Center on April 14.
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Florence + The Machine perform during the
Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival on April 12.
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El-P, left, and Killer Mike of
Run The Jewels perform at the
Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival on April 11.
(Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times) 59/82
Brittany Howard of
Alabama Shakes performs at the
Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival on April 10.
(Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times) 60/82
Ariana Grande performs at the Forum in Inglewood, April 8, 2015.
(Lawrence K. Ho / Los Angeles Times) 61/82
Rivers Cuomo of Weezer performs with his band at Burgerama on March 28. Weezer was one of the headliners for the two-day festival at Santa Ana’s Observatory.
(Katie Falkenberg / Los Angeles Times) 62/82
Lead singer Zac Carper of FIDLAR performs with his band at Burgerama, the two-day Santa Ana festival thrown by OC DIY impresarios Burger Records.
(Katie Falkenberg / Los Angeles Times) 63/82
Experimental artist Lustmord makes his Los Angeles debut on March 21 at the Masonic Lodge at Hollywood Forever.
(Katie Falkenberg / Los Angeles Times) 64/82
R&B singer Chris Brown performs at the Forum in Inglewood. The March 8 show was a stop on his tour with Trey Songz and Tyga.
(Lawrence K. Ho / Los Angeles Times) 65/82
Trey Songz performs at the Forum on March 8.
(Lawrence K. Ho / Los Angeles Times) 66/82
Alan Jackson performs at the Nokia Theatre on Feb. 27 as part of his
Keepin’ It Country tour.
(Katie Falkenberg / Los Angeles Times) 67/82
Brandy Clark performs as part of Alan Jackson’s
Keepin’ It Country tour at the Nokia Theatre on Feb. 27.
(Katie Falkenberg / Los Angeles Times) 68/82
Caribou performs at the Fonda Theater in Hollywood on Feb. 26.
(Michael Robinson Chavez / Los Angeles Times) 69/82
Roots rocker
Bob Seger performs at the Viejas Arena at San Diego State University on Feb. 25.
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Tegan and Sara perform with the Lonely Island during the 87th
Academy Awards on Feb. 22 at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood.
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Sarah Barthel of Phantogram performs at the
Air + Style concert and snowboarding event at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena on Feb. 21.
(Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times) 72/82
Kendrick Lamar performs at the Air + Style concert and snowboarding event at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena on Feb. 21.
(Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times) 73/82
John Legend performs during a rehearsal for “Stevie Wonder: Songs in the Key of Life - An All-Star Tribute” on Feb. 9 at Nokia Theatre in Los Angeles.
Read the review (Christina House / For The Times) 75/82
Madonna interacts with a dancer during the 57th Grammy Awards on Feb. 8.
Read the review (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times) 77/82
Patti Smith at the Roxy on Feb. 2.
Read the review (Lawrence K. Ho / Los Angeles Times) 78/82
R&B singer Tinashe sings to a packed crowd at the El Rey Theatre on Jan. 22.
Read the review (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times) 79/82
Eric Church rocks the house while performing at Staples Center on Jan. 23.
Read the review (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times) 80/82
Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue performs at the Grand Plaza during the 2015 NAMM show at the Anaheim Convention Center on Jan. 22. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)
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Sam France of Foxygen performs at the Roxy on Jan. 2.
Read the review (Francine Orr / Los Angeles Times) 82/82
Foxygen at the Roxy on Jan. 2. (Francine Orr / Los Angeles Times)
Both offer what they advertise as “lossless” audio, and in Tidal’s case, the difference is noticeable. I’m not an audiophile, but I love good sound and know my highs and lows. Tidal’s premium tier costs $19.99, and whether through headphones, Sonos system, car stereo or home system — I compared them all — the extra $10 does make a difference.
That monthly payment will grant you velvet rope access to a highly usable system with quality editorial content (most recently, a great selection of artist essays on David Bowie curated by review site the Talkhouse) and much star power. Of all the services, Tidal is best with exclusive content. It’s also devoted to unsigned acts via its “Tidal Rising” feature. But lacking much context, those offerings are spotty and confusing.
Though Tidal markets the quality of its stream, for my money Spotify’s $9.99 premium subscription sounds almost as good, especially when using what the company calls its “extreme” sound setting. Though it uses up a lot of bandwidth, the difference is noticeable. Neither Tidal nor Spotify extreme have the muddy feel of compressed MP3 files. Rather, albums sound like excellent recordings worthy of your attention.
To paraphrase Sly Stone, everybody is a curator.
— Randall Roberts, Los Angeles Times
By comparison, Apple Music is the laggard. With a playback volume that is noticeably lower than its competitors, music played through the service is inconsistent.
Passive listeners less concerned with high-definition sound, the cutting edge or on-demand listening will continue to find Pandora unbeatable. Brilliant at intuiting your melodic desires, the service uses complex math to choose hot songs, but it’s hard to tell a machine’s doing the picking. While having a beer at the Hermosillo recently, I remarked on the bartender’s great taste in music — her playlist had dropped deep cuts by Young Marble Giants, the Raincoats, the Mekons and Television Personalities. She laughed it off. It was, she said, a Pandora post-punk station.
Similarly, Slacker Radio thrives on a combination of curated and computer-crafted stations. Like Pandora, Slacker offers a free ad-supported tier. Unlike Pandora (yet), Slacker’s premium tier buys you both on-demand and radio-style options.
I use Spotify more than the others. It’s more stable, sounds better than Apple, and enables me to pinpoint trusted tastemakers more easily. When I want people to know what I’m listening to or send album tips to followers, I’ll broadcast it via Spotify, where my friends and followers can see what’s what. If I’m making a themed playlist, I’ll do that via Spotify too. It affords easy sharing, and I can tell who’s digging it.
The downside? I want my money to support musicians.
And yet, Spotify is the most social of the platforms. It allows me to access the listening activity of friends and peers — Gladwellian “influencers.” My former St. Louis barista, for example, has impeccable taste in experimental pop. She has no idea how much she’s influenced my listening habits.
