The best music streaming services, according to hackers
10 music streaming services were recommended on Hacker News between November 2025 and November 2026. We rank them by how many separate people recommend each one, and 4 earn the Hacker Approved badge.
Top picks
The three most recommended music streaming services with the badge. Each figure is 2 people. RecommendsCriticizes One comment
Pays artists more than rivals
People recommend Qobuz for lossless audio, a large catalogue, DRM-free downloads and good artist pay. Critics most often say its discovery features, search and app interface are weak.
Finds new music you have not heard
Praised for radio-style discovery that finds similar songs you have not heard before, especially from curated stations. Critics mention skip limits, even on the paid tier, and recommendations that repeat or turn bland.
Labels and excludes AI-generated music
Recommended for its quality, clear labels on AI-generated tracks, and as an alternative to Spotify. Common caveat: buggy apps, and critics call it good but far from great.
All 10 music streaming services, ranked
Select a column heading to sort. Approval share is recommenders out of everyone who gave an opinion; the tick on each bar marks the 2 to 1 line the badge needs. Months counts the months, out of 13, in which someone recommended it.
| Rank | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Spotify | 299 | 732 | 29% | 12 | 10 yrs30 owners | — |
| 2 | Apple Music | 131 | 270 | 33% | 12 | 1 yr14 owners | — |
| 3 | YouTube Music | 58 | 61 | 49% | 12 | — | — |
| 4 | Tidal | 48 | 41 | 54% | 11 | 10 yrs3 owners | — |
| 5 | Qobuz | 31 | 3 | 91% | 11 | — | Approved |
| 6 | Pandora | 29 | 11 | 73% | 10 | — | Approved |
| 7 | Deezer | 22 | 8 | 73% | 9 | 1 yr3 owners | Approved |
| 8 | SoundCloud | 20 | 39 | 34% | 8 | 7 yrs5 owners | — |
| Tied 9 | Napster | 11 | 2 | 85% | 7 | — | Approved |
| Tied 9 | Apple Music Classical | 11 | 1 | 92% | 3 | — | — |
How we rank
Rank is the number of separate people who recommend a product in a Hacker News comment over the past year. Someone who praises the same music streaming service in five threads counts once.
The badge goes to music streaming services that at least 10 people recommend, with recommenders outnumbering critics at least 2 to 1, recommended in at least 4 of the 13 months.
Rankings are never for sale. We may earn a commission when you buy through our links. It never changes the order.