SPOTIFY, YOU’RE DEAD TO ME: My Journey to Find the Least Worst Music Streaming Platform

I just cancelled my Spotify subscription, and it feels AMAZING 🎉. The final straw was a combination of the CEO's support of genocide, poor artist pay, and the fact that the whole company just seems pretty terrible. I mean, who needs a music streaming service that's actively working against humanity?

But, let's be real, changing streaming services is a HUGE pain in the butt. I had to move all my playlists, liked songs, and albums to a new platform, and it felt like a never-ending nightmare. I've been using streaming services for almost 15 years now, and the thought of starting from scratch was overwhelming.

My daughter, on the other hand, was a different story. She uses Spotify as a social media platform, exchanging playlists with her friends, and she didn't want to budge. So, we got her an individual membership, and I'm not going to force my kids to follow my ideological decisions… yet 😂.

The Search for the Least Worst Music Streaming Platform

I started by looking at YouTube Music, but it was a disaster. The app sucked, and the music quality was even worse. I mean, who needs a music streaming service that sounds like it's playing through a tin can? Next, I looked at Deezer, Amazon Music, and Tidal, but they all seemed compromised in some way.

I read through Brian Merchant's excellent guide to cancelling Spotify, and I put out a call on social media for replacement suggestions. But, every platform I considered was either owned by the worst people on Earth, run by the worst people on Earth, or had huge holes in their offering that made them substantially less useful to me.

It felt like I was trying to find the least worst option, rather than the best one. And, let's be real, that's a pretty sad state of affairs. I mean, shouldn't we be able to find a music streaming service that doesn't make us want to pull our hair out?

Technical Breakdown: What I Looked For in a Music Streaming Platform

When I was searching for a new music streaming platform, I had some pretty stringent requirements. I needed a service that could provide music for me, my wife, and my 12-year-old son, all of whom have different use cases. I have a Pixel, my wife has an iPhone, I listen to music on my desktop PC a lot, she prefers the kitchen speaker, and our car runs on Google's Android Automotive.

I looked at price, cross-platform compatibility, family plans, sound quality, artist pay, company ownership, and user experience. And, let me tell you, it was a wild ride. I considered Apple Music and Qobuz, but they both had their pros and cons.

Qobuz seemed great on paper, with a focus on music and artists, and they paid artists way more than Spotify. But, the pricing was steep, and the mobile app wasn't great. Apple Music, on the other hand, paid artists twice as much as Spotify, offered high-quality formats, and had a beautiful app design.

My Decision: Apple Music, My New Lease on Life

I finally decided to go with Apple Music, despite some reservations. The lossless audio sounds incredible on my car's sound system, and the desktop app is a pleasure to use. The mobile app is beautiful, and everything just works. It's been a genuine pleasure opening up Apple Music and just… playing some music.

The best part is that the process of transplanting my library has gotten a lot easier. I paid $5 for a one-month Soundiiz membership, hooked it up to both platforms, and within 10 minutes, I had copied my whole library over. My music collection in Apple Music now looks exactly like it did on Spotify, without skipping a beat.

Actually, it's even better, since two of my favorite albums are now back in my collection, after being pulled by King Gizzard in protest over Spotify's military investments. It's a small win, but it's a start.

So, What Can You Do?

• Consider ditching Spotify and looking for a new music streaming platform that aligns with your values.
• Look into Apple Music, Qobuz, or other alternatives that pay artists more and have better sound quality.
• Use a service like Soundiiz to transfer your music library to a new platform.
• Support artists directly by buying their music or attending their concerts.
• Spread the word and tell your friends to ditch Spotify and join the revolution 🎉.

Final Verdict

My move to Apple Music isn't the permanent solution I was hoping for, but it's a step in the right direction. I know that, in my heart, I need to go back to just buying music from artists, ditching convenience for something that actually helps the people making the music I love. But, for now, Apple Music will do. So, what are you waiting for? Ditch Spotify and join the revolution 🎉. Share this post with your friends, comment below with your own experiences, and let's make some noise 🗣️. It's time to take back our music and support the artists who make it 🎶.