Music streaming in the US: what subscribers like, what they complain about, and who each is for (2026)

Missing music comes up surprisingly rarely in reviews of the four big music services. Apple Music and YouTube Music each list over 100 million songs, and people who switch between services mostly argue about other things: what the free plan allows, how the music sounds, whether the app keeps playing, and — new in 2026 — music made by AI.

This page sums up what subscribers wrote about Spotify, Apple Music, YouTube Music and TIDAL in App Store reviews from April to October 2026, next to what each service’s US pages say. Prices are on each service’s page on this site and in the music category.

The short version

• Spotify’s complaints are mostly about the free plan: ads and not being able to pick songs. Premium removes both, and that’s where the line between happy and unhappy reviewers runs.
• Apple Music reviewers praise what isn’t there — ads — plus the sound and how it works with iPhone, AirPods and CarPlay. Their complaints are about shuffle repeating songs and the redesigned app.
• YouTube Music has the broadest mix — covers, remixes, DJ sets, music videos — and well-liked recommendations, but in 2026 many reviews describe playback stopping mid-song.
• TIDAL reviewers come for sound quality and its stance on AI-generated music, and complain about stability and being asked to rate the app again and again.

Service by service

[Spotify](/prenumeratos/spotify-premium)

For you if you want the app most people already know, or a free plan to start with. Reviewers who compare it with Apple Music often pick Spotify for its discovery features and ease of use. Premium removes ads, lets you play songs in any order and download them, and streams lossless audio up to 24-bit/44.1 kHz. Duo is for two people at the same address, Family for up to six, and Student comes with Hulu (With Ads).

Not for you if you plan to stay on the free plan and dislike ads: ads and limits on choosing and skipping songs are the most common complaints by far.

The same Spotify app serves free and paying users, and most reviews come from the free side; only about a quarter talk about Premium specifically.

What reviewers complain about: ads on the free plan (many reviews), free-plan limits on choosing, replaying and skipping songs (many), the price of Premium (several), recommendations and video features that make music harder to find (several), Family plan members having to be invited again (a few).

[Apple Music](/prenumeratos/apple-music)

For you if you use an iPhone, AirPods or CarPlay and want no ads at all. Apple Music is always ad-free, with downloads, lossless audio, Spatial Audio and the Apple Music Classical app included. Family covers you plus five people through Family Sharing, Student includes Apple TV, and it works on Android and Windows too. Reviewers who compare it with Spotify and YouTube Music often call it cleaner and better sounding.

Not for you if you want a free plan — Apple Music is a separate paid subscription — or listen mostly on shuffle: several reviewers say it keeps repeating the same songs.

What reviewers complain about: shuffle and recommendations (several), missing or disappearing songs and lyrics (several), crashes and CarPlay disconnects (a few), the redesigned app on older iPhones (a few), price (a few).

[YouTube Music](/prenumeratos/youtube-music)

For you if you want covers, remixes, DJ sets and music videos next to official releases, and recommendations that several reviewers rank above Spotify’s and Apple Music’s. Premium removes ads, adds downloads and keeps music playing with the screen off. If you already pay for YouTube Premium, YouTube Music Premium is included.

Not for you if you rely on offline listening or the car: many 2026 reviews describe music stopping mid-song or the app claiming to be offline after an iOS update, and several say downloaded songs disappeared.

What reviewers complain about: playback stopping and false “offline” errors (many), downloads and offline mode (several), shuffle repeating the same songs (several), ads on the free plan (several), price (several).

[TIDAL](/prenumeratos/tidal)

For you if sound quality comes first: TIDAL streams lossless HiRes FLAC up to 24-bit/192 kHz and Dolby Atmos, and a few reviewers with external DACs and amplifiers say they hear the difference. Many reviewers praise how TIDAL handles AI-generated music and how it pays artists, and several say that’s why they left Spotify. Plans: Individual, Family for up to six, Student and DJ.

Not for you if you want a polished app: stability is the most common real complaint, and several reviewers miss an equalizer, crossfade and volume normalization.

What reviewers complain about: repeated prompts to rate the app (many — some five-star reviews were written just to stop them), freezing and playback errors (several), offline downloads (several), search that needs the exact title (a few), missing features (several), price increases (a few).

Free or paid

Spotify and YouTube Music are the two that reviewers use for free, and their free plans generate most of their complaints: ads after every song or two, and limits on what you can play. Apple Music has no free plan. If the free version’s limits are what bother you, that’s exactly what Premium on both services removes — downloads and ad-free listening are paid features.

Before you subscribe

• Test what you actually do. If you mostly listen offline, on shuffle or in the car, try that during the trial — that’s where the YouTube Music, Apple Music and TIDAL complaints come from.
• Sound quality has numbers. Spotify lists lossless up to 24-bit/44.1 kHz; TIDAL lists HiRes up to 24-bit/192 kHz and Dolby Atmos; Apple Music lists lossless and Spatial Audio. Whether you hear the difference depends on your headphones.
• Check the household rules before sharing. Spotify Duo is for two people at the same address; read the rules of any family plan before you share it across addresses.

All four side by side, with current prices, are in the music category.