Spotify is the largest music streaming service in the world and its personal recommendations are famous. The free tier has ads and limits, and its sound quality is not top tier for audiophiles.
Best in Taste-based recommendations
Founded
2006
Based in
Stockholm, Sweden
Business model
Music and podcast streaming; free and paid
Available in
Most countries, except Iran
Score by criterion, against the category
The tick on each bar is the category average; the signed number is the distance from it.
Catalog depth96+10
Playback and content quality88+5
Subscription price78+1
Taste-based recommendations94+18
User experience92+9
Good fit for
Listening to music and discovering new artists through personal picks
Podcasts and music in one app
Families or students on cheaper plans
Less suited when
People in Iran; Spotify is not available there
Audiophiles who put top lossless quality first
Strengths
Tens of millions of tracks and millions of podcasts
Personal picks like Discover Weekly and Wrapped
A free, ad-supported tier to start
Playback on almost any device with Spotify Connect
Opportunities for improvement
Room for improvement in: The free tier has ads and limits on choosing tracks
Room for improvement in: Artist pay per stream is widely criticised
Room for improvement in: Sound quality trails audiophile-focused rivals
Verdict
For most listeners the best music service in the world; audiophiles should compare sound quality with rivals.
What Spotify actually is
Spotify was built in Stockholm in 2006 and replaced downloading with legal streaming. It now has music, podcasts and audiobooks in one app.
What you pay and what you get
The free tier has ads. Premium is ad-free, with downloads and free track choice; family and student plans are cheaper.
Where it is strong
Personal recommendations, app design and playback on every device have made Spotify the benchmark for music services.
How it can improve, and what we could not verify
Artist pay is disputed. Spotify is not available in Iran and is not in the Iran view.
Questions about Spotify
Does Spotify work in Iran?
No; it is not in the Iran view.
Is Spotify free?
The free tier has ads and limits; Premium is paid.
Does Spotify have Persian music?
Yes, some Persian music is there, but not all of it.
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