14 Hottest Music And Video Streaming Apps

january 08, 2020

Source: freestocks.org on Unsplash Digital technology and mobile apps have made the world a more convenient and more entertaining place to live. You have likely experienced firsthand how playing online slots at a safe online casino and gambling has been made much easier with the help of mobile technology. Unstoppable advancements in tech have also revolutionized how we listen to our favorite musical artists and watch television shows with media streaming services. If you think choosing an online casino is daunting, try picking the best streaming service. Fortunately, you have this guide to help you wade through the massive assortment of instant media streaming platforms and services available.

The Mobile App Explosion

For the last decade, mobile technology has been evolving at a blinding speed. With every year, mobile consumers are getting accustomed to immediate connectivity and instant gratification at their very fingertips. And with the demand for mobile technology and app diversity, so have the mobile tech developers worked hard to deliver with each new tier of expectations. Today, we can play online slots, get paid for services, beckon food to our door, find a dog walker, and binge watch Game of Thrones all on our phones, within the same afternoon. As we discover the perks of the convenience, immediacy, user-friendly interface, and latest tech toy available, we grab it up as fast as these apps, programs, and devices are created. Streaming media is no different as we begin to watch mobile streaming apps contribute to decreased sales of DVDs and CDs, going the way of the camera industry amid increasing smartphone sales.

7 Best Music Streaming Platforms

Nearly gone are the days when audiophiles flocked to record stores to lazily thumb through the covers of their favourite musicians. Now is the age of digital music streaming, allowing you to listen to virtually any artist with a mere swipe of your screen. The following seven platforms are rated based on selection, price, and popularity. Many have free and premium options, allowing you the flexibility of paying for a plan or listening for free with some restrictions. Source: Glenn Carstens-Peters on Unsplash

Spotify

Free/$9.99 - $14.99 per month Spotify is considered among music streaming reviewers as the number audio streaming service out there. Known for an extensive catalogue covering both old classics and new hits, you can listen to this platform either on your computer or your preferred mobile device. The free version allows you to listen to music at either normal (96 kilobits per second) or high quality (160 kilobits per second) and limits your ability to skip or turn off the shuffle mode. Upgrading to Premium lets you download up to 10,000 songs for offline enjoyment, allows extreme quality audio streaming at 360 kilobits per second, and removes the wait for new releases, along with no ads. The family version is $14.99 and lets up to six people listen on the same plan. Overall, Spotify is easy to use and includes cool features like bpm (beats per minute) playlists for getting pumped while exercising. Some people may object to the lack of parental controls on this platform.

Apple Music

$9.99 - $14.99 per month Without a basic free version like Spotify, Apple Music is priced the same, even down to the higher-priced family plan. As with many Apple programs, Apple Music is patterned on a clear design that is easy to use and pleasing to look at. You won’t find every artist on Apple’s catalogue, but you will find a wide selection to keep you jamming through every day. Popular artists on Apple Music include Taylor Swift, Gwen Stefani, Sia, and Jack Savoretti – all of whom seem to prefer this platform over other streaming services. You can also find options for downloading tracks for offline use, customized playlists, and 24/7 access to Apples Beats 1 radio station. One of the most attractive benefits of Apple Music is the ability to store all your titles into the iCloud. You can save up to 100,000 songs in the cloud, allowing you to access your entire library from any Apple device. Cons may be a lack of parental controls and not being able to add music to your iPhone manually if you store your library in iCloud.

Tidal

$19.99 per month Tidal is for discerning music afficionados who love the best in sound quality. You will also pay a premium for this top-quality sound at $19.99 per month, but it will be oh so worth it. Truly a musician’s music streaming site, this platform is fueled by the artists themselves. With more than 48.5 million tracks, this platform is owned by more than a dozen musicians and entertainers. Listeners can enjoy nearly limitless selections of both old and new music, along with current top singles and albums. Notable features include the 16-bit CD quality audio that costs $19.99 per month, along with Android TV support, curated playlists, a music blog, and more than 130,000 music videos. Although this platform is feature-light compared to competitors and a little more cluttered, the service is billed as designed for the serious music fan. Source: Kon Karampelas on Unsplash

Google Play Music

Free/$9.99 - $14.99 per month Google Play Music boasts an exceptional collection of songs, ranging from classical music to podcasts to current number one hits. The free version allows you to listen to Google radio stations (with ads) and music that you have uploaded to your phone. By upgrading to the $9.99/month plan, you get unlimited access to your music and can upload 50,000 of your own tracks to customize your playlists. Top features include creating playlists, shuffle and play-through modes, music stations, and free YouTube Premium (no ads when linked directly to YouTube and lets YouTube play in the background). Although the app is more clunky than its competitors, it is still a satisfying library of tunes for streaming fans.

Pandora

Free/$4.99 - $9.99 per month Pandora has been around forever and is still one of the most popular music streaming apps available. Accessible on many platforms, including vehicle consoles, Pandora allows you to listen to it in either a classic radio station mode or on-demand streaming service. The radio station is free and allows you to skip tracks and tell the program if you like the music you are listening to. The full on-demand service is similar to Spotify and Apple Music and costs $9.99 per month. Including all free Pandora features, the monthly streaming service is ideal if you already love Pandora and want more options along with your favorite online radio stations.

YouTube Music

Free/$9.99 per month Combine your love of music and music videos with YouTube Music. Whether you are a child of the ‘90s and feel nostalgic for MTV or are younger and just enjoy watching your favourite stars rock out to their top songs, YouTube Music adds a cross-media experience unlike many of its competitors. A free version comes with ads but does let you pick individual tracks and skip tracks with no limits. However, you can’t swap to another app and continue listening with YouTube in the background. Bump up your plan to $9.99 per month and you get the background listening perk, along with the ability to download tracks without internet access. You also get Offline Mixtape, which automatically downloads a playlist of between 20 and 100 songs based on your listening algorithms. Source: Nadine Shaabana on Unsplash

Deezer

$9.99 - $14.99 per month Unlike many streaming platforms out there, Deezer has family plans that allow you to block tracks with vulgar lyrics. Considered ideal for families, Deezer also has curated tunes based on a wide range of new and older hits. Playlists and curated songs also are matched to your individual taste, helping you find new music related to artists you already enjoy. All content on Deezer is licensed, meaning some artists will be excluded. Plus, unless you subscribe to the monthly service, you are limited to only six track skips per hour.

7 Best Video Streaming Apps

Perhaps even more than music streaming, video streaming apps have helped redefine how humans interact with technology. Video streaming apps have completely changed the television and movie viewing experience. As part of the video watching evolution, we may soon even become part of videos instead of just watching them, thanks to virtual reality. With streaming, you don’t need to wait for one day a week to watch a series or organize a movie night. Film and television fans can catch their favourite flicks and shows at home, on the go, or on a lunch break. These seven top video streaming apps can be accessed on any Android or iOS device for easy viewing. You will even find free apps to make life sweeter.

Netflix

$8.99 - $15.99 per month As the seventh largest Internet company in the world, Netflix is also a giant among video streaming services. Watch series streaming and hit movies with an ever-expanding selection on any device. The basic option at $8.99 gets you non-HD (high definition) viewing on one screen at a time. $12.99 offers HD viewing on two screens at once and the $15.99 gets you HD quality on four screens. Another big perk of Netflix is its ability to support casting platforms like Miracast and Chromecast to allow you to watch it effortlessly on your big screen. Other great features of Netflix are the in-house produced original hit shows, such as Orange Is the New Black, BoJack Horseman, and Stranger Things. You can access Netflix from anywhere in almost all countries, just by logging into your internet account or mobile app. Netflix also offers full parental controls and individual viewing accounts for family members. Source: Bruce Mars on Unsplash

Amazon Prime

$8.99 per month If you already are an Amazon Prime member, you automatically have access to Amazon Prime Video. If you don’t subscribe to Amazon Prime at $119 per year, then you can sign up for Amazon Prime Video as a standalone service for just $8.99 per month. Amazon Prime Video is special because it has the rights from the biggest production names in the industry and can release the latest titles more quickly than competitors. The platform also has the rights for live sports such as NFL, ATP, and Premier League.  In addition, you have access to more than 100 premium channels. Other features include downloading all movies and TV shows using cellular data or Wi-Fi and watching your channels and movies anywhere. Amazon Prime is also known for its thousands of Bollywood titles. If you do not want all the channels available, there is an option to just pay for the channels you are interested in watching.

HBO Now

$14.99 per month If you want all the HBO programs but do not have cable, you can access HBO Now for on-demand streaming. This Android app and computer platform offer the latest HBO premieres, along with HD movies, favourite comedies, and mind-probing documentaries. The extensive library hosts new and old HBO shows and movies and covers all genres. You also will get new movies each week, along with the news, talks shows, and comedy shows. Plus, a big bonus is there are no ads.

Vudu

Free and pay-per-use Think of VUDU as your in-home Redbox on steroids. Unlike other online video streaming platforms, VUDU provides freshly released movies and TV shows for rent or buy. As cheap as 99 cents or as expensive as $24.99, you can rent quick flicks or purchase must-have series to watch whenever you want. You can also access thousands of free movies with ad support and watch full-featured films in HD format with Dolby Atoms sound quality. The rich Vudu library also offers more than two thousand programs across genres such as crime, suspense, comedy, drama, and more. To access Vudu, just use your mobile phone app or computer to log in and start watching content immediately. Join the Vudu community forum and ask any questions or partake in conversations. Source: John Mark Arnold on Unsplash

Crackle

Free For absolutely free video streaming, try Crackle. Owned by Sony, Crackle is an app for Android and iOS that provides an extensive collection of favourite TV shows and movies that can be streamed for free. You do not even have to sign up to watch the videos. If you do decide to sign up, the service keeps track of your movies watched. The app itself is ad-free, but some movies may make you sit through the occasional commercial. The streaming quality is superior if you have a good internet connection to prevent buffering. You will also find an intuitive search option that filters preferred genre and video length.

TubiTV

Another great option for free video streaming that also boasts a broad selection is TubiTV. You will find a neatly organized app with content spanning multiple genres of videos and TV shows. The skin for the app is an attractive dark theme and the media player is simple to use with a slick UI. You will find the search option is easy and efficient, helping you find exactly what you want to watch, when you want it. Once viewing your video or show, the player supplies subtitles for all content. You can also forward or rewind by 15 seconds and lock your viewing in landscape for optimal enjoyment. Sound and video quality are also comparable to competitors, with minimal buffering issues on a good connection. The only drawback to this app is ads that appear frequently, every 15 to 20 minutes.

Popcornflix

Popcornflix is a free streaming platform for both Android and iOS. A good alternative to Netflix, Popcornflix sets itself apart from other free apps by offering its own original productions. The app itself is streamlined for easy access to a wide variety of movies and TV shows that span many genres. New arrivals and popular shows are highlighted to encourage you to explore further once you find titles you enjoy. The streaming speed is decent and no sign-up or subscription is required. Popcornflix is available in Canada but may not be available in all countries if you travel. However, you can use VPN to access app content even if it’s not available in a specific location. Source: Mick Haupt on Unsplash

What Streaming Means for the Future of Media

With the music and video streaming services we’ve shared, the opportunities are limitless for accessing tunes, movies, and sports live streaming. If you still love the old world, don’t fret! Even with the Internet celebrating its 30^th birthday in March of 2019, vintage technology is still popular. In fact, older technology like the Talkboy recorder and Atari 2600 consoles are appreciating in value. In time, with the advent of streaming apps, DVD players and CD players may increase in value, becoming relics future generations will come to treasure as we leave them behind in thrift stores as time capsules. While you ponder the future of Blu-ray discs and record players, sit back and relax and play poker at your favourite luxury online casino in Canada, Royal Vegas. We are also your source for interesting blog posts and trending topics. Interested in Technology? You may also like this article: https://www.royalvegascasino.com/blog/uber-is-trialling-monthly-subscriptions/.