Comparing the Music Streaming Options in the Nigerian Market

With multiple options available, it can be challenging to navigate the landscape of music streaming services when choosing one that best suits your preferences. We delve into the benefits and drawbacks of some top contenders in the music streaming arena such as Apple Music, Spotify, Deezer, Tidal, Amazon Music, Boomplay, and YouTube Music.  

Pricing  

As regards free usage, Deezer, Boomplay, Spotify, and Audiomack offer the option of free streaming accompanied by ad placements along with the removal of features like playlist curation.  

In terms of pricing, Spotify offers the cheapest subscription fees, with a student option which is priced at ₦ 450/month after an offer period of 1 free month for a single account. Audiomack offers a ₦500/month package, which comes ad-free and with high-quality streaming. Apple Music offers a ₦550/month plan to students.  

Boomplay has no student option but is priced at ₦899/month for an individual plan. Deezer, Apple Music, Spotify, and YouTube Music all charge ₦900/month for individual plans, while YouTube Premium – which includes YouTube Music Premium – will cost ₦ 1,100 a month. Tidal Premium comes with a slight increase of about ₦902.88/month.  

Spotify offers a shared account plan priced at ₦ 1,200/month. Other streaming platforms that offer shared or family plans are Deezer which offers the cheapest price on the family plan which costs ₦1400/month for up to 6 registered accounts.  

Family members can enjoy up to 6 Premium accounts at ₦ 1,400/month on Spotify. Apple Music is priced at ₦1500/month, accepting up to 5 registered accounts. The Tidal Family Plan costs ₦1550/month taking up to 5 registered accounts.  

In terms of their music catalogues, Apple Music, Spotify, and Tidal are the leading options in that area with over 60 million songs in their databases. Tidal and YouTube Music go further by offering video options, while Spotify has integrated lyrics into their interface, along with artist biographies and concert dates. 

Playlists, Music Quality, and Other Options 

Apple Music. Tidal, Spotify, and YouTube Music curate playlists with frequently played songs and suggestions to enhance music exploration and discovery. Spotify and Deezer also contain podcasts in their libraries, unlike Apple Music, while Deezer also provides audiobooks.  

Most of the platforms offer high-quality audio and also give the option of lower quality to save data. Deezer and Tidal stand out for their HiFi, lossless audio offerings. The “HIFi” format promises high sound quality of 16-bit, 44.1 kHz to 24-bit, 192 kHz sound in a lossless audio format, essentially the same sample rate as a CD with no losses due to compression. They offer these audio options at higher prices. The Deezer HiFi costs ₦1400/month while the Tidal HiFi costs ₦1809.62/month with its Hifi family plan going at ₦2712.50/month accepting up to 5 accounts.  

Other features include Offline Listening. Apple Music, Boomplay, and Spotify offer offline listening for downloaded tracks. YouTube Music allows users to upload up to 100,000 audio files to stream from the cloud and download content for offline listening. Audiomack provides premium subscriptions for ad-free streaming and playlist downloads and supports offline listening. 

Some drawbacks in the streaming platforms may be found in these areas: 

• Platform Compatibility and Device Support:  

Apple Music might not be preferred for Windows users and lacks compatibility with Google Home smart speakers. Spotify: Limited on-demand song selection for free users. 

• Subscription and Trial Limitations: 

Tidal currently offers only paid options, with a 30-day free trial period before deductions start. YouTube Music stops playing when the phone screen is locked or the app is minimized in the free tier. 

• Content Restrictions and User Experience: 

In Boomplay, some content might be restricted due to licensing agreements. User interface and navigation may not be as intuitive as competitors. Music discovery features might not be as robust or personalized. Audiomack: Ad-free listening available with restrictions or ads. 

• Audio Quality and Restrictions: 

Tidal does not have all tracks available in high-resolution audio, while Deezer has notably lower "HiFi" audio quality compared to other platforms. 

Artist Royalties 

A listener may wonder how the artist earns money from the listener’s streaming choices. Here’s a little breakdown of the royalties paid out by the streaming platforms.  

TIDAL: 

• Pays around $0.013 per stream. 
• Artists need roughly 80 streams to earn $1 and 80,000 streams to earn $1000. 

Deezer: 

• Pays around $0.0064 per stream. 
• Artists earn $1 per approximately 178 streams, $100 per 17,794 streams, and $1000 per 136,054 streams. 

Spotify: 

• Pays artists between $0.003 - $0.005 per stream on average. 
• Revenue split of approximately 70% to the artist/rights holders and 30% to Spotify. 

Boomplay: 

• Pays artists from ₦20 to ₦50 per stream. 
• A cumulated 24.3 million streams earn an average over ₦607.5 million or $1.5 million. 

YouTube Music: 

• Artists earn $0.00069 per stream. 
• Artists earn $100 per 13,605 streams and $1000 per 136,054 streams. 

Audiomack: 

• Pays less than $10 for 5,000 streams but is famous for focusing on new and independent artists, allowing users to share, download, upload, and hear music without limitations or fees.