Do you remember playing those cassette tapes in the ‘80 and the ‘90s? And then using a pencil to rewind them? Have you also downloaded mp3s and burned them in CDs?
Now, you can effortlessly listen to all the music that you want on your gadgets, thanks to music streaming services.
You can create all the playlists you want with all the songs you can put in. Not only that. There are also tons of podcasts that you can subscribe to that will guarantee hours and hours of entertainment.
Let’s explore the most popular music streaming services available in the Philippines. This way, we can compare and find out which one fits your budget and musical choices!
Music streaming services at a glance
| Music streaming service | Key features | Monthly fee |
| Spotify |
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| Apple Music |
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| SoundCloud |
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Spotify
Image screenshot from Spotify Philippines
According to a recent report, Spotify has reached 130 million subscribers amidst the COVID-19 pandemic. It’s one of the most popular music streaming services in the world and has been operating since 2006.
In the Philippines, it was launched in 2014, allowing Filipinos to stream music using their desktop computers, laptops, tablets, and smartphones.
You can sign up for a new account for free and enjoy a 3-month free trial of Spotify Premium from now until 30 June 2020. No ad interruptions whenever you listen to music, plus access to a variety of music genres, playlists, and albums from artists all over the world.
Features like Discover Weekly and Release Radar will keep you updated every week with the latest hits and filter tracks that match your streaming activity.
You can also use the Data Saver option if you have a poor internet connection or want to maximize the use of your mobile data. Although it will set your music streaming to low quality, so best to just download music for offline streaming.
Spotify offers three types of subscription plans with different payment options, depending on your monthly budget and how you want to pay every month.
Image screenshot from Spotify Philippines
For new subscribers, you can get a 3-month free trial under the Premium plan. After this, you will be charged P129 per month through your credit card or debit card. You can cancel anytime.
Subscribe on mobile using your Globe or Smart mobile number, as long as it’s your first time registering a Premium account.
The 2-month subscription costs P149, saving you P109 if you use your credit or debit card, for your first two months.
But the caveat is that you’ll be charged P149 per month after two months. If you choose this payment option, you’ll be paying P20 more per month charged to your mobile number.
Spotify’s prepaid plan offers flexibility, allowing you to choose from a 1-day, 7-day, 1-month, 3-month, 6-month, and 1-year Premium subscription. You can pay using your mobile number (prepaid or postpaid) or mobile banking linked to BDO and BPI.
Image screenshot from Spotify Philippines
Image screenshot from Spotify Philippines
There is also a Family Plan promo that offers a free 3-month trial of premium subscription. After which, you will be charged P194 per month if you use a credit or debit card as your payment option.
If you choose to pay with your mobile number, you pay P214 per month.
| Spotify Premium Plan | Monthly fee | Annual fee |
| Student |
|
Not available |
Individual
|
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P1,290 (save 27%) |
Family
|
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Not available |
For the Student plan, the offer is available to students enrolled at an accredited university or college and should be above 18 years of age.
Apple Music
Image screenshot from Apple Music
Apple Music is ideal for iOS and Mac users as it has a host of syncing features that link your library of music to all iOS devices for music streaming.
In Apple’s June 2019 report, there are 60 million users subscribed to Apple Music.
If you’re already an Apple user, you can use your existing Apple ID to access Apple Music and enjoy over 50 million songs. It has a massive database of tracks, playlists, and podcasts from music artists and content producers worldwide.
One of the unique features of Apple Music is that you can sing along and view the lyrics of the song. You can also download music and listen offline to save on data.
For fitness enthusiasts and people who are always-on-the-go, you can stream music using your Apple Watch when you connect it with your iPhone.
Discover music and enjoy the curated playlists by the editors or find new tracks by exploring what your friends are listening to these days.
Image screenshot from Apple Music
Apple Music offers a generous 3-month subscription for free. After that, you will be charged P129 per month. Like Spotify, you can cancel anytime if you’re not happy with the service.
The monthly subscription is charged to your Apple iTunes account. So, to enjoy this music streaming service, you need to set up your Apple ID and link a credit or debit card as your payment option.
Apple Music is also available for Android users, so you may want to grab the 3-month free trial for ad-free music streaming. Payment options include GCash, PayMaya, and your mobile phone carrier.
Other plans available are the Student and Family plans. The former needs verification to ensure that you’re eligible for the Student Plan. The Family Plan allows you to connect to 6 accounts.
| Plan | Monthly fee | Annual fee |
| Student | P69 | Not available |
| Individual | P129 | Not available |
| Family | P199 | Not available |
Soundcloud
SoundCloud is often associated with podcasts. But it’s also another music and audio discovery app available in the Philippines where you can stream music for free. Yes, for FREE!
While the platform itself caters to music artists, podcasters, and independent music producers, you can take advantage of free streaming using your mobile device or web browser.
You can sign up for free and register your account once you download the app on your mobile device. According to the latest report, music fans now have access to more than 135 million tracks.
Just like Spotify and Apple Music, you get to enjoy songs, playlists, and podcasts from artists and publishers all over the world.
However, playlists and tracks are not downloadable. You can only stream music if you’re connected to Wi-Fi or data.
This service is a good option if you have a good internet connection and don’t want to shell out P129 per month for a premium subscription.
Using SoundCloud is also a great way to support local and independent artists worldwide who publish their tracks and albums here.
Image screenshot from SoundCloud
If you only want to stream music, you don’t have to think about paying for your monthly subscription with SoundCloud. You can create your personal playlists or search for any genres that match your preferences.
The SoundCloud Pro comes with a hefty monthly subscription fee of P809+ ($12), and most of its features are focused on publishing songs and albums for artists.
If you’re not a music artist or music producer, you can just stick to the free service and save more money.
So which of these music streaming services should you get?
| Spotify | Apple Music | SoundCloud |
| P65 – P214 per month | P69 – P199 per month | Free |
Payment via
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Payment via
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No subscription fee |
| Offline listening available | Offline listening available | Offline listening not available |
| Android and IOS compatible | Android and IOS compatible | Android and IOS compatible |
| Compatible with smartphones, tablets, laptops | Compatible with smartphones, tablets, laptops | Compatible with smartphones, tablets, and web browsers |
Music streaming services come with a price tag. If you pay for a premium subscription, you can enjoy seamless, uninterrupted streaming 24/7 anywhere.
SoundCloud is a budget-friendly music streaming service, although you need to be connected to the internet to use the service.
Spotify offers flexible options and packages. It also offers an annual subscription, which is quite tempting to avail because of the 27% discount.
If you’re paying for a monthly subscription of P129, multiply that by 12 and you end up paying P1,548. But if you pay a one-time fee for a 12-month subscription, that will only cost you P1,290.
Apple Music provides a relatively higher subscription monthly rate than Spotify. But it does have a more massive music library with more than 50 million songs to access than Spotify.
But if we will focus on music streaming plus premium features and monthly subscription fees, Spotify wins.
What do you think of these music streaming services? Which one are you currently subscribed to or plan to subscribe to? Let us know in the comments below.