Music streaming in Switzerland: Spotify alternatives at a glance
Spotify is the world’s number one music streaming service. However, other providers are also available such as Tidal or Apple Music. Comparis provides an overview of the different services.
14.08.2023
iStock.com / Walchwit
1. What is music streaming?
Streaming refers to the simultaneous transmission and playback of audio and video files. Music streaming services offer songs, music videos as well as podcasts and audiobooks for streaming.
Users can access and consume a catalogue of files without buying individual titles.
2. Spotify: the global market leader
Spotify is the global leader in music streaming services with a market share of approximately 30%. In Switzerland, the Swedish company has a market share of around 50%.
The service has been available in Switzerland since 2011 and provides users with over 80 million songs and almost 5 million podcasts. Subscribers can stream or download songs and then listen offline.
3. Apple Music: exclusive concert recordings
Apple’s streaming service has been available since 2015 and is one of the most popular music streaming platforms in Switzerland, alongside Spotify and YouTube. Apple has over 100 million songs on offer. In addition, you can listen to exclusive recordings of concerts on Apple Music.
You can listen to the content on Apple products, Android devices, consoles and smart TVs, for example. Just like with Spotify, you can stream the songs online, but also download them for offline use.
4. Tidal for Swiss Hi-Fi fans
Tidal has been around since 2014. It offers a range of over 90 million titles. Besides music, there is exclusive content such as videos and interviews by and with artists. Tidal also offers live streams and events.
Unlike most music streaming services, Tidal offers some of the content in a more expensive Hi-Fi subscription in particularly high, loss-free quality in FLAC format. Tidal is therefore particularly suitable for Hi-Fi fans.
You can stream the content of Tidal loss-free on various devices such as PCs, Macs, smartphones with Apple and Android and smart TVs. “Loss-free” means that the tracks have a high audio quality and no frequencies are lost in compression. You can listen to the tracks online as well as download them for offline use.
5. YouTube Music and YouTube Music Premium with music videos
YouTube Music is Google’s free streaming service. Users have over 60 million titles available. In addition, YouTube Music focuses on music videos. You can also upload up to 100,000 of your own songs to the app for personal use.
YouTube Music Premium is the paid version of YouTube Music. If you purchase a Premium subscription, you can consume content without advertising and download it for offline use, for example.
You can use YouTube Music in the browser on the PC and via the app on smartphones with Android and iOS.
If you subscribe to YouTube Premium, you also get access to YouTube Music Premium. With YouTube Premium, you can watch YouTube videos ad-free and download them for offline use.
The YouTube Premium subscription costs 15.90 francs per month for a single subscription, 23.90 francs for a family subscription and 9.50 francs for students (correct as at March 2023).
6. Deezer – more podcasts and audiobooks
Deezer’s catalogue includes more than 90 million titles. Plus, Deezer offers podcasts and audiobooks, selected recommendations and exclusive originals.
Like various other providers, Deezer offers a free and a paid version. With a Premium plan from Deezer, you can consume and download content ad-free. The Premium version also offers better audio quality.
Deezer is available on various devices such as smartphones, smart TVs, game consoles and audio systems.
7. SoundCloud with the widest selection of titles available
SoundCloud currently offers the largest selection of music streaming services in the world with over 250 million songs from more than 30 million artists.
With SoundCloud, music creators can upload their songs quickly and easily. The catalogue therefore includes works by unknown musicians in addition to famous names.
You can create a free account with SoundCloud. The paid subscription SoundCloud Go allows you to listen to content ad-free and offline. However, neither of the two accounts gives you access to all content.
The more expensive SoundCloud Go+ subscription offers access to the entire catalogue as well as the advantages of the Go subscription. Moreover, the audio quality is better and you have access to a DJ app within the website.
You can use SoundCloud in your browser as well as on Android and Apple devices.
8. Price comparison: how much the providers cost in Switzerland
The prices of the services outlined (correct as at March 2023) can be found in the following table. Important: free versions have a few disadvantages compared to the subscription version. Depending on the provider, this may include advertising interruptions or the lack of a download option.
| Service | Trial plan | Free account possible | Paid plan | Family subscription | Student subscription |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spotify | 1 month | Yes | CHF 13.95 | Duo: CHF 18.95 (2 accounts)CHF 22.95 (up to 6 accounts) | CHF 7.95 |
| Apple Music | 1 month, 6 months with new Apple device | No | CHF 13.90 | CHF 21.90 (up to 6 accounts) | CHF 7.50, plus free Apple TV+ |
| Tidal HiFi | 30 days | No | CHF 13.90 | CHF 21.90 (up to 6 accounts) | CHF 6.49 |
| Tidal HiFi Plus | 30 days | No | CHF 25.90 | CHF 38.85 | CHF 12.95 |
| YouTube Music / YouTube Music Premium | 1 month | Yes | CHF 12.90 | CHF 19.90 (up to 6 accounts) | CHF 6.50 |
| Deezer | 1 month | Yes | CHF 14.95 / annual subscription CHF 134.99 | CHF 22.95 (up to 6 accounts) | CHF 7.95 |
| SoundCloud Go | 7 days | Yes | CHF 6.49 | - | - |
| SoundCloud Go+ | 30 days | No | CHF 12.99 | - | CHF 6.49 |
Information correct as at August 2023
Do you prefer to listen to music on the go? Then it’s worth getting a mobile plan with data included.
9. How much do the platforms pay the artists?
Artists earn some of their money by streaming on streaming platforms. The different platforms pay artists different amounts per stream.
Streaming platforms do not publish any figures on earnings per stream. However, various websites, such as Headphonesty, calculate the amount that artists earn.
| Platform | Earnings per stream | Streams needed to earn $1,000 |
|---|---|---|
| Spotify | $0.0033 | 303,030 |
| Apple Music | $0.01 | 100,000 |
| Tidal | $0.013 | 76,924 |
| YouTube Music | $0.008 | 120,000 |
| Deezer | $0.0064 | 156,250 |
| SoundCloud [1] | $0.0033 | 303,030 |
Source: Headphonesty
1 Source: Producerhive
10. Summary
There is a large selection of music streaming providers. The providers focus on different areas.
If you only want to stream music at home for free, the ad-supported free accounts on Spotify, YouTube Music, Deezer or SoundCloud are a worthwhile option. You can only download titles with paid plans.
If you like to listen to the music of well-known artists, all providers except SoundCloud are a suitable choice. The prices do not differ greatly. The offers vary in terms of content.
Spotify and Deezer offer podcasts, while YouTube Music focuses on music videos. Apple Music offers concert recordings and Tidal loss-free audio formats.
If you want to support unknown artists, a paid SoundCloud subscription is worthwhile. If the amount that artists earn or good audio quality is important to you, a Tidal subscription is the right choice for you.
This article was first published on 21.03.2018
