Streaming Music Services: How Do They Compare?

SiriusXM

Listening options

Internet Radio

Satellite

Subscription options

Internet only: $14.49/month

Many satellite packages available. Add to existing subscription for $3.49/month

Sound quality

Up to 128 kbps

Catalog size

70+ commercial-free music channels, 24/7.

News and Entertainment channels.

Every MLB and NFL game broadcast live. NBA and NHL live games. All NASCAR races.

Device compatibility*

Home: Sonos®, Logitech Squeezebox™, Onkyo receivers, Yamaha receivers, Pioneer receivers and more

Mobile: iPad®, iPhone®, iPod touch®, Android phones and tablets, BlackBerry and many after-market car receivers

Car: Built-in to most brands of cars and trucks, available via many after-market car receivers

Key pros & cons

Exclusive programming. Available coast-to-coast without data plan. Record, pause, rewind capability of broadcast content.

Grooveshark

Listening options

On-demand

Internet Radio Stations by genre

Artist's Choice and Tastemaker Playlists

Subscription options

Free: Listen on Grooveshark.com

Grooveshark Plus: $6/month or $60/year; no banner adds, access to desktop app, and more

Grooveshark Anywhere: $9/month or $90/year; adds unlimited access from your mobile phone

Sound quality

Up to 128 kbps

Catalog size

1,000 labels and 25,000 independent artists

Device compatibility*

Mobile: Android™, BlackBerry®, Nokia, HP webOS

Key pros & cons

Currently no iPhone®/iPod® compatibility

Last.fm

Listening options

Internet Radio

Subscription options

Free: Download Last.fm's "Scrobbler" to listen on your computer

Subscription: $3/month; no ads, mobile access

Sound quality

Up to 128 kbps

Catalog size

12 million songs

Device compatibility*

Mobile: iPhone, iPod touch®, Android, Windows Mobile 7, HP TouchPad

Home: Sonos®, Logitech Squeezebox™, Xbox 360 (with Xbox LIVE Gold account), Onkyo receivers, and more

Key pros & cons

Provides music and concert recommendations based on what you listen to on Last.fm, iTunes®, Spotify, MOG, Rdio, and more

MOG

Listening options

On-demand

Internet Radio

Subscription options

FreePlay: Listen on your computer

Basic: $4.99/month; no ads, plays on your computer and some home A/V components

Primo: $9.99/month; adds mobile capability

Sound quality

Up to 320 kbps

Catalog size

14 million songs

Device compatibility*

Mobile: iPhone®, iPod touch®, Android phones and tablets; BlackBerry coming soon

Home: Sonos®, Logitech Squeezebox™, Apple TV® and AirPlay® enabled devices, Roku, LG Internet-ready TVs, and more

Car: Built into 2011 and later BMWs and Mini

Key pros & cons

Superior audio quality

Music Unlimited

Listening options

Internet Radio

On-demand with Premium subscription

Subscription options

Free: Listen to Internet radio stations categorized by things like genre and era, without ads and with the ability to skip to the next song as often as you like

Basic: $3.99/month; adds custom stations based on search terms

Premium: $9.99/month; access full library and create personal playlists

Sound quality

Unknown

Catalog size

10 million songs

Device compatibility*

Mobile: Android phones, Sony Tablets and Laptops, Sony Walkman, Sony PSP®

Home: Sony PlayStation® 3, some BRAVIA home theater systems and Blu-ray players

Key pros & cons

Works primarily with Sony devices

Pandora® Internet Radio

Listening options

Internet Radio

Subscription options

Free: Listen on your computer or compatible device

Pandora One: $36/year; no ads, higher-quality audio, listen via desktop application

Sound quality

Up to 192 kbps with Pandora One subscription

Catalog size

1 million songs

Device compatibility*

Mobile: iPhone®, iPod touch®, Android, BlackBerry, Palm Pre

Home: Sonos®, Logitech Squeezebox™, Roku; LG, Sony, Panasonic, and Samsung home theater gear

Key pros & cons

Popular option for music discovery

Rdio

Listening options

On-demand

Subscription options

Free: Listen on your computer; no ads; usage limit based on listening habits

Web:  $4.99/month; unlimited web streaming from your computer

Unlimited: $9.99/month; adds unlimited mobile streaming, including offline listening

Unlimited family: $17.99/month; two unlimited subscriptions

Sound quality

CD-quality sound via high-speed Internet connection; lower bitrates via 3G phone network

Catalog size

9 million songs

Device compatibility*

Mobile: iPhone®, iPod touch®, iPad®, Windows™ Phone 7, Android, BlackBerry

Home: Sonos®, Apple TV® (with an iPhone, iPod, or iPad that has the Rdio app installed), Roku

Key pros & cons

Offline listening mode makes it easy to listen on the go (with Unlimited subscription)

Rhapsody

Listening options

On-demand

Internet Radio

Subscription options

Free: 14-day trial

Premier: $9.99/month; access on 1 mobile device, online streaming on your computer, unlimited home audio listening

Premier Plus: $14.99/month; adds access on 3 mobile devices

Sound quality

Up to 160 kbps streaming; 256 kbps for purchased MP3s

Catalog size

14 million songs

Device compatibility*

Mobile: iPhone®, iPod touch®, Android, BlackBerry, Windows Phone 7, Barnes & Noble NOOK, Amazon Kindle Fire

Home: Sonos®, Logitech Squeezebox™; Denon, Onkyo, Sony, and Marantz receivers, and more

Key pros & cons

Offline listening mode makes it easy to listen on the go

Spotify

Listening options

On-demand

Internet Radio

Subscription options

Free: Unlimited listening for first 6 months, 10 hours/month after that

Unlimited: $4.99/month; no ads

Premium: $9.99/month ; adds offline mode, mobile access, higher sound quality, exclusive content, and streaming to some home A/V devices

Sound quality

Up to 160 kbps (with Free and Unlimited subscriptions)

Up to 320 kbps (with Premium subscription, via desktop or iPhone)

Catalog size

15 million songs

Device compatibility*

Mobile: iPhone®, iPod touch®, Android, Windows Phone 7, Palm, Symbian

Home: Sonos®, Logitech Squeezebox™; Onkyo receivers, and more

Key pros & cons

Offline listening mode makes it easy to listen on the go (with Premium subscription)