
When you spend most of your time testing hi-fi and audio equipment, you tend to become rather au fait with the range of music streaming platforms on offer. That picture is only made more complex when you discover that the free version of each respective app or platform gives, and restricts, different aspects of its mainstream service.

Spotify has become synonymous with music streaming since its launch, but it's far from the only service around, or indeed the only one to offer a free tier to cost-conscious customers. While the vast proliferation of music apps in general has provided users with greater choice, distinguishing between the myriad of platforms now on offer can be a gruelling affair. The only tricky part is deciding which streaming service is most worthy of your time. Millions of songs in the palm of your hand, no storage woes and you don't even have to pay – that's the promise of the best free music platforms.

It's little wonder that many aren't keen to pay for such privileges, instead opting for the free versions of these respective apps in a bid to cut costs. The problem now, especially with a global recession on our hands, is that such prices only continue to rise no matter which paid tier you pick.
