They make no guarantee about mobile listeners, such as iPhone users, considering so many external factors can affect the bit rate. Pandora streams at at average rate of around 64kbps for free listeners on the web, and at 192kbps for premium subscribers. It's really hard to give a consistent rating considering many things can influence the actual rate at which music stream, such as your internet connection and whether or not a specific track is even available in a higher quality format. There's no exception when it comes to streaming content. One of the most important aspects of listening to music for many is how good it sounds. When they launch their anticipated iPad app, it'll just be that much better. When it comes to cross-platform support, Spotify takes the win due to their robust Mac and Windows app. While I don't typically use this service, it will be a nice addition for users who don't have to have to manage music in two separate apps. It'll pull everything in from your music library. You can also use the Spotify desktop client to sync local tracks from your computer. I launch Spotify while on my network, the desktop app recognizes it instantly, downloads any changes, and I get in my car and start listening without having to worry about using my data (offline mode requires premium subscription). I'll star music that I particularly like and have my iPhone set up to download starred tracks for offline use. I frequently use this feature when I'm listening to music in the office or at home. My favorite feature of Spotify's desktop app is the ability to wirelessly sync your starred tracks and playlists whenever your iPhone is on the same Wi-Fi network as your desktop computer. You can view popular playlists, star tracks, see what's popular in your area, and monitor what your friends are listening to. It's by far the best desktop app of the three (especially considering Slacker doesn't even have one). While I have an issue with Spotify's lack of a search feature on the iPhone, it makes up for that with the Mac and Windows app. Spotify also supports popular platforms such as Windows Phone, Android, BlackBerry, and iPad. When it comes to user interface and experience, Slacker takes the prize. It might look a bit busy at first but after using it, everything just flows nicely together. This doesn't make for a great experience.īetween the three, Pandora is somewhat plain and Spotify lacks the ability to find music productively. If you don't know what you're looking for or find things in "what's new" or "what's hot", there's pretty much no other way to find music from the iPhone app. I actually prefer Spotify's layout and interface to the others but there's one big downside - you can't browse genres. You can, of course, disable this feature (if, like some of the iMore staff, you don't want your friends to know you secretly listen to the Spice Girls.) Spotify also integrates Facebook to allow you to view what your friends are listening to under the Friends tab. Once you find what you're looking for you can either stream it, add it to a playlist, or star it to play it later. The next tab allows you to search for artists, tracks, and albums. The first tab shows any playlists you've created as well as your inbox, starred, and local tracks (we will get more into these later). The main homepage shows you a slider of top tracks and new releases with news underneath. Spotify for iPhone is quite a bit different when it comes to overall design and the manner in which you interact with your content. There aren't tons of menus to navigate and all of your presets and content are accessible via the main page. Overall, the entire layout of Slacker flows nicely. Tapping the play button next to the station name will instantly start streaming that station. Tapping into a station allows you to view info on the station, check out the artists, and check out the song list. Slacker also gives you the ability to check out what artists and tracks are featured on a station. So if you detest Rihanna in all forms, just block her from ever showing up for you in Slacker again. When disliking a track, you can either dislike just a specific song or the artist in general. Premium users will also have the option of creating custom playlists (that's a feature Pandora does not offer in their iPhone app).Īfter choosing a station or creating a custom station, you can like or dislike songs or artists just as you can with Pandora. Upon launching Slacker you get a home page that allows you to browse some pre-defined stations or create your own custom stations.
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