New Zealand musicians such as Tiki Taane and The Bats have left Spotify, citing “exploitation” of artists showcased on the platform.
In a statement earlier this year, both artists said the platform “treats most of its working artists as free labourers”, selling access to their musical output while virtually none of the profit is returned to the artists.
“Generally, each stream generates around 1/20th of 1 NZ cent,” they said.
Cost can also be a factor for consumers. In the past three years, Spotify increased its premium subscription prices by $5.99. In comparison, an Apple Music subscription costs $18.49 a month.
So, facing an ethical dilemma and wanting to go easier on my wallet, I wanted to see if I could survive the week without my subscription, seeking free alternatives from other streamers as a stand-in.
Monday: iHeart Radio
My iHeart Radio journey started with a morning commute to the Albany bus station, where I blasted iHeart Country – its newest streaming radio station – through my UE Boom speaker, and sang along to Ella Langley’s Choosin Texas like the true “Ella Fella” I am.
iHeart Radio is grouped into four main streaming options: live radio, podcasts, playlists and news. A free plan lets you listen to custom artist stations and curated music playlists.
The playlists (there are hundreds) are expansive, and there’s enough variety for lovers of everything from radio hits to classic rock. It’s also easy to navigate, with a brightly coloured interface.
ZM, The Hits, Newstalk ZB, Radio Hauraki – there are full shows from your favourite stations if you miss them on live radio, as well as exclusive podcasts like Tom Sainsbury’s Small Town Scandal and Herald journalist Anna Leask’s A Moment in Crime, which I listened to on my return journey.
Content: 4/5
Usability: 4/5
Good for: Radio buffs and playlist listeners who like variety
Disclaimer: Herald publisher NZME holds the exclusive operating and licensing rights for this service in New Zealand.
Tuesday: SoundCloud
“B-Tier Spotify” is what a friend said when I asked them to define one of the world’s biggest online audio distribution platforms. To some extent, I agree.
Most free content is from artists I’ve never heard of, which isn’t a bad thing because it helped broaden my musical horizon. Electronic artist Ken Ate My Homework was one great find – his song Consequences should be getting more airtime.
SoundCloud is also a jumble to navigate, with moving picture icons and a ridiculously dark colour palette. I was greeted with audible ads every few songs and visual ads on the site, which quickly became an eyesore.
While light on big entertainment names in the podcasting space, SoundCloud has a great variety of academic podcasts. I listened to some of The Guardian’s podcasts for a quick news fix while waiting for the bus, getting me ready for my own day in the newsroom.
Content: 3/5
Usability: 2.5/5
Good for: Musical explorers and academics
Whitney Houston in the music video to I Have Nothing from The Bodyguard. Photo / Supplied
Wednesday: YouTube
Despite the constant ads, this was one of my favourite substitutes. If there were one free service that I’d ditch Spotify for, this would be it.
With YouTube, I had the music world at my fingertips, as well as music videos to entertain me when I got bored. From Whitney Houston’s I Have Nothing to Duran Duran’s Rio, it felt like being back in the days of MTV, and I was loving it.
While I certainly wouldn’t advise using YouTube Music while driving, it’s great to have on in the background at work or on your lunch break. The user interface is crisp, bright and easy to navigate, whether you grew up with it or are trying something new.
It’s great being able to see who you are listening to on a podcast. Seeing Jason and Travis Kelce of New Heights on my screen made me feel more connected to the content, because sometimes when they talk, it’s hard to know if they’re genuinely interested if the topic goes astray.
Content: 4.5/5
Usability: 5/5
Good for: Nostalgia nerds, millennials and office workers
Jango is like the love child of Tinder and SoundCloud.
Thursday: Jango
This was a platform I’d never heard of, and at first it seemed a bizarre cross between SoundCloud and Tinder.
You can fine-tune your stations by “liking” songs you want to hear more often or “banning” tracks you dislike. This creates curated playlists.
There’s a decent selection on the lists, especially when it comes to hits from the 70s and 80s, but the blue colour scheme and too many buttons and features leave much to be desired.
There are no podcast options, which was frustrating when I wanted to listen to something in the car on the way home, but having no ads was a bonus.
Content: 2/5
Usability: 2.5/5
Good for: Lovers of old-school 80s and those who are picky
George FM radio host, and electronica artist, Sin, pumps up the crowd at R&V’s Cellar Stage. Photo / Rhythm and Vines
Friday: Rova
The Edge, More FM, The Rock and The Breeze radio stations can be streamed from here, and you can catch up on the shows you missed and explore their range of playlists.
As a drum and bass music fan (my second-most-listened-to genre on Spotify), it was great to peruse the expansive genre playlists curated by the team at George FM as I sat in heavy Auckland traffic.
I had just talked to certified metal legend Dave Mustaine, and was in the mood for rock, and listened to Jay Reeve and Duncan Heyde’s hilariously unfiltered Not For Radio podcast. It did not disappoint and led me down a rabbit hole of other great podcasts in the rock music sphere.
Reading some of the site’s music reviews and stories added a nice human touch in a world constantly feeding us AI content.
Content: 4/5
Usability: 4/5
Good for: Podcast lovers and musos
Final verdict
Despite my initial hesitations, the week was not as much of a struggle as I thought it would be.
Besides more ads and the option to choose songs more freely, most of the platforms I sampled provided 80% of the services I would normally get on Spotify Premium, making a good case for going free.
It also broadened my music and podcast taste, forcing me to try new things, which, for anyone navigating a rapidly changing tech landscape, is worth the effort.