What is the cheapest music streaming service in 2026?

Spotify, Deezer, YouTube Music, Apple Music… as many choices for listening to music as there are hesitations about which music streaming platform will be the cheapest in 2026.

Between individual, student and family subscriptions, prices can vary by several euros a month. Some platforms stand out for better audio quality, music recommendations, more powerful features or exclusive content.

Whether you listen to music on the move, to motivate you at sport or to set the mood at home, here are the most interesting music streaming platforms in 2026. And if your aim is to pay as little as possible, you’ve come to the right place!

Summary of the price comparison between music streaming platforms

The 7 platforms compared offer trial packages ranging from 1 to 3 months (depending on the period). This is a good way to try out the ergonomics of an application before adopting it on a day-to-day basis.

When it comes to providing free listening access, most offer it in a limited form and with advertising. Only Apple Music and Qobuz do not offer free access.

👉 On these aspects, Spotify and Deezer stand out, both offering a decent free version and several months free with the Premium version.

Top 7 best music streaming platforms

Spotify

Catalogue: over 100 million titles Podcast: yes Spatial audio: no Audio quality: up to 24 bits at 192 kHz

Launched in Sweden in 2008, Spotify is now one of the most widely used music streaming platforms in the world. It offers a vast catalogue of tracks, personalised playlists and an already comprehensive free version that is funded by advertising. Popular for its recommendations and social features, it appeals to both casual users and more demanding music fans.

Spotify Premium highlights

Who is it for?

Ideal if you’re looking for an easy-to-use platform with good recommendations and a free version to test before paying.

Prices (early 2026)

• Individual plan: €12.14/month
• Duo plan: €17.20/month
• Family Plan: €21.24/month
• Student plan: €7.07/month

Once again this year Spotify has announced an increase in its prices, raising the price of an individual subscription from €11.12/month to €12.14/month, which doesn’t go down too well with its users!

Deezer

Catalogue: +120 million titles Podcast: yes Spatial audio: no Audio quality: FLAC up to 16 bits at 44.1 kHz

Founded in France in 2007, Deezer is one of the pioneers of music streaming in Europe. The platform offers an extensive catalogue, recommendation and discovery features like Flow , and a range of subscription options, including a free version with advertising. It stands out for its European roots and its policy of paying artists fairly.

Deezer is still one of the cheapest ways to listen to music, so we’re not talking about huge savings compared to other platforms, but when a French platform of this stature offers some of the lowest prices, it’s worth noting 😉

Deezer Premium highlights

Who is it for?

Ideal if you’re looking for a modern platform with a host of practical features that’s also very easy to use.

Prices (early 2026)

• Individual plan: €11.99/month
• Duo plan: €15.99/month
• Family Plan: €19.99/month
• Student Plan: €5.99/month

YouTube Music

Catalogue: over 100 million titles Podcast: yes Spatial audio: no Audio quality: AAC 256 kbps

YouTube Premium, YouTube’s pay-as-you-go offering, includes ad-free access to YouTube Music. It allows you to listen to music in the background, download offline content and remove adverts from the entire YouTube platform. This package is of particular interest to regular YouTube users who want to combine music and video in a single subscription.

YouTube Premium highlights

Who is it for?

Ideal for users who want to mix a music app and enjoy ad-free YouTube videos with an all-in-one experience.

Prices (early 2026)

• Individual plan: €12.99/month
• Duo plan: €19.99/month
• Family Plan: €29.99/month
• Student Plan: €7.99/month

Apple Music

Catalogue: over 100 million titles Podcast: no Spatial audio: Dolby Atmos Audio quality: ALAC up to 24 bits at 192 kHz

Launched by Apple in 2015, Apple Music is natively integrated into the iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch and Mac ecosystem. It offers an extensive catalogue of music, high audio quality including spatial audio and Lossless, and individual, student and family packages. Unlike its competitors, however, Apple Music does not offer a permanent free service, even with advertising.

Apple Music highlights

Who is it for?

It’s ideal if you’re already part of the Apple ecosystem, thanks to its excellent integration with all products (HomePod, Apple Watch, Apple Vision Pro, etc.). But the subscription works just as well on Android devices.

Prices (early 2026)

• Individual plan: €10.99/month
• Family Plan: €16.99/month
• Student Plan: €5.99/month

Amazon Music

Catalogue: over 100 million titles Podcast: no Spatial audio: Dolby Atmos and Sony 360 Reality Audio Audio quality: FLAC up to 24 bits at 192 kHz

As you may have guessed, Amazon Music is the music streaming service offered by Amazon. There is a version included in the Amazon Prime subscription (with limited functionality) and a more comprehensive version, Amazon Music Unlimited. The service is closely integrated with the Amazon ecosystem, including Alexa connected speakers.

As with its competitors, there is a free version: Amazon Music Free, which lets you discover the platform and listen to your sounds with advertising, in standard quality and in random mode.

Amazon Music Unlimited highlights

Who is it for?

For everyone! It’s for the general public, but still of high quality, and if you’re already an Amazon customer, all the more reason to discover the platform.

Prices (early 2026)

• Individual plan: €12.14/month
• Family Plan: €21.24/month
• Student Plan: €3.49/month with Prime

Qobuz

Catalogue: over 100 million titles Podcast: no Spatial audio: no Audio quality: FLAC up to 24 bits at 192 kHz

Qobuz is a French platform focused on audio quality. It focuses on high-resolution streaming (Hi-Res) and is particularly aimed at audiophiles. The interface and social features are therefore a little more rudimentary than those of some of its competitors.

As well as streaming, Qobuz also offers a studio quality music download shop, which sets it apart from more generalist platforms.

Qobuz highlights

Who is it for?

Perfect if you’re looking for high quality music and social features in a simple, well thought-out platform.

Prices (early 2026)

• Individual plan: €12.49 or €14.99/month with no commitment
• Duo plan: €17.50 or €19.99/month with no commitment
• Family Plan: €20.93 or €24.99/month with no commitment
• Student Plan: €5.99/month

Tidal

Catalogue: +110 million titles Podcast: yes Spatial audio: Dolby Atmos and Sony 360 Reality Audio Audio quality: FLAC up to 24 bits at 192 kHz

Founded in 2014, Tidal is another streaming platform known for its positioning focused on audio quality and showcasing artists. It offers solo, student and family deals, as well as high quality streaming. Tidal seeks to combine an international catalogue with a focus on remunerating creators.

Its offering is therefore closer to Qobuz, but with a much lower price tag of less than €11/month, the cheapest with Apple Music.

Highlights of Tidal

Who is it for?

Ideal if you’re looking to combine a superior audio experience, a modern interface, more exclusive content thanks to an extensive catalogue, and one of the lowest prices around.

Prices (early 2026)

• Individual plan: €10.99/month
• Family Plan: €16.99/month
• Student Plan: €5.49/month

Which music platform is cheapest for your profile?

The price of a music streaming subscription may vary depending on the package chosen, but overall they remain fairly similar from one platform to another. In 2026, most services cost around €10.99 to €12.14 per month for a standard subscription.

Solo subscription

For an individual subscription, Apple Music and Tidal are the cheapest, with an offer of around €10.99/month, which is slightly less than their competitors.

Student Subscription

Student offers can save you up to 50% off the normal price. The best student offer is Amazon Music at €3.49 via Prime, followed by Tidal at €5.49/month.

Family subscription

Family” offers generally allow up to six subscription profiles to be shared within a household. Apple and Deezer both offer the cheapest family packages, at under €20/month!

How do I know which platform is right for me?

It’s not easy to recommend a particular platform. It mostly depends on what you like, your preferences and how you use it on a daily basis.

• For a young audience keen on social features, Spotify and Deezer should not disappoint.
• For an all-in-one subscription with video and music, you’re more likely to turn to YouTube or Amazon.

How can I pay less for my music subscriptions?

There are several ways to reduce the cost of your subscription to a music streaming platform:

• Take advantage of student offers if your age and status allow.
• Use a family offer with other members of your household to split the price.
• Look at bundled offers, particularly with telephone operators, who may have some interesting deals.
  For example, SFR and RED by SFR mobile subscribers can get a discount on the Deezer Premium subscription at the promotional rate of €1/month for 4 months.

GamsGo5See the review

• Cheapest subscriptions on the market
• + 100 platforms offered including Netflix, Spotify, Adobe, Disney+, YouTube Premium, etc
• Immediate access to accounts after purchase
• 24/7 customer support

10j

free

Discover the offer

If you’re more interested in Apple Music or Amazon Music Unlimited, you can turn to the subscription-sharing platform Sharesub!

FAQ on the cheapest music streaming platforms