Many students in our school spend time listening to music. Technology today has provided us with many different options for how we get our music, such as Spotify, apple music, youtube music, pandora, and more. Everyone has an opinion on which music streaming service is better, and there are thousands of articles claiming that one is the best. So which platform appeals the most to high schoolers and why? 

Spotify

Quite a few students interviewed said they used Spotify for a multitude of reasons. Katie uses Spotify because “It is free and gives me a thirty-minute break from ads.” Ads are annoying to everyone, so when a music app overwhelms you with ads, it is less than enjoyable. Dominick uses Spotify because “I initially had a free trial for it and found the aesthetics and interface pleasing. Even without a membership it still lets you listen to music, unlike other options.” Spotify does have ads but provides listeners with a break from the ads. I also use Spotify because I have found it to be the most convenient, easily navigated and most cost-effective option. The premium version is not overwhelmingly expensive and the home screen is simple. As a person who gets overwhelmed by too many options, Spotify’s simple home screen design makes finding a song or playlist way easier. 

Youtube Music

The students I interviewed who use youtube music use it for multiple reasons. Joanna uses youtube music because her parents bought youtube premium.  “I use Youtube Music, not for any particular reason other than that my father has Youtube Premium and as a result downloaded Youtube Music onto my phone.” This is a common theme with many students interviewed. Many students don’t use a platform for any specific reason other than the fact that their parents pay for it. An unknown student likes youtube music because it is the easiest to rewind songs. Accessibility and ease of use seem to be big factors for students 

Other Apps

Some students use other apps for a variety of reasons. Lucia uses an app called Muisy because “It’s free and doesn’t have any ads.” The amount of ads is a recurring problem that people have with apps, so having an ad-free app is important, and if it’s free that’s even better. Money is also a determining factor for some people. With some platforms, if you don’t pay, you get overwhelmed with ads. An unknown student uses apple music because it was the first thing accessible to them when they got their first phone and they simply continued to pay for it as they got older. 

Overall out of the small number of students I interviewed, Spotify was the most consistent answer, and always for the same reasons. Students liked Spotify because of the easy interface, lack of overwhelming ads, and the fact that it doesn’t force users to pay.  Another recurring reason was that parents were paying for the platform and they didn’t have another option. Money was a reoccurring theme upon why people didn’t use certain platforms. Most people find sanctuary in their music, so having a good music streaming platform is a necessity, and Spotify seems to be the most well-liked by high school students