To download or stream music, which is better?

The age of CDs has come to an end bringing in a change towards digital and streaming music services, which we can either access on our tablets, iPads, computers or smartphones.

With the future of music now being digital, what would be the best way of accessing music? There seems to be a divided opinion on how one can obtain music. Whether it be downloading or streaming, the start of the 21st century brought about huge popularity around downloading music. Tides have changed making streaming music more accessible.

Each of these services has its advantages, but which one would be better suited for you?

What is the difference between downloading and streaming?1

Where would you listen to music the most? 1

This would depend on where you have the best-unlimited access to the internet. Most people listen to music at home, so streaming would be ideal as many households have an unlimited broadband connection. If you were streaming via your mobile data, it can become quite costly and not sustainable, in this case downloading music would be a better option.

There is a silver lining though with subscription streaming services like Spotify that allow you to store up to 3000 tracks offline as a playlist. This means you will not need an internet connection to play the songs.

If you do not always have an internet connection or a reliable one, then downloading songs is the way for you. When you download music, you will be able to access those songs at any time without an internet connection.

How much hard-drive space do you have? 1

With music quality always improving, music files will take up much more space on your hard drive. This is where streaming will work best because it’s impossible to store large files of music on your device as it takes up too much space. That is why most people are turning to streaming, even though you won’t own the music, you will have access to millions of songs without having to store them. This will come with a monthly subscription fee to gain access to these files.

Music budget1

To buy music in the new age of digital is entirely foreign as you will never actually own a physical product, but some people like to own their music as they can press play regardless of their internet connection. Most people are turning to streaming as it’s more disposable and costs less at the end of the day. A monthly subscription fee can cost a lot less than buying a whole album, and in return, you can listen to millions of tracks. Streaming is the way of the future.

Sources:

1. Downloading music vs streaming music: Which is best for you?
2. Disclaimer