Pandora is supported by ads. You can get an ad-free version by subscribing to Pandora Plus or Pandora Premium, both of which offer higher quality audio and offline listening. Apple’s first attempt at streaming (iTunes Radio) was a bit shaky, but after buying Beats (now Apple Music 1), Apple stepped up its game and built Apple Music on the foundation of Beats Radio. The free subscription includes Apple Music 1 and ad-supported radio stations, but a paid subscription is necessary to access the entire Apple Music catalog. Although Spotify pushes a hefty subscription to continue listening after a free trial, Spotify Free remains available with access to more than 70 million songs. The Spotify Premium interface isn’t quite as slick as it could be. Some of the recommendations are spotty, but considering you can play both personalized radio stations and playlists with specific music, you may find the subscription is a great way to save money on buying music. Like Pandora and Spotify, you can create a personalized station based on an artist or song, but the bonus of iHeartRadio is access to real radio stations and the lack of any subscription requirement. LiveXLive offers live radio stations and goes beyond music with live events and original programs. You can also personalize your listening experience with custom stations and playlists, but the handcrafted stations are the real bonus in this app. TuneIn Radio has a simple interface that is easy to start using. One nice aspect is the ability to glimpse what is playing on the radio station—the song title and artist are displayed below the radio station—and TuneIn Radio packs in more than 100,000 stations, so you’ll have plenty of choices. You can also add songs you’ve discovered through Shazam directly to your Apple Music and Spotify playlists. For those who love hidden gems, SoundCloud gives you an experience that’s unlike the one you’ll have on Pandora Radio, Apple Music, or Spotify. However, it is not all about discovering new talent. There are plenty of well-known artists using the service. SoundCloud has also become a favorite way to share music online. YouTube Music has both free and premium tiers, and the differences may be enough to send you to another service. Unless you pay a monthly fee, the app has to be open and active for you to use it. You can’t play songs in the background, for example, or while your iPad is locked. Since most other services support this functionality, even at the free level, YouTube Music may not be your first choice.
