December 24, 2015

30 Sites For Legal (and Free) Torrents

Although bittorrent has a reputation for illegally distributing copyrighted content, there is a large, and rapidly growing amount of content in bittorrent that is legally distributable.  Much of this is issued under a Creative Commons license which allows you to copy, distribute, advertise and play as long as you give credit to the artist.  Some also allow altering for mixes as long as credit is given to the artist.
Most of this content is music audio and is from up and coming artists.  There are some current movies from independent producers, but most is older movies in the Public Domain.  There is some content from mainstream popular music, mostly live concerts, but a few popular artists have released their content over bittorrent.
All of the content at these sites is legal to download and distribute.  I have never heard of a fake or infected torrent at these sites (but I suppose they could exist) and there is no worry about copyright legalities.
In addition to these sites, any torrent search site will index legal torrents.  A search for public domain, open source or creative commons will usually bring up a substantial list.  Any Linux distribution will almost always be available also.
This article is part of a series of articles on bittorrent here at Gizmo's Freeware.  If you are not familiar with bittorrent, then before using this article you should read this:
Archive.org  The Internet Archive has just opened its torrents section, which offers over 1 million items from its collection for free download through torrents.  This collection includes (as of August, 2012) 1,225,491 ebooks, 127,383 items from the music and audio section of the Archive and 9,674 videos from the movies archive.  This collection will grow rapidly as all new entries to the archive will be offered as torrents and older entries are being added continually.  In my test of a few of the torrents, download speeds were excellent.  The Archive is seeding all content.
BitLove  creates torrents for RSS feeds of Podcasts and helps to seed them.  Many of the current podcasts are in German, but there are a few English podcasts available.  All are free downloads through torrents.
BitTorrent Bundle  mostly music with some video and audiobooks.  All available through torrents.  Though put out by BitTorrent, any bittorrent client may be used.
C. Dominik Bodi  has each of the 24 promotional CDs of Baen's free science fiction novels available in ISO.
ClearBits about 1300 torrents of Creative Commons licensed digital media.
eTree is a community for sharing the live concerts of Trade Friendly artists.  It is a very large collection of many genres and has a nice mix of old and new.
Fanatics4Classics  a good size collection of classic novels from Project Gutenberg available for free download in genre bundles.  There did not appear to be a web seed supporting these and the speeds for each torrent were variable.  The bundles are available in EPUB and Kindle compatible MOBI.
FrostClick   an impressive collection of free music, games, software, movies and shows offered under creative commons license.
GameUpdates.org carries legal patches, demos and mods for the latest games.  There are dedicated high speed seeders, so files are always available.  Looking at their forums, they weed out any illegal material uploaded quickly.
ibiblio torrents provides Bittorrent access to ibiblio's open source content.  There is a great deal of free content available here in software, audio and video.
JamToThis is a private site featuring legal audio and video in a similar vein to eTree above.
Legit Torrents is a collection of close to 1,700 torrents, which appears to be mostly software with some of the other content.  It bills itself as hosting 100% Legally Free Media.
Librivox  offers all of its public domain audiobooks for free download through torrents.  From what I saw, all the torrents are seeded by the Archive.org servers.
Linux Tracker bills itself as the Premiere Linux Bittorrent Website and hosts around 500 torrents of free and open source software, preferably Linux.
Media History Digital Library   a collection of works regarding the history of cinema, broadcasting and sound.  If you click on the link to the Internet Archive page (IA), a torrent is available for each of the library offerings.
MiniNova's Featured Content is a good sized collection of mostly music and videos, with some software and games and ebooks.  These torrents are issued under MiniNova's Content Distribution service.  Download speeds on these torrents are enhanced as MiniNova provides servers to help with upload.
Panda.cd is a private site featuring creative commons and artist permission releases of music.  Their collection has grown rather large.  Registration is open.
PlaneShift  a 3d fantasy MMORPG that is free and open source.  Cross platform downloads are available free through torrents.  Registration, with valid email, is required to play the game.  There did appear to be at least one web seed available, so speeds were good.
Public Domain Flicks  offers a collection of free public domain movies for free download through torrents.  All appear to be through Archive.org and its web seeds.
Public Domain Torrents is a collection of classic movies and B-movies that are in the public domain.  The collection includes approximately 1,000 movies that are available in DivX, iPod, PDA and PSP.  Speeds are generally a bit slow.
StanfordSchoolOfEngineering offers free classes and lectures.  The print material is available through direct download.  Video lectures are available through torrents.
SuprNova.org  offers 4 shows for free download through torrents.  All appear to be released through MiniNova's featured content, so speeds are very good.
SXSW Torrents   not the official site of SXSW, but this site has 9 years of the music releases from SXSW.  There are over 9,000 songs included in these collections.
TAS Videos  tool  assisted game movies.  These run through classic and modern games at high speed, allowing new users to quickly become experts.  All are available as free downloads through torrents.  The torrents all appear to be supported by Archive.org, web seeds.
The Mercury Theater On The Air   an excellent collection of shows from the classic radio drama, famous for the War of The Worlds broadcast, but also responsible for some of the best radio dramas ever.  A torrent of all the material is at the bottom of this page.
The New Voyages   a fan series based set in the Star Trek universe.  Now referred to as Star Trek:  Phase II, the series began as Star Trek: New Voyages and continues where the original series left off.  All episodes available for free download through torrents.  Spanish and Portuguese hard coded subtitled versions also available.
ThePaulWayMixes Paul Way released 52 of his mixes for free and legal download through torrents.
Vodo  Bittorrent distribution of independent films and movies.
Vuze. As of June, 2009, Vuze now carries only videos.    This is a small collection of some TV shows, movie trailers and news clips.  All are available for free download with any bittorrent client.
Vuze Blog  posts links to an interesting collection of legal torrents around the web.  All are free.
This is not a complete listing of free and legal sites.  If anyone knows of other sites they feel should be on this list, then please post here.
Related Articles

Source: http://www.techsupportalert.com/content/finding-legal-and-free-torrents.htm 

Note:
I was amazed to find old B&W TV shows of Flash Gordon and Radar Men From the Moon at :
http://www.publicdomaintorrents.info/nshowcat.html?category=action

Sherlock Holmes Fans can find the old B&W movies here:

http://www.publicdomaintorrents.info/nshowcat.html?category=mystery

December 11, 2015

The 8 Best Devices for Streaming Movies to Your TV


Written by Joel Lee December 11, 2015
There’s a reason why we’re so enthusiastic about streaming media to your TV: all things considered, it’s simply better. Compared to traditional TV options, streaming is cheaper, more convenient, and more suited to individual tastes.
Seriously, the numbers don’t lie… streaming is the future.
However, there is one problem: there are several ways to stream media to your TV, and deciding which way is right for you can be overwhelming. Let us help you explore what’s currently available and at least narrow down your potential choices.

 

 

Roku Streaming Player

For the past few years, the Roku streaming player has been considered by many to be the best streaming device on the market. It’s available for a modest price tag, it’s compatible with all kinds of streaming services, it has a lot of advanced features, and above all, it looks great.
media-streaming-device-roku-3
Roku 3 Streaming Media Player (4230R) with Voice Search (2015 model)
Fully loaded. Top rated: Voice, headphone & games
Price: $78.00
The Roku 3 is a solid purchase. It’s basically a set-top box, not unlike a cable TV set-top box, that connects to your TV’s HDMI port. It can connect to 2,500+ different streaming channels — both free and paid — and comes with a remote control (which has a headphone jack for private audio) and video resolution up to 1080p.
See our full review of the Roku 3 for more details.
media-streaming-device-roku-4
Roku 4 Streaming Media Player (4400R) 4K UHD
2,500+ streaming channels. Choose from the biggest selection of streaming entertainment, including movies, TV shows, music, sports, news, international, kids programming and more.
Price: $123.01
There is also the newer Roku 4, which connects via HDMI but can also provide 4K video quality if connected through HDCP 2.2. It can also upscale 720p and 1080p to 4K, making the Roku 4 a nice option if you plan on upgrading to a 4K television set in the near future.
Both can also cast media from smartphones and tablets to your TV. With compatible Android and Windows Phone devices, it can even mirror the entire screen to the TV.
Features at a glance:
  • Set-top box with an included remote control.
  • Voice search makes it faster to find content.
  • Cast media from mobile devices to your TV.
  • Mirror screens from mobile devices to your TV.
  • Compatible with 2,500+ streaming channels, like Netflix, Amazon Video, Hulu, HBO Go, Sling TV, YouTube, Pandora, and more. See the full list of supported channels.
  • Cost: $89 for Roku 3, $129 for Roku 4.

 

 

 

Roku Streaming Stick

Roku also provides a lighter option for those who aren’t interested in cluttering up their media center with yet another set-top box, or for those who want to spend less: the Roku Streaming Stick.
media-streaming-device-roku-stick
Roku 3500R Streaming Stick (HDMI)
Compact stick design. Plugs discreetly right into the HDMI port. Great for wall-mounted TVs.
Price: $29.95
What’s nice about the Roku Streaming Stick is that it looks like a USB flash drive, except it plugs into an HDMI port. This keeps it neatly tucked away out of sight, but still controllable with the included remote control or with the Roku app for mobile devices.
In terms of content availability, anything you get with the Roku 3 is also available with the Stick, and it can handle video resolutions up to 1080p. For more details, check out our full review of the Roku Streaming Stick.
Features at a glance:
  • Compact design takes less space and stays out of sight.
  • Remote control for convenient browsing of content.
  • Cast media from mobile devices to your TV.
  • Compatible with 2,500+ streaming channels, like Netflix, Amazon Video, Hulu, HBO Go, Sling TV, YouTube, Pandora, and more. See the full list of supported channels.
  • Cost: $39.

 

 

Chromecast

The success of the Chromecast can’t be overstated. At only $35, it’s one of the cheapest ways to cast media from any mobile device or Chrome browser to your TV. And the best part? Google released version 2.0 of the Chromecast without any increase in price. Yup, you can still get it for just $35.
Chromecast 2.0 is a mini-set-top device that requires a power outlet to operate while Chromecast 1.0 is a stick device — reminiscent of a USB flash drive — and just plugs into your TV, no power outlet needed. Both versions require an HDMI port. Read up on everything new in Chromecast 2.0 to see if the upgrade is worth it.
Features at a glance:
  • Compact design that doesn’t take up much space.
  • Cast media from mobile devices to your TV.
  • Only compatible with apps that support Google Cast, which includes Netflix, Hulu, HBO Now, Sling TV, Spotify, Pandora, Twitch, and more. See the full list of supported apps.
  • Cost: $35.

 

 

Amazon Fire TV

The Amazon Fire TV is an interesting hybrid between a gaming console and a media streamer, although the media streaming functions are definitely the point of focus for this device.
Like the Roku, the Amazon Fire TV is a box that hooks up to your TV through an HDMI port and connects to thousands of media channels, allowing playback in 720p, 1080p, or even up to 4K assuming you have a TV that can handle it. It also comes with a remote control with support for voice search.
media-streaming-device-amazon-fire-tv
Amazon Fire TV
All-new Amazon Fire TV now supports 4K Ultra HD for true-to-life picture quality. Watch high-definition 1080p streams on Amazon Video, Netflix, Hulu and more, even without a 4K TV.
Price: $84.99
What’s nice about the Amazon Fire TV is that it has a relatively powerful mobile processor and a dedicated graphics engine — which means it can play games without much loss in performance — and even has an optional controller that you can plug in. Over 800 titles are supported, including Minecraft, Terraria, and The Walking Dead.
But is the ability to play games enough to warrant buying it? Not really. You’re better off playing mobile games on a mobile device, desktop games on a desktop computer, and investing in a device that’s wholly dedicated to media streaming instead. Check out our full review of the Amazon Fire TV for more details.
Features at a glance:
  • Sleek design that matches well with any home media center.
  • Remote control for convenient browsing of content.
  • Compatible with Netflix, Amazon Video, HBO GO, Hulu, and more.
  • Cost: $100.

 

 

 

Amazon Fire TV Stick

The Amazon Fire TV Stick is a much better purchase than the Fire TV — not because it has more features, but because it’s more refined, more intentional, and priced more in line with its value.
media-streaming-device-amazon-fire-tv-stick
Amazon Fire TV Stick
Fire TV Stick connects to your TV's HDMI port. It's an easy way to enjoy over 250,000 TV episodes and movies on Netflix, Amazon Video, HBO GO, and Hulu, plus games, music, and more
Price: $39.99
Most importantly, the Fire TV Stick has a sleeker design: it’s literally a stick that plugs into an HDMI port. It takes up very little physical space, making it comparable to the Roku Stick and Chromecast 1.0. However, this means giving up 5.1 surround sound.
It can also play all of the games that are available on the Fire TV except for the more graphically intense titles, and even then the gaming performance isn’t that smooth. Overall, the Fire TV Stick just isn’t as good as the other devices in the “media streaming stick” category.
Features at a glance:
  • Compact design that takes up no space.
  • Remote control for convenient browsing of content.
  • Compatible with Netflix, Amazon Video, HBO GO, Hulu, and more.
  • Cost: $40 standard, $50 with voice remote.

 

 

Apple TV

A new version of the Apple TV has finally been released, which is great considering the fact that the last version debuted all the way back in 2012. The update comes with a price hike, but that’s to be expected with all of the new features and improvements.
The new Apple TV brings some neat features from iOS, including support for all kinds of apps (e.g. games, music, TV, utilities, etc) and a new remote control with Siri for voice commands. You can also play games, whether with the remote or a third-party Bluetooth controller.
But the lack of 4K support and the exorbitant price — it’s the most expensive device on this list — makes it a dubious purchase for anyone but the most hardcore of Apple fans. In its current state, the Apple TV’s value doesn’t match the cost.
Features at a glance:
  • Sleek design with a hefty aluminum body.
  • Full app ecosystem, including games, music, TV, and utilities.
  • Stream from your computer to your TV using iTunes.
  • Stream from your iOS device to your TV using AirPlay.
  • Cost: Starting at $149.

 

 

PlayStation 4 or Xbox One

People have firmly debated the merits of the PlayStation 4 versus the merits of the Xbox One ever since they debuted back in 2013, so comparing the two is beyond the scope of this article (read our full review of the PlayStation 4 and full review of the Xbox One for that).
What we do want to highlight, however, is the fact that these two consoles can double as media streamers — if you’re willing to put up with the drawbacks.
media-streaming-device-playstation-4
The PlayStation 4 supports apps that allow streaming from Netflix, Amazon Video, HBO Go, Hulu, YouTube, Redbox, Dish Network, and more. It can also play Blu-ray media and has the capability of 4K resolution playback (even though games don’t make use of this).
media-streaming-device-xbox-one
Xbox One 500GB Console
This item includes the Xbox One console, 1 wireless controller, a chat headset, HDMI cable, and power supply
Price: $325.00
The Xbox One supports apps that allow streaming from Netflix, Amazon Video, Hulu, YouTube, ESPN, Redbox, Pandora, Twitch, and more. Like the PlayStation 4, it can also play Blu-ray media and has support for 4K video resolution.
Nobody should buy either of these consoles just to stream entertainment to a TV. However, if you already own one of these, then you may not need to buy something like the Amazon Fire TV or Apple TV. Just something to keep in mind.

 

 

 

Which Media Streamer Do You Like Best?

Hopefully we’ve helped you narrow down your list to the two or three that fit your needs the best. Personally, I think the Roku (the player or the stick, it doesn’t matter) is one of the best investments you can make going forward while the Chromecast offers the absolute most bang-for-your-buck.
And not to state the obvious, but all of these make wonderful gifts for your movie-loving friends and family as well.

Source: http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/best-devices-streaming-movies-tv/

November 6, 2015

15 of the best music streaming platforms online today. Which one is best for you? (theNextWeb)

With a seemingly ever-growing number of streaming music services available via the Web and dedicated mobile and tablet apps, choosing the one that best fits your need is an increasingly difficult task.
Obviously, there are some big names that you might already be aware of, but there are also some newer services that launched in the last 12 months, and some of the existing ones have changed features, so we thought it well worth putting together a roundup to give you some insight into what each offers before you hand over any hard-earned cash.
Perhaps paying for one that lets you download tracks for offline listening, or upload your entire music library for playback anywhere could be worthwhile in the long run, even if it seems more expensive at first. Or perhaps you don’t listen that often, so you don’t really need to pay for one at all. Do you need access via a mobile app for listening while on-the-move? Do you want a radio streaming-style experience or do you decide exactly which song or album you to listen to?
There are lots of options out there, but here are some of the biggest and most notable that are worth checking out.

Spotify

Spotify is one of the best-known music services available, and as such it has a 20 million strong catalogue of tracks available to listen to – it also means there’s a thriving hub of third-party apps too, like the BBC’s Playlister service among many other, with which to extend your listening.
Most people will probably use it to listen to individual artists or bands, to create playlists of tracks or to listen to individual albums. However, there’s also a ‘radio’ option that plays music it deems related to your original artist of choice. In reality, this isn’t the smartest radio out there, so if what you want is automatically created radio stations, there are better options.
Spotify web
Access is available via a Web player (above), via downloads for Windows or Mac machines, or running under WINE if you’re a Linux user.
At it’s most basic, access to streaming is free on all platforms – although depending on which device you’re using, you might get either only the option to play music on ‘Shuffle’ mode, and/or the occasional audio ad between tracks.
Spotify used to charge for mobile access, so its recent changes for Android and iOS are for the better if it wants to stay competitive with rivals’ offerings. In December last year, it also removed the 10-hour listening limit for free account holders in some parts of Europe – making it all the more useful for the cost-conscious tech aficionado. The caps were never in place in the US, but used to be in full effect for the UK and Europe. A full list of countries where Spotify is available can be found here.
Nonetheless, there’s still a paid-for Spotify Premium plan available for $9.99/£9.99 per month, which removes all advertising, offers higher quality audio tracks (320kbps vs 160kbps) and opens up the option of downloading specific tracks, albums or playlists for offline listening. The slightly perplexing offline sync limit of 3,333 tracks is still the most you can download, though.
Spotify_Android
While Spotify might be seen as the industry standard of mainstream music streaming services nowadays, its mobile apps lack some of the more sophisticated features of other platforms. The desktop isn’t coming on in leaps and bounds either, and has maintained many of the same features of the same service since it launched years ago, albeit with newer discovery options. For example, it still only lets you listen back to your locally stored library via the desktop app, rather than uploading them to some sort of cloud storage for access from any device.
However, the single biggest missing feature from Spotify is a better way to manage your listening, other than an almost endless ream of playlists.
One of the strong points for Spotify is its sheer ubiquity. As one of the largest services, there’s a good chance that your friends are using it too, and thanks to the social integration with Facebook you can keep an eye on what you friends are listening to (or share directly) for new inspiration. 
For: People who don’t mind paying for offline access. People that want to listen to what their friends are listening to.

Pandora

Although Pandora is still only available to users in the US, Australia and New Zealand, it’s a veritable granddaddy of online music streaming, but walks a different line to Spotify.
Rather than providing tracks on-demand, Pandora users pick an song and let it create a radio station of similar and related music. Thankfully, and as you might expect given its the primary function, this actually works pretty well and keeps recommendations sensible.
Screen shot 2014-01-15 at 2.42.24 PM
As with others, there’s a free account tier that lets you get going without handing over any cash, but there’s a limit to the number of tracks you can skip per hour, per station, as well as how many skips you are allowed to perform per day. Free account holders are able to create up to 100 personalized radio stations of new and old, well-known or obscure, music and comedy.
For a yearly payment of $36 or a monthly payment of $3.99, Pandora listeners can, however, upgrade to a Pandora One account, which removes all the advertising, and provides access to the service through the standalone Pandora One Desktop app.
Pandora_iOS
Similarly to Spotify, Pandora reserves its highest quality audio for paying users, although it won’t please audiophiles as much as Spotify.
On the Web, tracks are played at 64k AAC+ for free listeners and 192kbps for Pandora One subscribers, the Desktop app also streams at the same rate. In-home devices play 128kbps audio, and (slightly unhelpfully) mobile devices run different rates depending on the capability of the device and the network, but never more than 64k AAC+.
It also lets you perform more skips per day than a free user, although the six skips per hour, per station limit remains.  If you’re the kind of person who likes to customize everything you can, you’ll probably like the custom skinsthat are available too.
Mobile access follows these same restrictions too, and there are apps available for Android, iOS and Windows Phone devices.
For: People who want to stream radio stations rather than on-demand tracks across a variety of platforms for free, in the US.

Google Play Music All Access

OK, so it has an unwieldy and cumbersome name that we wish Google would change,  and we’ve already given you a pretty deep dive into Google’s music service, but here are several good reasons it deserves consideration in your short list.
mylibrary
Google Play Music All Access is another $10 per month option that allows users to stream whichever of the more than 20 million catalog tracks that are available, but it offers a radio-style listening experience too, for users to create a station (with unlimited skips!) based on any artist, album or song that they want to choose.
As well as beating Pandora to the unlimited skipping game, it’s also a step ahead of Spotify in a few ways too: mobile users can access all of the music they’ve uploaded locally via the iOS or Android apps (as well as on the desktop, of course), rather than just being restricted to the available streaming catalog. Currently, there’s a 20,000 track limit on the number of songs you can upload, but this should be enough for a modest music collection.
acessyourlibrary
Naturally, given that Google has its own mobile OS, there’s no problem with accessing Google Play from an Android device through the dedicated app, but Apple owners are in luck too, as there’s also an iOS app. Thankfully, offline sync is also an option, so you can keep listening to your music while you’re on the go, even if you drop offline.
Google Play Music All Access is available in the following countries: Australia, Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Finland, France, Germany, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Mexico, Netherlands, New Zealand, Portugal, Russia, Spain, Switzerland, United Kingdom, United States.
Its solid and simple UI, availability across many platforms and devices, and blend of on-demand tracks with optional radio-style listening makes Google Play Music All Access a compelling option.
For: Android users; people who want to access their entire catalog of music from any device; iOS users disenchanted with iTunes.

Sony Music Unlimited

Sony’s music streaming service, like many others, touts a catalog of more than 25 million tracks (“from indies to superstars”) available to play on demand, however, it’s a little different to some of the options here, in that there’s no free streaming plan available.
MusicUnlimited
Instead, to entice you to dip a toe into the water, there is a free 30 day trial so you can take it for a test run before deciding to carry on with monthly payments, or not. If you do decide to go ahead and pay for it, the service has two tiers: an Access Plan and a Premium Plan. It’s probably also worth mentioning that at the time of writing, there’s also a 3-month offer for $3/£3.
The Access Plan is the cheaper of the two — $4.99/£4.99/€4.99 — and allows users to access premium Channels, chart listings and editorial playlists curated by the team. Naturally, it also includes unfettered streaming access to the entire catalogue of tracks, or there’s the option to download playlists to your library for offline access – but only up to a limit of 1,000 tracks.
Given the breadth of Sony’s business, it’s little surprise that Music Unlimited is accessible from a range of different devices, and the Access Plan will qualify you for access via a Sony games console or via the Web.
However, notably, what’s NOT included in the Access Plan is access from a smartphone or tablet app. For that, you’ll need a Premium Plan, which costs £9.99/€9.99/$9.99 per month.
MusicUnlimited_android
As well as providing access to the service via Android smartphones or tablets, iPod Touch and the iPhone, the Premium Plan also opens up the option of listening via Blu-ray players and Bravia/Sony Internet-connected TVs, which is worth bearing in mind if you have a decent TV and sound system set up in your lounge.
Whichever plan you opt for, tracks are delivered in 320kbps AAC format, which means they’re of a higher quality than some of the other services. Sony used to offer a MusicSync feature too, which scanned your hard drive to add details about existing non-DRM protected music tracks. However, now Sony offers its similar functionality via its Walkman app for select Xperia models.
The major weakness of the Music Unlimited service is the recommendation and discovery aspect, which is far less sophisticated than some of the rivals’ services, although there are pre-populated playlists and Channels.
Sony Music Unlimited is currently available in: Australia, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Denmark, France, Finland, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Mexico, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Spain, Sweden, the USA and UK.
For: Sony fans (Xperia/Brava/PlayStation owners), who can benefit from tight integration of Music Unlimited on TVs, smartphones, consoles and tablets.

Mixcloud

Mixcloud touts itself as the place for long form audio. In real terms, this means that it’s a great repository for DJ mixes, radio shows, podcasts and any other longer audio formats. The company says that the average length of an upload on its platform is in excess of 40 minutes, and that the average listener stays tuned in for more than 20 minutes, and its long form format means it’s great at just running unattended in the background for hours at a time.
Mixcloud
While it’s certainly not the place to head if you want to listen to one specific track or a whole album, if you want to listen to a whole mix or radio show it should definitely be on your short list. And there’s another good reason, too – it’s completely free for end users.
However, just because it’s free doesn’t mean it’s lacking features. You’ll find all the usual things like favoriting tracks and creating playlists, and thanks to a recent revamp and relaunch of Mixcloud X, it now includes more streamlined playback options and branded profile pages for partners.
There are also dedicated Android (below) and iOS apps too – which, again, are free to download and use, although you will need to create an account to start listening. On the Web, you don’t even need to do this.
Mixcloud_android
While it doesn’t boast the same kind of track figures as on-demand platforms like Spotify or Google Play All Access Music, it doesn’t really need to. Instead, what it does have is more than 500,000 partners on board that have uploaded more than 3 million mixes – most of which are between 20 minutes and several hours long.
There’s a general music selection and nothing is excluded, but the company said that the most of the catalog “has strengths” in curated music, focused on Electronic Dance Music (EDM), hip-hop, jazz, funk and world music.
For: People who want access to radio shows, podcasts and DJ mixes from a mobile or the Web, but never want to pay a penny; fans of EDM.

Rdio

Rdio is an ad-free music subscription service that allows users to listen to music on-demand, as well as to stream pre-made stations and playlists of tracks created by other users.
Like many of the others, Rdio claims to have that magic 20 million song catalog and offers mobile access for iOS, Android, Windows Phone and BlackBerry devices (via a Web app). Although you’ll need to pay a monthly subscription fee for access from a mobile.
Rdio
On the desktop, the service will give you six months of uninterrupted ad-free listening. After this, users get a limited number of tracks per month which can be played – once this has been used up, you’ll need to subscribe to carry on listening.
For $4.99/£4.99 per month, you can get access to unlimited streaming on the Web, shown above. Increasing this to $9.99/£9.99 broadens access to include mobile devices (Windows Phone shown below) and streaming via devices like a Roku media player. There’s also a family plan which includes two (by default, although more can be added) unlimited subscriptions starting from $17.99/£17.99 per month.
rdio_windowsphone
Audiophiles might be left pondering over the fact that Rdio doesn’t offer the same level of audio quality in its music as some of the rival options, but 192kbps should be good enough for most people. If it’s going to be the main source of music for a serious sound system though, you might want to aim for 320kbps tracks, at least.
What’s particularly good about Rdio is the clean and crisp UI and – whether this is a good or a bad thing is up to you – the integration with social media, should you wish to track your friends or share what you’re listening to. Rdio is currently available in these 51 countries.
For: People who want cheap access to unlimited streaming on the Web, people who want multiple accounts/a family subscription.

iTunes Radio

iTunes Radio is obviously, by its very nature of being tied to the largest digital music store, a big player in this list.
Offering access from a range of [mostly Apple] devices, iTunes Radio can be used on your iPhone, iPad, iPod touch, Mac, PC, or Apple TV and allows seamless syncing of playlists between them.
iTunes_radio
Rather than focus on user-created playlists at its core, iTunes Radio offers users a choice of more than 250 human-curated and genre-focused radio stations [Note: link opens in iTunes] to tune in to. Naturally, buying recently played tracks is as easy as a click of a button directly from the recently played list (shown above).
If none of those 250 or so take your fancy, you can always create your own personalized iTunes Radio station based around any song, artist or genre that you like.
Like Amazon and Google’s music services, Apple also offers users the option of storing all your locally stored music in iCloud via the iTunes Match service, so you can play it back from any compatible device.
To use this feature, you’ll need a premium subscription to iTunes Match costing $24.99 per year.
iTunes_Match_devices
Alternatively, if you don’t mind the occasional advert and can live without the iTunes Match service, then you can use Apple’s iTunes Radio service gratis.
There’s one big and very large drawback to using iTunes Radio though, and that’s its limited reach. It launched in the US in September last year, and for now, there it remains.
For: People in the US who own multiple Apple devices and are happy listening to radio format streaming.

Deezer

The French company Deezer has been offering music streaming since way back in 2006, although back then it was called Blogmusik. It became a fully fledged business in August 2007.
With many years under its belt already, Deezer is now a mature service with a catalogue of 30 million tracks available for playback. Like the others, at its most basic it offers playlists, music discovery, favorites and integrated social features but it also offers a wide range of different mobile clients including iOS, Android, Windows Phone 7 and BlackBerry. It’s also available on Mac/PCs too, as well as via a dedicated Windows 8 app. Failing all that, you could of course just fire up a browser and use the Web player (below).
Deezer_web
The free listening option provides unlimited music for the first month, but after this you’ll have just two hours per month. If that doesn’t cut the mustard, Deezer has Premium and Premium+ plans available for $4.99 and $9.99 per month respectively.
Upgrading doesn’t only remove the listening restrictions, it also unlocks access to higher quality tracks (320kbps) and allows access via mobile apps too.
Deezer_iOS
Like Spotify, Deezer also gives you the option to import your local library of MP3’s for playback through the desktop client, but it stops short of actually cloud syncing your library so you can play them back from anywhere.
Users that sign up for a free trial of Deezer Premium+ via Facebook are given 15 days to test out the service, before needing to enter card details to carry on using it. Happily, it’ll work in a lot of different countries too, a full list can be found here.
For: People who are happy to pay for access to one of the largest digital music catalogues available to stream and want most of their use to be via the desktop client. It’s also one of the few services that offers a native app for BlackBerry device owners.

Xbox Music

Xbox Music is Microsoft’s music streaming service that ties together its desktop, gaming, mobile and tablet devices for true multi-platform access, and a replacement for Zune.
It only launched last summer, but it’s already had a makeover for Windows 8.1 and launched on iOS, Android and via a Web player. Naturally, it’s available on Xbox consoles too.
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Microsoft clearly has ambitions in the space, as Xbox Music already offers more than 30 million songs – more than most others here. Streaming is free and you can create radio stations based on a particular artist, but the music is ad-supported. Free streaming then becomes limited to 10 hours per month after six months, so if you want to carry on using it, realistically you’ll end up paying.
As well as providing all the usual sort of playlist and playback functionality, it also scans locally stored files and matches tracks with those in existing playlists on its services.
xboxmusic
There are benefits and drawbacks to Xbox Music. While it offers multi-platform access, using it on a mobile or console requires an Xbox Music Pass ($9.99/£8.99 per month), this does open up the option of offline listening too, though.
Xbox Music listeners using a Microsoft console that do pay for the service will also get access to more than 70,000 music videos available to stream. A full list of available countries where the service is active is available here.
For: Microsoft/Windows device owners, people who want to stream videos as well as music. 

SoundCloud

If you’re looking for a huge repository of music, but one that also lets you upload your own mixes and tracks too, then you’re probably looking forSoundCloud.
Primarily intended platform for people to share their own musical creations and mixes, as it has grown in popularity and size, big artists and labels have also signed up, allowing for some of their music to be available through the platform.
Soundcloud_web
It’s been around since 2007, but SoundCloud got a revamp in 2013 that was intended to make it easier to use and attract even more listeners. However, this move also attracted some criticism that it was heading more towards the mainstream, and was less about artists.
Nonetheless, with a Web player and native mobile apps for AndroidiOS,Windows Phone and BlackBerry 10 smartphones and tablets (Android tablet shown below), there’s plenty of ways to listen to tracks on SoundCloud.
Soundcloud_androidtablet
Like Spotify and Deezer too, there’s also a third-party app ecosystem built around SoundCloud, in which you’ll find more than 100 more apps designed to extend the reach and usefulness of it.
SoundCloud offers three pricing tiers:
  • Free – Offers two upload hours, 100 downloads, unlimited playlists and access to some stats, like number of plays, downloads, comments and favorites of tracks.
  • Pro (€3 per month/€29 per year) – Allows four hours of uploads, access to posting tracks in ‘Quiet Mode’ (allowing you to control comments) and Spotlight (allowing you to pin up to five tracks to the top of your profile to receive more attention). It also includes more detailed stats, with reports on who is playing your tracks and where they’re located.
  • Pro Unlimited (€9 per month/€99 per year) – Allows you to upload unlimited single sound file sizes up to 2GB each and within an upload time limit of 30 hours per week.
For: People who want to share their own music with the world, as well as listen to others’ creations. 

Grooveshark

Grooveshark is an online music streaming service for playing back individual tracks, artists or albums since back in 2007.
The free tier allows ad-supported listening of tracks across a wide range of genres, but it’s really the hassle-free listening and good selection of electronic dance music that scored it a place on this list.
Grooveshark
Without even creating an account, you can start queuing up tracks in a playlist – although to save a playlist you’ll need to at least create a free account – simply by searching. If, when you get to the end of the list you’ve created (or before that point, in fact), you run out of tracks, there’s the option to start a radio station based on the tracks you’ve been listening to. Handily, if the station then throws up some unknown tracks that you rather like, then you can choose to save the whole tracklist to a new or existing playlist.
If you fancy yourself as having a pretty good taste in music, you can also choose to broadcasts your listening sessions for others to listen along with.
However, while it has an easy to use interface in some areas, free users won’t be able to access the service via anything but the browser. For $50 per year/$5 per month, users can subscribe to the Anywhere premium subscription plan that allows usage via Android or iOS apps (on a jailbroken device). It also brings the option of a desktop download for Mac (OS X 10.7+) and Windows machines.
For: Web listeners. While it lacks some of the finesse or more advanced integrations of rival platforms, if you’re a Web-first listener and would rather not spend any cash, Grooveshark could be well worth a look.

Slacker Radio

Slacker is another radio-style streaming service that’s available across a range of platforms, but unlike, say, Pandora, listeners aren’t restricted to only being able to listen to radio stations.
Screen shot 2014-01-15 at 3.45.23 PM
At its most basic, users can access the service on the Web and via mobile apps for Android, iOS and Windows Phone (shown below) to access hundreds of playlists curated by Slacker’s music experts and while it doesn’t shout about the exact number of tracks it has to offer you, it does boast about having “more than 10x the music of Pandora”.
On the free tier, listeners get to listen to as much free radio as they can take, but also endure adverts. Skips are also limited to six per hour.
Paying $3.99 per month gives users access to the Premium plan, which allows for unlimited ad-free streaming, unlimited skips, song lyrics and the option to store your favorite stations on your smartphone memory card.
Bumping this up to $9.99 per month turns it into a fully fledged music on-demand platform, with individual artists, tracks and albums available to stream or sync for offline play. It also unlocks the ability to create playlists.
Slacker_WindowsPhone
Slacker suffers from the same problem (from an international perspective) as iTunes Radio and some of the other services in this list, as it’s only available to users in the US and Canada, and there’s no word on if or when it might expand beyond these horizons.
For: People who like Pandora, but want more music and a slicker design.

TuneIn Radio

TuneIn Radio is a little different to the other radio streaming services in this list as it focuses on acting as a hub and player for commercially available radio shows. In total, there are more than 100,000 live stations available, and more than 2 million podcasts.
TuneIn
Radio stations can be filtered by location or by genre, but there’s an obvious drawback to listening to regular radio in this way: the adverts remain, no matter what you do.
There is actually a chargeable app for iOS (currently $0.99, but usually $6.99) and Android ($6.99) that allow users to record live radio, but still won’t get you out of listening to those adverts. There are also free apps for Android and iOS too. It’s also available for Windows Phone, BlackBerry, some Roku players, through some Internet TVs – and even directly in some cars.
For: People who like listening to traditional radio stations, but want to do so from one single platform. 

Myspace (Music)

MySpace might seem like an odd one in this list, but since it relaunched, it has re-angled itself as a music and video platform, rather than as a social network.
MySpace
As such, you’ll find a massive library of music on there – but beware of raw numbers, a huge amount of MySpace’s usage before the relaunch was for bands and musicians and so it follows that a huge amount of the music available to listen to on the platform is from little-known artists.
On the positive side, if you’re just looking for a free way to listening to signed and unsigned artists alike on the Web, then this is one way to do that. It’ll particularly appeal to iPhone owners too, who can use the MySpace app to stream personalized radio stations or to listen to stations curated by your connections.
For: People who want a (sort of) social network and a music service rolled into one. People who like discovering unsigned artists.
➤ Myspace | App Store

Beats Music

Beats Music is easily the newest service on this list, so new in fact that it hasn’t even quite started up yet anywhere, but it will on January 21. However, only for users in the US – although further expansion is to be expected, judging from the signup page for people outside the States.
BeatsMusic
Backed by Dr Dre and boasting a catalogue of more than 20 million tracks, Beats Music will launch with iOS, Android and Windows Phone apps, as well as being available via the Web.
Rather than choose specific tracks, it seems Beats Music users will generate a playlist by using cues in the real-world, like people, locations, activities and genre. So, if context-smart music streaming is what you’re looking for, then this might be worth checking out – although, it should be noted that most if not all of the services in this list offer some form of music discovery or recommendation service.
Once it’s up and running, the service will cost a straight $10 per month, that’s it, there are no other options and no freemium business model. You will be able to take it for a test drive with a 30-day free trial, though.
For: People who want some human recommendation and curation, as well as access from a smartphone or tablet.

Amazon

Amazon is clearly the elephant in the room when it comes to this, as it doesn’t offer a music streaming service. Yet.
However, we’d be surprised if it didn’t offer one in the future.
AmazonCloudPlayer
What it does have right now is the Amazon MP3 store and the Cloud Player. The former lets you buy MP3s and the latter lets you upload them (and any other locally stored music) into Amazon’s cloud for playback across a range of devices.
With a company like Amazon, one of the most ambitious and diverse around, it’s really only a small step, rather than a huge leap, to see it launch an on-demand streaming music service. For now though, it doesn’t.

Round up

As you can see, there are plenty of online streaming options available, with some being more suited to radio listening and others focusing purely on providing individual tracks and albums on-demand.
Most of those included in this list offer an algorithm or human curation aspect to discovery of new music, but you’ll likely need to spend some time using any of them before it accurately learns what you like.
For true multi-device, multi-functional, streaming with the additional benefits of being able to upload your own music collection too – Google Play Music All Access gets a shout out. If you’re looking for the best all-rounder, Google’s is pretty high in the list. Slacker is similar, but US-only and has no provisions for uploading your own music collection to the cloud. And Rdio is a company that’s getting a lot of traction at the moment for its six months of ad-free listening and simple design.
Ultimately, this list should be enough for you to narrow it down to two or three that you’d like to try out, and handily most offer a free trial so you can try them on for size. Get to it.
Featured Image Credit – Shutterstock
Ben is European Editor of The Next Web with a focus on startups, gadgets and lifestyle tech. Now a technology journalist with a specialism in mobile devices and a geeky love of mobile spectrum issues. Ben used to be a professional online poker player. You can contact him on ben@thenextweb.com , via Twitter or on Google+.
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