Top 6 Music Streaming Services

With all the recent noise about piracy in the entertainment sphere, and with SOPA and PIPA looming to ruin ubiquitous YouTube plays of the latest Top 40 treasure, it's high time one got better acquainted with their options for streaming music to their computers and mobile devices. Here is a list of our favorite streaming services, defined as a provider who, for a price or for free, provides access to a large library of legal, licensed music in the cloud.

1. Spotify

Spotify is the current frontrunner of streaming services, with an intuitive iTunes-like UI (which also incorporates your iTunes library), and three tiers of offerings-- free and ad-supported, $4.99 for Unlimited (commercial-free), and $9.99 for Premium (320Kbps steams, no commercials, and mobile access). It only recently immigrated from Europe to the US, but is already boasting over ten million registered users in the US, Facebook integration both in app and sharing with friends, and easy-to-use playlist functionality. The free version is unchecked for six months... but after that, you only get 10 hours of free tunes a month.

Features: Limited Free Ad-Supported Tier, 15 Million Songs available, Desktop App, Mobile App (Android, Blackberry and iOS, iPod), Supports Tethered Downloads, Social Integration, download or register here.

2. MOG
MOG, founded in June 2005 by David Hyman, former CEO of Gracenote, is Spotify's US-born competitior, and although they were here first, you tend to see less of them in your Facebook timeline. MOG sports an attractive web-based UI doesn't include Facebook friend's playlists, but it does recommend subsequent tracks based on your initial selections (MOG Radio, similar to Pandora). MOG boasts quality (320kbps streams) as well as universal use-- it works not only on the computer/mobile platforms, but also on your TV (via Roku/Google TV/Apple TV) and comes loaded in certain cars (like BMW). The pricing structure is the same, $4.99 for no commercials, $9.99 for Primo (mobile + unlimited tethered downloads). The free version (Freeplay) also has a limit, but that limit can be replenished by sharing with your friends.

Features: Limited Free Tier, 14 Million Songs available, Web-based App, Mobile App (Android and iOS), TV via set-top boxes, Facebook/Twitter Sharing, MOG Radio curation, Tethered Downloads, subscribe here.

3. Rhapsody
Many forget Rhapsody, the original music streaming service in the US, which boasts a desktop app, mobile compatibility, and the same pricing structure as MOG and Spotify, but instead of a free component, it offers a 30-day trial, and a $14.99 tier which allows for up to three mobile devices to share one account. Not quite as sexy as its competitors.

Features: 30-Day Trial, 13 Million Songs available, Desktop and Web-based Apps, Mobile App (Android, Blackberry and iOS, DRM Enabled MP3 Players), Supports Tethered Downloads, 14-day trial starts here.

4. Rdio
Rdio was created by Skype founders Niklas Zennströ&m and Janus Friis, and is a relative newcomer, differentiating itself with both streaming and a Pandora-like radio function, a free version with no ads, and a family package similar to Rhapsody's ($17.99 a month for 2 users, $22.99 for three). Rdio has a web app, as well as desktop apps, mobile, TV, and great social functionality for following the playlists of friends, artists, and publications.

Features: Free Ad-Supported Tier, 12 Million Songs available, Desktop, Mobile App (Android, Blackberry and iOS), TV (Roku, Sonos), Supports Tethered Downloads, Facebook/Twitter Sharing, see the prices and plans in detail here.

5. Pandora
If any of the massive libraries of the above four are too scary, and you're not that into making playlists and actively seeking out new music, then you want an internet radio service like Tim Westegren's Pandora. Although many others mimic Pandora or provide similar functionality, nobody comes close to the decades of research that went into Pandora's engine. It does not offer nearly as much freedom as the above subscriptions, but the Music Genome algorithm is the most sophisticated method of suggesting new music based on the songs you already like) out on the market today. Simply plug in a song you like, and hit play, and Pandora does the rest. Pandora is free ad-supported, and also offers a higher-quality, commercial-free tier ("Pandora One") for $36/yr. And unlike the radio, Pandora allows 6 skips per station per hour, just in case they get their recommendations wrong.

Features: Free Ad-Supported Tier, An Undisclosed Amount of Songs Available, Desktop, Mobile Apps (Android, Blackberry and iOS), sign up here.

6. iHeartRadio
Of course, an endless stream of music with no personality may not be for everyone-- for those missing the true terrestrial experience of a human voice instead of the robotic Music Genome project can go ot iHeartRadio, a Pandora hybrid that also includes access to 800+ live, local radio stations from around the world, provided by Clear Channel. And it's totally free.

Features: Everything Free, 800+ Radio Stations, 11 Million Songs, Desktop, Mobile Apps (Android, Blackberry, and iOS), sign up here.

Have a favorite you can't live without? Tell us about your experiences with streaming music, and maybe you'll help someone else find the service that's right for them.