Today we’ll take a closer look at two of the best music streaming apps: Deezer and Spotify.
Deezer provides great sound quality and a huge music library, and Spotify has excellent music discovery and social features.
But in a Deezer vs Spotify battle, who would win?
Let’s find out!
Deezer vs Spotify – How Do They Work?
Although it’s not as popular as some of its competitors, Deezer has a reputation for being one of the best music streaming services available.
And we certainly agree – it’s well-designed, versatile, and very easy to navigate.
But in a Deezer vs Spotify battle, who would win?
Spotify is, after all, a music streaming superstar – it does an amazing job of providing music recommendations, and it has a free plan that is packed with options and features.
To come up with a fair verdict, we need to compare important factors such as music discovery features, pricing, app functionality, social features, and music library.
Before taking a look at each aspect, let us briefly explain how each platform works.
Deezer
Deezer is a French music streaming service launched in 2007.
The service has expanded over time, especially after developing a new phone and desktop app and subscription plans.
Deezer is now available in over 185 countries, and more are being added over time.
Deezer reportedly has over 16 million active users – this is not a lot compared to Spotify’s 515 million users, but it’s still noteworthy.
More importantly, Deezer offers around 90 million music tracks and 160,000 podcast titles, which is very impressive, even in comparison to Spotify.
And with its clean user interface, it’s very convenient and easy to use.
So even though it’s not as popular as Spotify, Deezer is definitely its solid rival.
Spotify
Founded in 2006, Spotify started as a small Swedish start-up developed by Daniel Ek and Martin Lorentzon who wanted to address music piracy.
And with 515 million active users worldwide, the app is now one of the biggest streaming platforms in the world.
Spotify is widely known for its convenience and flexibility.
You can launch the Spotify app on Android, iPhone, desktop, and smart TV apps, and it’s compatible with Apple Carplay and Android Auto.
The app also provides cool features and options such as collaborative playlists, group session options, a huge music library, and a wide selection of podcasts.
And it allows you to connect with friends and check out what they’re listening to at the moment.
It also offers handy tools and it’s ideal for creating playlists.
On Spotify, you can simply search for artists you like and follow them – if someone you follow releases a new song, the track will show up on the Release Radar playlist, along with other tracks that you might like.
As we mentioned before, Spotify also does a great job of recommending tracks and artists.
To provide you with daily playlists and song recommendations, the app analyzes your streaming history and creates personalized playlists of different artists and genres based on your music preference.
That being said, Spotify is a great choice for anyone looking for a reliable streaming service with strong social and music discovery features.
Now, let’s see how it stands when compared to other top music streaming apps like Deezer.
Deezer vs Spotify – Which One Is Better?
Now that you know what each service is all about, let’s compare their characteristics and features so you can decide which platform is a better option for you.
User interface
Spotify has a simple yet eye-catching and recognizable user interface.
The app’s navigation bar allows you to access your library in a flash, and both desktop and phone versions look great.
The home page has a variety of sections, but it’s not overcrowded.
But Deezer is neat as well, and the app’s dark mode layout is actually similar to Spotify’s interface.
In terms of functionality, both apps work great, and you can’t go wrong with either option.
Streaming quality
This is not a crucial element for most casual listeners, but it’s important to tackle the sound quality of each platform nevertheless.
After all, you want to experience the music you love in the best way possible, so even if you’re not familiar with audio terminology, you’ll want to find out more about Spotify’s and Deezer’s streaming quality.
Spotify offers five audio quality settings, while Deezer offers four different settings.
And they both deliver lag-free playback at 34 Mbps.
There’s a difference though – Spotify utilizes the Ogg Vorbis format, while Deezer relies on the MP3 format.
Both of these codecs are lossy, and lossy files are definitely not as good as lossless files.
Lossy files sacrifice audio quality because they’re highly compressed, and lossless audio preserves all of the original audio information so it’s basically identical to the source.
However, with Deezer’s paid subscriptions, you can listen to CD-quality audio and stream FLAC music across all your devices.
Spotify announced Spotify HiFi (lossless audio tier) in 2021, but they delayed the launch for unknown reasons.
Either way, both Spotify and Deezer provide good sound and streaming quality, even in their free versions.
But if you’re looking for CD-quality music streaming, you should go for Deezer Premium.
Playlists
Deezer features many popular playlists based on genre, top charts, themes, and so on.
And the app allows you to create your own playlists without hassle.
However, there’s a limit to the number of tracks you can like or add to a playlist.
And since you can’t download songs without first adding them to your Favorites or a created playlist, this is one of the disadvantages of Deezer.
On Spotify, you can search playlists by genre, mood, and similar artists.
And on the Spotify desktop version, there are unlimited skips even if you’re not a member.
Spotify also allows you to easily create playlists, save songs, and follow artists you like, and there are countless curated playlists you can explore, from independent playlists to playlists made by Spotify’s editorial team.
Just like all the best music streaming services, Spotify uses algorithms to learn your listening habits.
But Spotify truly does an amazing job at providing personalized mix playlists and recommendations, and the app simply knows what you want to discover.
Spotify’s Daily mix playlists usually feature artists and tracks you’re familiar with, but they can also feature something new that you might like.
Moreover, Spotify has Release Radar and What’s New playlists, featuring new music from artists you follow, artists you listen to, and other artists you might like.
If you’re a music artist, submitting a pitch to Spotify playlist editors at least 7 days before release day will get your song on your followers’ Release Radar playlists.
In terms of playlists and recommendations, both Deezer and Spotify have plenty to offer, but Spotify provides a more sophisticated way of delivering playlists based on your musical preferences.
See also: Best Spotify Playlists
Phone apps
You can download the Deezer app on Android, Apple, and Windows.
The app is free to download, but if you want to download tracks and listen to them offline, you’ll have to upgrade to Deezer Premium.
Spotify is available as a mobile and desktop app as well, and thanks to Spotify Connect, you can use it on a number of Smart devices.
Both apps are well-designed and easy to navigate, although they do differ from their desktop versions.
Spotify’s phone app is very convenient and flexible, but the desktop version offers some extra features, such as unlimited track skips (in the free plan.)
Music discovery features
All the best streaming apps use algorithms to learn their users’ listening habits.
And that’s how apps like Deezer and Spotify provide such great song recommendations.
However, these two apps approach music discovery in slightly different ways.
Deezer uses Collaborative Filtering – this method relies on similarities between users and items simultaneously to provide serendipitous recommendations.
Additionally, Deezer takes into account your listening history, likes, and general activity on the app.
And that’s how Deezer creates its Flow, an amazing continuous playlist based on the songs you’ve liked and new (accurate) recommendations.
Deezer’s Mixes are also a great way to discover new music – these personalized playlists are usually customized by genre, mood, or year of release.
Spotify, on the other hand, uses a hybrid algorithm to provide you with the best music recommendations.
And the more songs you listen to, the more personalized and accurate your playlists are going to get.
Spotify’s Discover Weekly and Daily Mix playlists are always fun to explore, and since they get updated every 7 days, you can always count on fresh recommendations and playlists.
All in all, both platforms are great in terms of music discovery.
But thanks to its hybrid algorithm, Spotify truly seems to know what you want to discover.
Subscriptions
One of the best things about Deezer is that you can download it for free.
But if you want certain benefits such as offline and ad-free listening, you should opt for Deezer Premium.
Deezer Premium costs $10.99 per month, which is a bit more expensive than Spotify.
On the other hand, Deezer Premium comes with more features, including the Deezer HiFi feature.
But Spotify is a great option as well, especially if you’re on a budget.
Everyone can access Spotify’s music library and content and use its music discovery and social features for free.
If you use it on a desktop, you’ll get unlimited track skips, along with other numerous features.
But Spotify’s membership plans are quite affordable, in case you want to get more perks and the possibility to listen to music offline.
Besides offline listening, Spotify Premium includes ad-free listening and higher audio quality.
The subscription to the Spotify Individual Premium plan costs $9.99 per month, and there are different plans to choose from, including Spotify Duo, Family Plans, Spotify Student, and so on.
And just like Deezer, you can use Spotify Premium for free for one month.
To summarize, both platforms offer similar perks if you become a member, including:
- Extensive music library (over 80 million songs)
- Full access to all content
- Multi-device compatibility
- Ad-free on-demand playback
- Up to 320 kbps audio quality
- Downloads and offline listening
- Option to import local files
- Family plans with profiles for kids
- 30-day free trial
Music library
Both Amazon Music and Spotify have impressive music libraries.
With its extensive library of over 80 million songs, Spotify truly has plenty to offer, both for casual listeners and dedicated music fans.
There’s a variety of genres to choose from (around 60, to be more precise), including alternative rock, electronic music, funk, classical music, rap, country, ambient, and dubstep.
And since Spotify has licensing deals with some top record labels like Universal Music Group, Sony Music Entertainment, and Warner Music, there’s no shortage of new music drops and popular hits.
But Spotify accepts music from anyone who submits to it, so there’s a ton of music from indie artists as well.
Deezer supports indie music as well.
Just like Spotify, Deezer is supported by all the major record labels as well as independent distributors.
But with its 90 million tracks, Deezer actually beats Spotify when it comes to the size of the music library.
Genres and playlists are well-organized, so you can quickly find the music you want.
All things considered, both Spotify and Deezer won’t disappoint you with their selection of music.
Social features
In a Spotify vs Deezer comparison, it’s sometimes hard to say which app is better.
However, when it comes to the social aspect, Spotify has more built-in social features, and it generally makes you feel more connected.
For starters, Spotify allows you to easily find and connect with your friends and like-minded music lovers, share your playlists with them, and check their listening activity and history.
The app also allows you to share individual songs, full albums, and playlists via special links that target the Spotify app.
And thanks to the app’s Remote group session feature, you can start a group session, invite friends, and listen to music and podcasts together.
Deezer has a few social features too.
You can share what you’re listening to on social media platforms like Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter, and you follow your Facebook friends there.
So truth be told, although Spotify has a reputation for having strong social features, Deezer does a pretty good job at connecting people as well.
Additional features and content
If you’re still not sure which streaming app is best for you, you should check out their additional features.
However, both platforms do share some similarities in this department as well.
For instance, both apps provide song lyrics, a built-in equalizer, multi-device connectivity, and collaborative playlists.
And they have a similar way of providing listeners with their year wrap-up: Spotify Wrapped and #MyDeezerYear.
But Spotify also allows users to check out ‘Storyline’ and ‘Behind the Lyrics’, and it features eye-catching accompanying visuals.
Plus, it offers more than 5 million podcast titles for you to listen to.
So, some of Spotify’s handy extra features include:
- Carplay and Android Auto compatibility
- Spotify Wrapped – data collected from your Spotify account throughout the year (most-listened artists, genres, songs, etc.)
- Spotify for Artists
- Sleep Timer
- A collection of podcasts
But Deezer has some unique features too.
Deezer provides 360 Reality Audio, a spatial audio technology that offers realistic 360-degree audio.
And it has a handy music transfer function that allows you to transfer songs and playlists from other streaming platforms – cool, right?
Finally, Deezer also offers SongCatcher, a useful feature that can help you identify unfamiliar songs.
All in all, Deezer has many additional features that can come in handy, including:
- 360 Reality Audio
- SongCatcher
- Deezer for Creators
- MyDeezerYear
- Recommendations filter
It’s clear that you can’t go wrong with either option.
And at the end of the day, it all comes down to your preferences and priorities.
Which Service is Better for Artists – Deezer or Spotify?
We have to mention another Deezers’ highlight – Deezer for Creators.
Deezer for Creators allows you to customize your profile, grow your audience, and get in-depth analysis so you can track your progress.
With Deezer for Creators, it’s easy to keep your fans engaged, and you can easily notify them about any new releases.
If you want to get your music on Deezer, you can easily do it by using a third-party distributor.
Spotify works in a similar way.
Once you distribute your tracks on Spotify, you can claim your Spotify for Artists profile by searching for your artist name, selecting it, and following the instructions for verification.
You can then customize your artist page and add all the necessary information and links such as Artist bio, images, upcoming gigs, and social media links.
Spotify for Artists profile allows you to promote your music, pitch your songs to playlist editors, and connect with your fans.
It also provides detailed analytics and streaming data about your music and your listeners.
Spotify pays artists between $0.003 – $0.005 per stream on average, and Deezer pays $0.0064 per stream.
So, Deezer pays its artists more, although the difference isn’t so significant.
Either way, if you’re an independent artist, you should definitely distribute and promote your music online – and Spotify and Deezer are the best platforms to start with.
See also: How to Get More Streams on Spotify
Deezer vs Spotify – Final Thoughts
It’s true – both Deezer and Spotify are amazing music streaming services that offer a ton of content for music lovers.
They are both well-designed, versatile, and easy to navigate.
But each platform also has its unique features and strengths – Deezer offers better sound quality and more tracks, while Spotify has great content variety and music discovery features.
We hope our Deezer vs Spotify comparison helped you make the final decision!
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