I have had YouTube Premium Music since it was launched. I uploaded nearly 15,000 MP3s at the time. Now that the family plan is $28 a month, what free alternatives are out there for music streaming?
jellyfin and tailscale
Go self hosted
Lidarr can get your Spotify playlist and download it, navidrome can me the music server. Works awesome
YouTube Music through the ReVanced app
Check out your local terrestrial radio options. There are still good human-run, human-presented local stations out there which would love nothing more than to gain your listenership.
Explicitly not answering the question you asked, but I think anyone considering not paying money for streaming services should consider going back to getting MP3s and CDs. And maybe you’ve considered it, but for everyone who hasn’t:
You can download everything using Soulseek if you have access to a router.
For hardware, you can start with your phone, but because battery life is often an issue and so is space, you’ll probably want a good MP3 player. Cheapest good one I’ve found is Fiio Snowsky Echo Mini which you can get direct from manufacturer on Ali Baba. You can use it with BT but it’s very flakey, so I usually listen through wired speakers.
I don’t have access to a router, so don’t use SoulSeek, but rip CDs from the library and find treasures for 20 cents at the thrift stores. For one off songs, I use NewPipe to download YouTube videos.
That said, as far as streaming services go, music streaming is the least objectionable. You do have an amazing library. I got off of it mostly because I’m cheap and I also think having immediate access to every song ever written kind of music a valueless commodity in my mind.
Local library
SomaFM
Radio Paradise
Big Sonic Heaven
Insomniac Radio
Thanks! I also found out Los Angeles KCRW NPR radio has an app for streaming.
I just use pirated YouTube Premium and have a playlist there.
I think Pandora still has a free tier.
MP3s on your own device
FM radio either over the air or streamed
YouTube has a lot of good music, if you’re on Android use a client like Newpipe
I haven’t purchased media in 40 years
Download revanced manager. Enjoy.
On Android; Grayjay
Pirate it (straight from YouTube in this case is probably easiest so you keep your playlists and what not), and then buy merch from your favorite small time artists.
