deezer.com
Many people believe that music is the universal language because it is truly a common experience for everyone. No matter where someone is from or what their cultural background is, they can all understand and enjoy music. Music is one of the most loved art forms throughout history, and it's hard to find someone who doesn't at least have a small interest in it.
Many people enjoy listening to music because it can add a unique dimension to their lives. Music can help us drive, work out, party, and more.
And, thus, we often meticulously craft elaborate playlists to fit certain moods and activities. Maybe you have, for instance, a workout playlist filled with songs to pump you up and help you push through the burn of strenuous exercise. Or perhaps you have playlists for chill nights spent at home, ambient music to relax and unwind with. I myself have a lengthy sleep playlist of songs that help lull me into a deep and dreamy REM cycle. Whatever the case may be, it is nearly impossible to overstate music's importance and strong, universal appeal.
This is why you need to find the right music streaming service to fit your unique musical needs. Every music streaming app on the market offers a different vision for how music can be accessed. Some, for instance, rely more heavily on the emulation of radio (think iHeart Radio, Pandora, Last.Fm, etc.); whereas others allow for a more customizable and personalized experience (Spotify, Tidal, Sound Cloud). To discern which music streaming service is right for you, you must take a look at each one and see if it will be harmonious with the ways in which you prefer to listen.
Deezer is a music streaming service based out of Paris, France. It offers over 56 million songs to choose from, and although it may not get as much global attention or clout as services like Spotify or Pandora, it would be wise to get to know Deezer. With more than 14 million active monthly users, this is definitely no fringe app. So let's dive in and see what all the hype is about!
History
When Deezer first developed, it was not called Deezer. In 2006, Daniel Marhely developed the first iteration of what is now called Deezer under the name Blogmusik. Marhely had a dream of providing people with unlimited music via streaming technology and he quickly worked towards making that dream a reality.
The French agency, SACEM, quickly charged Blogmusik with copyright infringement and the site was shut down in April 2007. Marhely did not let this discourage him though; by August 2007, the site was up and running again, now branded as Deezer.
He struck an agreement with SACEM which said that he would pay off the copyright holders with money earned through advertising on Deezer and iTunes. The agreement also dictated, for some reason, that Deezer must give its users the ability to download the songs that they streamed on Deezer off of iTunes. This resulted in Deezer earning a commission on each purchase.
When Deezer proper finally launched in 2007, there were few songs available to be listened to. It took more than two years, but eventually Marhely was able to get the three largest labels in the world onboard: Universal, Sony, and Warner. In addition, Deezer also acquired the rights to music from several smaller, lesser-known labels. This allowed for a rich collection of music to be found on the service today.
Design
The Deezer app has an impressive rating of 4.6 on the Apple App Store. This is due, at least in part, to Deezer's intuitive and aesthetically pleasing design. The app is extremely user-friendly, making it easier than ever to browse songs, make playlists, discover new artists and tracks, and keep up with your favorite podcasts. The best way that I can think of to describe Deezer's design would be to say that it is something like a cross between Spotify and Apple Music. It has all of the convenient functionality of Spotify with a very aesthetic organizational structure, similar to Apple Music. As far as music streaming apps are concerned, Deezer easily has some of the best designs on the market.
Content
As I mentioned before, Deezer offers 56 million songs and podcasts available to stream and download. But that is not all that this service provides; fans of streaming talk radio shows will be happy to learn that Deezer also has a regularly updated list of all the best in streaming talk radio shows. Deezer isn't just for music lovers, it caters to just about all of your audio streaming needs.
Deezer has a feature called "Flow" which offers personalized listening recommendations; as well as suggesting new genres, artists, and songs based on your unique listening habits. If you are familiar with Spotify, this is akin to the "Discover Weekly" playlist, except for you can delve in and broaden your musical horizons whenever you please with Flow.
Desktop and Mobile Experience
I've already said that the user experience of the app is nearly perfect. There will be no learning curve whatsoever standing in the way between you and hours of uninterrupted listening with Deezer. You are not limited, however, to just listening to songs on your smartphone either. Thanks to Deezer Premium's download capabilities, quickly and conveniently listen to your music on any device, making the desktop experience just as great as the mobile one.
Pricing and Plans
The Deezer Premium plan offers an ad-free experience as well as access to offline mode and more tracks. The Deezer Family plan is perfect for families with multiple members who want to share the same account. It comes with ad-free listening, 10 track skips, parental controls, and a 50 percent discount on all premium plans.
Deezer has three different plans to choose from: Deezer Free, Deezer Premium, and Deezer Family. It's always great to see a streaming service like this offer a free version, for those of us who are on a tight budget, and this service is pretty much what you would expect. With Deezer Free, you have access to the entire library of songs; however you'll have to deal with ads, limited track skips, no offline mode, and strictly mobile listening. The Deezer Premium plan offers an ad-free experience as well as access to offline mode and more tracks. The Deezer Family plan is perfect for families with multiple members who want to share the same account. It comes with ad-free listening, 10 track skips, parental controls, and a 50 percent discount on all premium plans.
The Premium plan from Deezer is a great way to gain access to everything the company has to offer, including unlimited skips, no ads, and the ability to listen to content offline on any device you like. It's priced on par with most other services of its kind, at $9.99 per month.
My family is essentially Premium times 6. This means that we get six individual profiles, each of which is fully equipped with all of Deezer's premium capabilities. For only $14.99 a month, this plan is a steal!
Suggestions that I have for Deezer
I think that Deezer should make it easier for independent and underground artists to place their music on the service, as well as be more frequently featured. Sure, Deezer does offer songs from plenty of indie labels, but I think it could be made easier for any band anywhere to quickly upload their music to Deezer. Spotify and Apple Music, for contrast, are both pretty good about this. I believe that Deezer should follow suit.
Conclusion
All in all, I think Deezer may well be the best music streaming service you've never heard of. It's a great hidden gem that deserves more attention on a global scale - maybe they could benefit from a more active marketing campaign or two - but it's definitely worth considering if you're looking for something comprehensive and convenient. There are more songs than both Spotify and Apple Music to choose from, along with plenty of podcasts, great app design, and some fun and useful features. If Deezer is what you're looking for, I think it might be time to give it a try!
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