Disney Plus is secretly the best streaming service for music fans – here's why

For obvious reasons most TV and movie streaming services aren't a place you'd traditionally go to for music. We have dedicated services including Apple Music, Tidal and Spotify for that.

But if you like a visual element to your music, I think I've found the service that bridges the between both quite nicely – and it's one of the most popular ones on the market. 

Disney Plus has quickly become my go-to streaming platform for music-based content for many reasons, and the deeper I dig, the more treasures I find. 

This began just a couple of weeks ago during a visit to JBL's office in Cambridgeshire, where I sampled its new AVRs and speakers with a snippet of Billie Eilish's Happier Than Ever: A Love Letter To Los Angeles. 

During the experience I found myself not only enjoying the new AV kit, but also the Billie Eilish performance itself. I haven't really delved into concert movies, despite their current popularity, however, this one was the catalyst that made me reconsider them. 

After leaving I found myself back on Disney Plus looking at the concert films to brush up on my Swiftie knowledge ahead of attending Taylor Swift's The Eras Tour at Wembley Stadium. The Eras Tour (Taylor's Version) movie seemed like the obvious place to start, and once again I found myself enjoying it much more than I anticipated. This one was more of a direct concert-to-screen translation, while Eilish's was a made-for-Disney Plus arrangement, but both were really entertaining to watch in their own ways.

What really sealed the deal for me was the documentary Folklore: The Long Pond Sessions which recounted the writing process of Swift's first "Covid era" album, with performances of each song intertwined with the backstory and writing process. It was nothing short of captivating, and it truly sold me on this format. This led me down a rabbit hole to see what other artists were featured on the platform, and I was genuinely surprised to see how many notable musicians had their own films or series on the service.

If it were a festival, Disney Plus would have the best headliners in the world. It has a wealth of concert films, visual albums and documentaries from the likes of Taylor Swift, Billie Eilish, The Beetles, Bon Jovi, Ed Sheeran, Queen, Beyonce, Elton John, Olivia Rodrigo, Imagine Dragons and more. There are also broader shows that tackle genres like rock and roll, rap, jazz and Broadway musicals, alongside behind-the-scenes looks as to how movie soundtracks are made in the case of Voices Rising: The Music of Wakanda Forever.

Better yet, these concerts and documentaries are streamed in 4K HDR with Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos – providing you have the applicable Disney Plus tier – which makes them feel even more immersive. In my opinion, these shows and movies should make you feel as though you're in the crowd or studio while the musicians perform, so having the immersive 3D audio aspect included is an essential part of why I think Disney has nailed the musical aspect of its streaming service. 

Of course, you'll need either a Dolby Atmos soundbar or an AVR with a surround sound speaker system to feel fully immersed, but I also felt like the visuals helped to draw me in further too. Disney is, of course, a hugely successful company, so the visual aspects were given the budget and attention required to ensure they realised the musical side appropriately and they provided a unique new aspect to albums I've heard many times before.

A broad spectrum of genres and artists with content that looks great and features immersive sound is practically all you can ask for, which is why I think that frequent concert-goers and behind-the-scenes fans – as well as concert film sceptics like myself – should absolutely give Disney Plus a try.

MORE:

Read our full Disney Plus review

And check out our picks for the best media streamers

As well as the best music streaming services