Two services, but there can only be one Product of the Year winner
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2025 has been an interesting year for streaming services, to say the least.
Music-wise, we have seen Qobuz deliver its answer to Spotify Connect and Tidal Connect with the imaginatively titled Qobuz Connect (which has proven to be a hit with hi-fi manufacturers). And – after an eternity of waiting – Spotify finally launched a higher-quality audio option with Spotify Lossless; it only took eight years of patience.
What hasn't changed, however, is our pick for the best music streaming service, which remains the ever-faithful and excellent-sounding Tidal. While the likes of Qobuz and Apple Music are nipping at its heels, in our opinion Tidal represents the perfect balance of value and performance.
Last year, Tidal opted to simplify its pricing structure, meaning you can access CD-quality streams, Dolby Atmos tracks and Sony 360 Audio titles for just £11 / $11 / AU$11 per month; that's higher-resolution streaming and more features at a slightly cheaper price than Spotify Premium (£11.99 / $11.99 / AU$15.99).
And with a rich, full-bodied and detailed performance, Tidal becomes our pick for the Best music streaming service for the tenth year in a row. A decade of Awards for Tidal should put into perspective how highly we regard this streaming service, and while there are good alternatives out there, none has managed to dethrone Tidal as of yet.
Moving on to the streaming services that handle our movies and TV shows, we have seen far fewer developments, though we do have a new service to take the title of Best video streaming service.
Disney Plus has suffered from periodic issues relating to HDR playback, and Netflix's Premium subscription tier (which covers 4K, Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos) has been raised to a staggering £18.99 per month here in the UK.
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That's why we have reassessed Apple TV (formerly Apple TV+). Despite a fairly weak debut, it is now an absolute gem of a streaming service. It has taken Apple six years to properly flesh out the service's content library, but with award-winning shows such as Severance, Slow Horses, The Morning Show, The Studio, Ted Lasso and Silo now available on the platform, the lack of third-party content becomes much less of an issue.
We do wish that its film content was a bit stronger. Still, there are a number of Oscar-winning titles on the list, such as CODA, Killers of the Flower Moon and Napoleon.
Best of all, Apple has taken the Tidal approach in offering one simple subscription tier that covers everything. £9.99 / $12.99 / AU$15.99 per month gets you 4K streaming with no ads and Dolby Vision HDR, and Dolby Atmos included – Netflix could really learn a thing or two from Apple.
Two services rule this list; one is a newcomer, another a seasoned veteran – but which one will take home the prestigious Product of the Year title?
Lewis Empson is a Senior Staff Writer on What Hi-Fi?. He was previously Gaming and Digital editor for Cardiff University's 'Quench Magazine', Lewis graduated in 2021 and has since worked on a selection of lifestyle magazines and regional newspapers. Outside of work, he enjoys gaming, gigs and regular cinema trips.
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