Two of the world’s most popular music streaming sources are Soundcloud and Spotify. Both are used by millions of users and allow them to listen and stream music without purchasing the actual individual song or album. But which is better?

Soundcloud, unlike Spotify, allows the music community–producers, mixers, musicians–to upload their own work for the public. It also holds the biggest “social” music platform to the public. Ammeter artist and Independent labels can be found on Soundcloud, however, if one wanted to listen to major labels, this would not be the place. Another huge plus to Soundcloud is that there is no fee to enjoy ad-free listening.

Spotify offers instant access to millions of artist, albums and songs. Unlike Soundcloud, you can use Spotify on virtually any device. From cellphones, to computers, users can play music anytime, anywhere. The downside to Spotify is that unless you pay for Premium, ads can be an issue. Premium also allows one to listen to music on-demand via mobile rather than just on the computer.

Though both are huge music databases, it’s all about preference.