There have been some stellar apps and services that were released this year and I can wholeheartedly agree with every single one of the winners on this list.
I am a bit biased here, but I am a huge Spotify fan. I have tried YouTube Music and Apple Music, but frankly, neither of them really meets my needs as well as Spotify does. The app this year also has one of my favourite end-of-year features “Spotify Unwrapped” and this year it integrated a lot of AI to give me more information on my listening habits!
I will say that while Netflix is the king of streaming services there are many others out there with great shows. But of course, there can only be one winner and we picked Netflix! There are a lot of great shows and it’s highly entertaining, not to mention that the streaming giant is also getting into the world of live TV, which we suspect will expand over the next year.
Finally, we couldn’t finish this list without talking about the best Android app: Gemini. Google outdid itself with a truly remarkable app and it’s one the AC Staff has been very excited about using.
Congrats to all the winners!
Of course, here’s what some of my colleagues, Derrek Lee, Patrick Farmer, and Namerah Saud-Fatmi have to say about the winners,
Best music streaming service: Spotify
Derrek Lee: We just can’t quit you, can we? Spotify continues to be not only our favorite music streaming service but, apparently, everyone else’s too. Just in November, the company reported that it has 252 million subscribers, up 12% from the previous year. It also has more than 640 million monthly active users, which is up 11% from last year. So why do we love Spotify so much?
The streamlined UI just makes it impressively easy to listen to the music you love and discover new tracks. And while Spotify has yet to introduce its long-awaited Hi-Fi tier, the company continues to add and test new features to stay ahead of the game, such as personalized AI-generated playlists that let you tell it what you want to listen to. It also added a cheaper base plan for users who don’t need access to audiobooks.
It was a pretty good year for Spotify, but we hope 2025 will be a great year for audiophiles who await higher-quality listening. With any luck, we’ll finally get that “Super Premium” plan we’ve been hearing about.
Runner-up: YouTube Music
Meanwhile, YouTube Music is our runner-up as Google continues to make its streaming app more competitive. This year, the company has made a few tweaks to the UI and added a number of AI features to help you create playlists and thumbnails. It hasn’t been too exciting of a year for YouTube Music, but it’s steadily becoming a worthy Spotify competitor for anyone looking. Earlier this year, Google celebrated 100 million subscribers, so something must be working.
Best video streaming service: Netflix
Patrick Farmer: Despite a controversial password-sharing crackdown and another round of predicted price increases on the horizon (according to analysts), 2024 was a great year for Netflix. From blockbuster films to original series and holiday romcoms — did anyone else watch “The Merry Gentlemen”? Just me? All right, moving on — Netflix has content for just about every type of user.
This year may not have seen Netflix dropping any groundbreaking cultural phenomena like “Squid Game” or “Stranger Things,” but it has continued to hold the line as the world’s most popular streaming service. And with its recent foray into the world of gaming, it’s clear that Netflix has no intention of resting on its laurels any time soon.
Best Android app: Gemini
Namerah Saud-Fatmi: Apps are available a dime a dozen, but it takes an infinite amount of effort and beyond to make the best one. Google had all the right resources for the job and put them to work with Gemini. This language model married the smarts of Google Assistant to concoct the ultimate Android app.
With Gemini, anything is possible. Need to create automations for your smart home? No problem. Have some code that needs help getting written? Done deal. There’s very little this AI can’t handle, be it image generation or pulling from all your Google services like Gmail to answer prompts.
