Spotify was the first platform to offer streaming music legally, both free (with ads) and paid for those who wanted to get a better experience. However, today we can find great alternatives that surpass Spotify in every way: both in functions and in price, quality, catalog, etc. In addition, in 2023 price increases are predicted for subscriptions that will make more than one rethink whether to continue with this service or not. So, to keep it in mind, today we are going to talk about a program that will undoubtedly give you a lot to talk about: Cider.
The closest rival to Spotify is Apple Music. This on-demand music service allows us to access a catalog superior to that of Spotify, in addition to offering us an infinitely better audio quality, both lost and, on new discs, with Dolby Atmos technology. The problem with this service is that, as with the entire Apple ecosystem, the company always sweeps for your home. And, while in macOS and iOS we have excellent apps to listen to music, in Windows we only have iTunes. And, for anyone who’s tried it, it’s a real nightmare.
It is true that Apple has promised that, in 2023, it will launch an official Apple Music client for WindowsAlthough we have not heard from him again, we do not know what he will be like or if he will be up to the task. Luckily, there are always alternatives, and that is that an independent developer is capable of doing something that a company with 2.4 billion dollars is not capable of doing.
Cider: Apple Music for Windows
Cider is a program for Windows, macOS and Linux designed with the aim of offering users an alternative to listen to their favorite music from Apple Music on Windows. This program is based on the web version of Apple Music, and works on a client based on Electron and Vue.js. Among others, the main features that we find with this program are:
- Integration with Discord and Last.fm.
- Audio enhancements such as spatial audio, equalizers and an “Adrenaline Processor”.
- Remote control from a mobile.
This program has a design that mixes both Spotify and Apple Music, and with it we will be able to access all the functions and features of the service. For example, we can search for songs and artists, playlists, radio stations… and even see the lyrics of the songs we listen to.
Download the program
We can download this program completely free of charge from its GitHub repository. In addition, its developers offer us the possibility of downloading the app from the Microsoft Store, in UWP format, in exchange for a donation of $0.99. In this way, those users who want to use this program completely free of charge, and without spending a single euro, will be able to do so, while those who want to support the development of the program can do so from the Store.
The program still has a few bugs, although its developers work very quickly to fix them as soon as possible. A great program, with great support, that will allow us to put Spotify aside and switch to Apple Music even if we are on Windows.
