There have been some stellar apps and companies that have been launched this yr and I can wholeheartedly agree with each single one of many winners on this checklist.
I’m a bit biased right here, however I’m an enormous Spotify fan. I’ve tried YouTube Music and Apple Music, however frankly, neither of them actually meets my wants in addition to Spotify does. The app this yr additionally has one in every of my favorite end-of-year options “Spotify Unwrapped” and this yr it built-in a whole lot of AI to present me extra info on my listening habits!
I’ll say that whereas Netflix is the king of streaming companies there are lots of others on the market with nice exhibits. However after all, there can solely be one winner and we picked Netflix! There are a whole lot of nice exhibits and it is extremely entertaining, to not point out that the streaming large can be entering into the world of dwell TV, which we suspect will broaden over the subsequent yr.
Lastly, we could not end this checklist with out speaking about the most effective Android app: Gemini. Google outdid itself with a very exceptional app and it is one the AC Workers has been very enthusiastic about utilizing.
Congrats to all of the winners!
After all, this is what a few of my colleagues, Derrek Lee, Patrick Farmer, and Namerah Saud-Fatmi need to say in regards to the winners,
Greatest music streaming service: Spotify
Derrek Lee: We simply can’t give up you, can we? Spotify continues to be not solely our favourite music streaming service however, apparently, everybody else’s too. Simply in November, the corporate reported that it has 252 million subscribers, up 12% from the earlier yr. It additionally has greater than 640 million month-to-month lively customers, which is up 11% from final yr. So why can we love Spotify a lot?
The streamlined UI simply makes it impressively straightforward to take heed to the music you’re keen on and uncover new tracks. And whereas Spotify has but to introduce its long-awaited Hello-Fi tier, the corporate continues so as to add and take a look at new options to remain forward of the sport, equivalent to customized AI-generated playlists that allow you to inform it what you need to take heed to. It additionally added a cheaper base plan for customers who don’t want entry to audiobooks.
It was a fairly good yr for Spotify, however we hope 2025 will likely be an incredible yr for audiophiles who await higher-quality listening. Hopefully, we’ll lastly get that “Tremendous Premium” plan we’ve been listening to about.
Runner-up: YouTube Music
In the meantime, YouTube Music is our runner-up as Google continues to make its streaming app extra aggressive. This yr, the corporate has made a couple of tweaks to the UI and added quite a lot of AI options to make it easier to create playlists and thumbnails. It hasn’t been too thrilling of a yr for YouTube Music, however it’s steadily changing into a worthy Spotify competitor for anybody trying. Earlier this yr, Google celebrated 100 million subscribers, so one thing have to be working.
Greatest video streaming service: Netflix
Patrick Farmer: Regardless of a controversial password-sharing crackdown and one other spherical of predicted worth will increase on the horizon (in line with analysts), 2024 was an incredible yr for Netflix. From blockbuster movies to unique sequence and vacation romcoms — did anybody else watch “The Merry Gents”? Simply me? All proper, shifting on — Netflix has content material for nearly each sort of person.
This yr might not have seen Netflix dropping any groundbreaking cultural phenomena like “Squid Recreation” or “Stranger Issues,” however it has continued to carry the road because the world’s hottest streaming service. And with its latest foray into the world of gaming, it’s clear that Netflix has no intention of resting on its laurels any time quickly.
Greatest Android app: Gemini
Namerah Saud-Fatmi: Apps can be found a dime a dozen, however it takes an infinite quantity of effort and past to make the most effective one. Google had all the appropriate sources for the job and put them to work with Gemini. This language mannequin married the smarts of Google Assistant to concoct the final word Android app.
With Gemini, something is feasible. Have to create automations in your good dwelling? No downside. Have some code that wants assist getting written? Executed deal. There’s little or no this AI cannot deal with, be it picture era or pulling from all of your Google companies like Gmail to reply prompts.
