iOS/Android: Spotify works great for music sharing and third-party plugins. Apple Music works great for offline play. So I juggle both. It feels a bit like shared custody, but it’s a lot easier thanks to the mobile apps SongShift and Stamp, which efficiently move playlists from one service to the other.

Thanks to the rise of music streaming services, it's never been easier to find new music -- so why do I keep listening to the same three albums on repeat?

So I tried to switch to Apple Music. I was sick of Spotify and its thousand little problems and I missed iTunes. (Actually I missed Winamp, but that's not an option.) iTunes feels less like a spreadsheet. It handles device downloads better. It works great with Siri and my Apple TV. Plus it's got all the music I actually own, including all the weird little mashups and SoundCloud downloads that Spotify can't give me.

Instead of shopping around for a streaming service that will ultimately disappoint you, why not cut out the middleman and start using a music library you actually own? Advantages such as uninterrupted music, increased portability, and increased longevity of the hardware you actually use make it worth the cost of a few albums.

Although vinyl seems to be making a hipster-generated comeback, that old CD collection is nearing obsoletion. The rise and rise of music streaming services might be destroying physical media sales, but man, it makes my life super easy. Spotify, Apple Music... Pandora? Which streaming service is the best?

Some people can dig up great music like magic, or have friends inside the industry who keep them updated. Some people are contented with their weekly Spotify Discover playlist. But if you need more ways to find music, here are 50 ideas, taken from Twitter users, my colleagues at Lifehacker's publisher Gizmodo Media Group, and some of my own habits. Some are obvious, some bizarre, some embarrassing, but they have all helped people find their new favourite song, or even their favourite band.

Apple keeps giving us reasons to say goodbye. iOS 11 is buggy as hell, with the most recent error making iPhones almost unusable and the latest version of macOS briefly exposed Mac owners to a major vulnerability. As for the iPhone X, it may be pretty sleek for an iPhone, but Apple's still playing catch-up to its Android competition.

The announcement of Apple's music bumpin' HomePod means you might be reconsidering which streaming service you use. To be honest, going from one to another might not be that big of a leap. Most streaming services do share a variety of similarities. They work on whatever smartphone you own, usually support streaming to speakers through Airplay or Google Cast, and its premium service lets you stream music on-demand and save it for offline listening.

Of course, not all music services are created equal. What might work with your Sonos may not play nice with your Amazon Echo, and what your upcoming HomePod will play isn't exactly third-party software.

Apple's HomePod is the company's latest new gadget, packing a smart assistant, smart home hub and multi-room audio speaker inside an overpriced, rounded package.

Chances are you've signed up to at least one streaming service -- but are you making the most of the best-quality music on offer? A quick audit of your apps can boost both streaming and downloaded bit-rates, so you're always assured of the highest fidelity audio flowing through your pricy headphones to your eardrums. Which means you hear more of the music and a little less of the noise that can accompany lower quality music files.

With streaming services like Spotify, Google Play Music, Apple Music, and SoundCloud in the mix, the way we pay for music is a-changin'. Have you gone full streaming? Or do you still buy albums and song downloads?

If you're not using Apple Music, but still use iTunes, it's pretty obnoxious that Apple pushes the music subscription service in your face all the time. Good news though: with just a couple clicks, you can remove it.

We don't normally report on tech rumours at Lifehacker, but we felt this one needed to be brought to your attention. According to a report on Digital Music News, the Cupertino juggernaut will be killing off iTunes music downloads entirely within two to four years. It's not a matter of if, but when.

Apple Music is a bit of a hard to use, baffling and poorly designed service, but it's still a popular one. Now, if you're a student, it's also a bit cheaper with a new student plan.

Lots of music services let you share songs with others using direct links, but that can be messy when there are so many different music services out there. Songlink makes it easier to share songs with a wider audience by letting people decide where they want to listen when they click the link.

Apple Music's big selling point is Beats 1, the radio station that has live DJs and shows. Up until recently, you could only access the shows live which was a pain if you lived in the wrong time zone. Now, you can get to replays, but they're hidden away a bit.

Apple Music's deep integration with both iOS and iTunes is handy, but it's not all rainbows. Over on the Loop, Jim Dalrymple details how disabling Apple Music in iTunes also destroyed about 4700 songs in his iTunes library.

When you first set up Apple Music, it asks you to input some genre favourites and pick some favourite artists. When you're first launching the app and want to check things out, it's pretty easy to ignore that and move on. Thankfully, you can head back and redo the configuration.

Sure, you’ve signed up for the three-month Apple Music trial, but are you really making the most of all it has to offer? Before you decide whether or not to stay on board with Apple’s new streaming service, try this collection of tips and tricks.