While Spotify and Apple Music may be the giants of the music streaming services, Deezer is perhaps a lesser-known streaming music platform that is nonetheless an excellent alternative. With access to more than 120 million songs, Deezer stands out by prioritizing premium sound quality through its HiFi plan that offers FLAC tracks that stream at CD quality, which is better than even Spotify offers (at the moment).

Additionally, Deezer’s personalized Flow recommendations teach your music taste to curate the perfect playlist for you. No more endless scrolling to find that ideal vibe. Give those earbuds the sound quality they deserve. Read more about Deezer below.

What is Deezer?

Deezer is a digital music-streaming platform that the company claims is home to more than 120 million songs. Similar to Spotify and Apple Music, Deezer lets you search for music by song, artist, album, and genre, and it even includes an algorithmic monitor called Flow that will start to recommend content to you based on your listening habits (once you’ve favorited 16 tracks or more). The Deezer mobile app is available for iOS and Android, and the desktop app can be downloaded for Windows and macOS. You can also go directly to to stream tunes.

Similar to competitor platforms, several Deezer features are locked behind a subscription paywall, including a fun tool called SongCatcher that listens for song lyrics and melodies to tell you the name of the track you’re listening to (similar to Shazam). One of the best parts of the Deezer experience is its HiFi library, which boasts FLAC tracks that stream at 16-bit/44kHz. That’s right on par with CD quality.

How do I use Deezer?

If you’re interested in taking Deezer for a spin, the only things you’ll need to get started are an internet connection and a smartphone and/or a home computer. You’ll first need to create a Deezer account. We recommend signing up for the free trial of Premium if you’d like to experience all the features and benefits that Deezer offers, although you’ll have the option to sign up for the ad-supported free plan, too.

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For those of you listening on a PC, you can access the player directly through Deezer’s site, but there’s also a desktop app you can download for Windows and macOS, along with mobile apps for iOS and Android.

Once you’re signed in on Deezer’s site, the top three artists you choose will be displayed at the top of the page. As you scroll down, you’ll see multiple subcategories (with options including Made For You, New Releases for You, etc.) that are curated based on the artists you like and your listening habits. The left side of the main dashboard has multiple tabs to filter content by, including Music, Podcasts, Concerts, Browse, and Favorites. Each screen is well organized and simple to navigate, with things like genre and artist tiles laid out in a very clear fashion. 

The iOS app is just as easy and intuitive to use. When you first launch it, you’ll be on the Home Screen, which places your three favorite artists at the top of the page, with a Discover tab located below this area. Here is where Deezer curates additional artists, albums, and tracks based on the favorites you chose and your listening habits. Tap the Explore icon at the bottom of the page to see even more music and podcast curations, as well as Deezer’s many radio stations and platform exclusives (housed under Deezer Originals).

Tap the Favorites icon to take a look at the playlists, artists, and albums you’ve favorited, as well as the music and podcasts you’ve downloaded for offline listening. And last but not least is the Search icon, which lets you search for a specific song, artist, etc. by typing in the search bar at the top of the page, sorting by genre, or using a feature called SongCatcher. This neat little Shazam relative listens for lyrics and melodies to help you determine the name of the song you’re attempting to find. 

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How much does Deezer cost?

Deezer offers a range of plans to fit your listening needs, from a free ad-supported option to premium family plans.

Deezer Free:

• Free access to Deezer’s extensive music library.
• On mobile: Enjoy shuffle-based playback with six skips per hour and occasional ads. Discover new music based on your tastes.
• On desktop: Listen to full albums uninterrupted, with unlimited skips and occasional ads.

Deezer Premium ($12/month):

Elevate your listening experience with:

• Ad-free music
• Unlimited skips
• Offline downloads for on-the-go listening
• High Fidelity (HiFi) sound for audiophiles
• Multi-device access so you can enjoy your music anywhere

Deezer Duo ($16/month):

• Share the music with a friend or loved one
• Two Deezer Premium accounts for a shared musical journey
• Collaborative Duo Mix playlist to discover each other’s favorites

Deezer Family ($20/month):

• The perfect plan for music-loving families.
• Six individual Deezer Premium accounts
• Family Mix playlist to discover new tunes together
• Parental controls to ensure a safe listening experience for younger members

Deezer Student ($6/month):

• All the benefits of Deezer Premium at a student-friendly price.
• 50% discount for eligible students

All Deezer plans come with a one-month free trial for new customers. Additionally, you can save up to 25% by subscribing to an annual plan.

What is Deezer’s streaming quality like?

Deezer’s music library is divvied up into two major file formats: MP3s and FLAC files for hi-res listening. If you’re using Deezer’s free plan, MP3s are capped at 128Kbps. Under every paid Deezer subscription, MP3 files are capped at 320Kbps, with the option to downgrade to 128Kbps if you’d like (this is considered the “Standard” audio quality, with “Better” being the 320Kbps option). 

For all the discerning audiophiles of the world, Deezer’s HiFi playback is available on multiple devices, and it uses 16-bit FLAC encoding at 1,411Kbps. As previously mentioned, this is CD quality we’re talking about, which is going to sound pretty good through a pair of decent speakers or headphones.

As far as the competition goes, platforms like Tidal and Qobuz definitely take things up a notch, with both offering 24-bit FLAC encoded content at up to 192kHz (billed as HiFi Plus and Studio Hi-Res, respectively). That being said, a more casual listener who still wants top-notch sound from a digital library should be more than happy with Deezer’s maximum output.

While it may be difficult to tell the difference between free and paid MP3 formats, listeners will definitely get a big boost in soundstage and overall quality when listening to Deezer’s FLAC-encoded music. For a while, Deezer listeners were also able to experience Sony’s 360 Reality Audio through a separate app, but this service is no longer supported. 

Which devices support Deezer?

In addition to iOS, Android, Windows, and macOS, Deezer is compatible with several different smart brands. If you’re running your home with Alexa and Google Assistant, you’ll be able to use Deezer to play music through your Echo and Nest speakers and smart displays. Deezer is also built right into the Sonos ecosystem, and is simple to access using the Sonos S2 app. One of the best parts of having Deezer integrated into your smart home is the ability to use voice commands to play songs, which is something you’ll be able to do with Alexa, Google Assistant, and Sonos. 

There are also a number of car infotainment systems that have Deezer on board. If your vehicle supports Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, BMW, or RockScout, you’ll be able to enjoy your favorite Deezer songs while cruising down the highway. 

If you’re more about the at-home listening experience, you’ll also be able to download the Deezer app for Android TV and Roku. A note for Xbox users: Deezer discontinued its support for the Deezer Xbox app last year. Those with it installed can still use it, but it’s not getting any updates, new features, or support from here on out.  

Is Deezer better than other music-streaming platforms?

In many ways, Deezer is one of the best middle-of-the-road music-streaming platforms. There’s plenty to love regarding user interface, algorithmic power, and musical variety. And with the service available in 186 countries, Deezer’s archives will only grow. So what happens when you pit Deezer against competitive platforms like Spotify, Apple Music, and Qobuz?

Spotify tends to grab the attention of all the music streamers and for a good reason. The company’s paid subscriptions are a little bit cheaper than Deezer’s (Spotify’s individual Premium tier is $11 per month, with its Duo plan at $15 and Family plan at $17), its community features are a little more engaging, and its music library is a little more extensive. And while you won’t find HiFi tracks on Spotify right now, this elevated audio branch should be added to the platform shortly.

Apple Music is another big attention-grabber, with prices right in line with Spotify’s subscriptions at $6 per month for students, $11 for Individuals, and $17 for its Family plan.

Tidal is another big platform that touts high-resolution music formats, an immense library, and video content (which Deezer and a few other platforms are missing). Tidal’s plans start at $11 per month.

While Qobuz’s library may not be as immense as its competitors, you don’t need a subscription to purchase HiFi music from the service. We also mentioned that Qobuz offers some tracks in full 24-bit FLAC at up to 192kHz, the best sound quality you’ll get from a digital platform.

The tiniest “ruler” ever is so precise that it can measure the width of a single atom within a protein.

Proteins and other large molecules, or macromolecules, sometimes fold into the wrong shape, and this can affect the way they function. Some structural changes even play a role in conditions like Alzheimer’s disease. To understand this process, it is important to determine the exact distance between atoms – and clusters of atoms – within these macromolecules, says Steffen Sahl at the Max Planck Institute for Multidisciplinary Sciences in Germany.

“We wanted to go from a microscope that maps positions of macromolecules relative to each other, to taking this bold step of going within the macromolecule,” he says.

To construct their intramolecular “ruler”, Sahl and his colleagues used fluorescence, or the fact that some molecules glow when illuminated. They attached two fluorescent molecules to two different points on a larger protein molecule and then used a laser beam to illuminate them. Based on the light the glowing molecules released, the researchers could measure the distance between them.

They used this method to measure distances between the molecules of several well-understood proteins. The smallest of those distances was just 0.1 nanometres – the width of a typical atom. The fluorescent ruler also gave accurate measurements up to about 12 nanometres, meaning it had a broader measuring range than can be achieved with many traditional methods.

In one example, the researchers looked at two different forms of the same protein and found that they could distinguish between them because the same two points were 1 nanometre apart for one shape and 4 nanometres apart for the other. In another experiment, they measured tiny distances in a human bone cancer cell.

Sahl says the team achieved this precision by taking advantage of several recent technological advances, like better microscopes and fluorescent molecules that don’t flicker and don’t produce a glow that could be confused with some other effect.

“I don’t know how they got their microscopes so stable. The new technique is definitely a technical advance,” says Jonas Ries at the University of Vienna in Austria. But future studies will have to determine for which exact molecules it will prove most useful as a source of information for biologists, he says.

“While it boasts impressive precision, the new method may not necessarily achieve the same level of detail, or resolution, when applied to more complex biological systems,” says Kirti Prakash at The Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust and Institute of Cancer Research in the UK. Additionally, he says that several other new techniques are already becoming competitive in terms of measuring smaller and smaller distances.

Sahl says his team will now work on two tracks: refining the method further and expanding their ideas about which macromolecules they can now peer inside.

Google launched the Pixel Watch 3 series last month with some notable upgrades. The lineup adheres to a conservative design line, which is good news as the dome-like appearance of Google’s smartwatches is already quite recognizable and unique in the industry. Of course, there’s also a wide selection of straps or bands to customize your watch. Now, Bellroy has released a stylish leather Pixel Watch Strap that will probably catch your eye.

Bellroy is a third-party accessory brand that typically offers products for all Pixel devices. Google even offers Bellroy cases directly on the Google Store, so they seem to have a close relationship. In line with that, Bellroy claims that it has “worked closely with Google’s designers” to develop the new Pixel Watch Strap.

This is Bellroy’s new Pixel Watch Strap made of fine leather

The brand states that they “designed the strap to complement the curves of the Pixel Watch 3.” However, if you’re not aware, the 41mm Pixel Watch 3’s straps are backward compatible with the Pixel Watch 2 and 1. The accessory was crafted from Leather Working Group-certified leather (18%) and flexible polymer (75%), which boasts durability. The use of these materials will create a patina over time, which is a sort of “hallmark” of high-quality leather. It will result in that classic “worn-in” look found in fine leather accessories and apparel.

A textured rear helps prevent sweat buildup

The new Bellroy’s Pixel Watch Strap features a textured rear to prevent sweat from accumulating on the wrist. This is especially important for people with skin sensitive to moisture buildup under the watch strap.

The new Bellroy’s Pixel Watch Strap is available for pre-order for $69 on the company’s official website. Interested parties can purchase it in “Terracotta” (brown) and black colorways. Of course, it is available for both sizes of the Pixel Watch 3. Lastly, it is not known if it will arrive in the Google Store in the future.