Rakuten Music ties subscription music into Rakuten Points and Rakuten Mobile bundles, which is great if you spend in that ecosystem and confusing if you don’t. The standard plan sits at 980 yen with web payment or 1,080 yen in-app, the Light plan caps playback hours, and lossless audio is absent. These are the Rakuten Music alternatives worth a look in 2026.
Why people leave Rakuten Music
- The plan stack is dense: Bundle, Card/Mobile, Standard, Light, Student, Annual Standard, Annual Light. New users find it hard to compare against single-plan rivals.
- The Light tier caps playback at 20 cumulative hours per 30 days, which a single road trip can burn through.
- No lossless or hi-res audio. Tidal, Apple Music, and Amazon Music Unlimited all include lossless in their base paid tier at similar prices.
- The recommendation engine is the weakest of the major Japanese music apps.
- The bundle plan is great if you already spend in Rakuten, but useless if you do not.
Quick comparison
| App | Best for | Free tier | Paid from | Standout |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spotify | Catalog and discovery | Yes, ad-supported | 980 yen/mo | Connect, mixes, podcasts |
| Apple Music | Apple users and lossless | Trial only | 1,080 yen/mo | Lossless and Atmos included |
| YouTube Music | Music videos and rarities | Yes, ad-supported | 1,080 yen/mo | YouTube catalog |
| Amazon Music | Prime members | Limited via Prime | 880 yen/mo (Prime) | HD audio at base tier |
| LINE MUSIC | LINE users and karaoke | Previews only | 1,080 yen/mo | LINE ringtones and karaoke |
| dHits | Casual playlist listening | None | 690 yen/mo | Cheapest carrier subscription |
| KKBOX | Mandopop and Cantopop | Trial only | 980 yen/mo | Deepest Asian catalog |
The alternatives
1. Spotify -- best for catalog and discovery
Spotify is the default for catalog breadth, podcast integration, and discovery in 2026. Japanese chart releases and global Western catalog both sit in one place, and Premium is 980 yen per month, identical to Rakuten Music Standard via web payment. Spotify Free streams full tracks with ads, which is genuinely usable.
Where it falls short: no lossless audio. Discounts for Rakuten members do not exist.
Pricing: Free with ads, 980 yen/mo Premium, 1,580 yen/mo Family, 480 yen/mo Student.
Migrating from Rakuten Music: Soundiiz and TuneMyMusic support both services. Expect strong J-pop match rates; some long-tail tracks may need manual lookup.
Bottom line: Pick Spotify if you want the broadest catalog, the best discovery, and a real free tier.
2. Apple Music -- best for lossless and Apple devices
Apple Music includes Lossless ALAC and Dolby Atmos at no extra cost in its 1,080 yen Individual plan. Rakuten Music does not have a lossless tier at any price. The Apple One bundle adds iCloud+ and Arcade for 1,200 yen total, undercutting separately paying for music and storage.
Where it falls short: no permanent free tier, and the Android app trails iOS on small features.
Pricing: 1,080 yen/mo Individual, 1,680 yen/mo Family, 580 yen/mo Student, 320 yen/mo Voice plan.
Migrating from Rakuten Music: Soundiiz handles the transfer. Match rates are strong on chart J-pop and Western pop.
Bottom line: Pick Apple Music if lossless audio matters and you live in the Apple ecosystem.
3. YouTube Music -- best for videos and rarities
YouTube Music indexes the full YouTube video catalog alongside its audio tracks, which means Japanese live recordings, fan covers, and bootlegs that Rakuten Music and other paid services cannot host for licensing reasons. The free tier streams everything with ads.
Where it falls short: no lossless audio, 256 kbps AAC ceiling, mobile background play requires Premium.
Pricing: Free with ads, 1,080 yen/mo Premium, 1,680 yen/mo Family, 580 yen/mo Student. Bundled with YouTube Premium at 1,680 yen.
Migrating from Rakuten Music: Soundiiz or TuneMyMusic handle the transfer. YouTube’s catalog match is generous because both audio and video versions count.
Bottom line: Pick YouTube Music for video catalog and rarities, especially if YouTube Premium is already part of your spending.
4. Amazon Music -- best for Prime members and HD audio
Amazon Music Unlimited includes HD and Ultra HD audio plus Dolby Atmos at the base 1,080 yen tier (or 880 yen for Prime members). If lossless audio matters but you do not want Apple Music, Amazon’s standalone price beats Rakuten Music’s Standard plan.
Where it falls short: the library editor is clunky, and the recommendation engine trails the leaders.
Pricing: Bundled with Prime (5,900 yen/yr) for shuffle, 880 yen/mo Unlimited for Prime, 1,080 yen/mo standalone, 1,680 yen/mo Family.
Migrating from Rakuten Music: Soundiiz bridges both. Strong match rates across J-pop. Indie tracks may need manual cleanup.
Bottom line: Pick Amazon Music Unlimited if you already pay for Prime and want lossless audio bundled with everyday shopping perks.
5. LINE MUSIC -- best for LINE users and karaoke mode
LINE MUSIC is the natural rival in the Japan carrier-adjacent space. Its karaoke lyrics mode and LINE Ringtones integration are the closest equivalents to what Rakuten offers via Points: they extend an everyday platform you already use.
Where it falls short: the free tier only offers 30-second previews, and the discovery feed is less powerful than Spotify’s.
Pricing: Previews free, 1,080 yen/mo standard, 1,680 yen/mo Family, 580 yen/mo Student.
Migrating from Rakuten Music: Soundiiz supports both services. J-pop overlap is heavy so transfers usually match the majority of tracks.
Bottom line: Pick LINE MUSIC if you live inside LINE and want karaoke and LINE Ringtones plus a comparable J-pop catalog.
6. dHits -- best for the cheapest carrier-bundled music
dHits is the lowest paid music subscription on this list at 690 yen, or 330 yen for the basic plan. The catch is that on-demand listening is gated through the 10-song my Hits slot per month and the rest is playlist-driven. If your habit fits curated playlists, this can save you 300+ yen monthly versus other options.
Where it falls short: limited on-demand control, no lossless, and Docomo billing makes most sense if you already have a d account.
Pricing: 690 yen/mo standard, 330 yen/mo basic (no my Hits or videos), 31-day free trial.
Migrating from Rakuten Music: Soundiiz supports both. J-pop transfers are clean; the my Hits cap may force you to listen via playlists rather than rebuild full albums.
Bottom line: Pick dHits if Docomo billing fits your phone bill and you mostly listen via curated playlists.
7. KKBOX -- best for Mandopop and Cantopop
KKBOX has the deepest catalog of East Asian repertoire available in Japan. Mandopop, Cantopop, Hokkien, and Taiwanese indie sit alongside J-pop, K-pop, and Western music. For listeners whose habits span the region, no other service matches the coverage.
Where it falls short: Western catalog is thinner than Spotify, no lossless tier on the standard plan, app UI feels dated.
Pricing: 30-day free trial, 980 yen/mo Premium, 1,480 yen/mo Family, 480 yen/mo Student.
Migrating from Rakuten Music: Soundiiz supports KKBOX. Strong J-pop coverage, even stronger Mandopop and Cantopop on arrival.
Bottom line: Pick KKBOX if Mandopop, Cantopop, or Taiwanese indie sit alongside your J-pop habit.
How to choose
- Pick Spotify if catalog and discovery matter and a free tier matters.
- Pick Apple Music if you live in the Apple ecosystem and value lossless audio.
- Pick YouTube Music if video catalog or YouTube Premium fit your habits.
- Pick Amazon Music if Prime is already on your card.
- Pick LINE MUSIC if you live inside LINE and want karaoke mode.
- Pick dHits if Docomo billing and the lowest possible monthly rate are the priorities.
- Pick KKBOX if Mandopop or Cantopop sit beside J-pop in your listening.
- Stay on Rakuten Music if you spend in Rakuten every month. The Bundle plan and Rakuten Points effectively make this free or near-free for committed Rakuten members. No rival service rewards Rakuten ecosystem use the same way.
Frequently asked questions
Is Spotify cheaper than Rakuten Music?
Spotify Premium is 980 yen per month, identical to Rakuten Music Standard via web payment. For Rakuten Card or Rakuten Mobile members, Rakuten Music at 780 yen is cheaper. The Bundle plan can effectively be free for eligible members.
Can I move my Rakuten Music playlists to another service?
Yes. Soundiiz, TuneMyMusic, and FreeYourMusic all support Rakuten Music as a source. They rebuild the playlists on Spotify, Apple Music, YouTube Music, Amazon Music, LINE MUSIC, KKBOX, and others.
Which alternative has lossless audio at the lowest price?
Apple Music Individual at 1,080 yen and Amazon Music Unlimited at 880 yen for Prime members both include lossless and Atmos at no extra cost. Rakuten Music has no lossless tier.
What is the best Rakuten Music alternative for J-pop?
LINE MUSIC, dHits, KKBOX, Apple Music, and Spotify all carry comparable J-pop catalogs. LINE MUSIC adds karaoke mode. KKBOX adds Mandopop depth.
Is Rakuten Music available outside Japan?
No. Rakuten Music is Japan-only. For overseas listening, Spotify, Apple Music, YouTube Music, Amazon Music, and Deezer all stream internationally.
