Essential digital services
There are so many digital services out there offering you free trials or asking you to sign up for something. It’s easy to get carried away and have a huge chunk of your monthly income going out on subscriptions you don’t really use. To help you, I’ve selected some digital services that I consider essential.
Setapp
Setapp gives you access to a huge range of Mac apps. You can also install the iOS versions if they’re available. It really is that good.
You’re going to find something useful here.
It’s overflowing with apps you’ll use every day. In fact, many of the apps I’ve recommended on the site are included.
You also get access to helpful Mac utilities like CleanMyMac, iStat Menus and Bartender. I’d take a close look at these.
The best thing is, it’s really easy to use Setapp. You download an app that takes care of everything. It lets you easily install and then remove the apps you’re done with. You get all of this for a subscription that works out around £10 each month and you can pay extra if you have other Macs or would like to download iOS versions.
I think this is a great service and as I’ve said, I use a lot of these apps every day. I think it’s definitely worth subscribing for a year, even if just a few of these suit you.
Three easy things you can do with Setapp:
Get access to amazing Mac apps
Manage everything easily
Download the iOS versions
If you have a Mac, I’d take a close look at this one. If you add up the individual subscription and purchase costs, it should make sense.
Game Pass
This is Microsoft’s games subscription service. It gives you access to hundreds of Xbox and PC titles. You can also stream them from the cloud.
There are so many great games on this service.
While Sony and Nintendo offer similar services to their customers, this is something else. It builds on Microsoft’s pioneering work on online features and delivers an impressive package to gamers.
For me, the most significant thing about this package is the quality of the games available. While there are obviously some ‘filler’ titles, first-party titles from Microsoft, such as Halo and Forza, are immediately available through Game Pass on release.
With their ever-growing collection of studios and the inclusion of the EA Play service, it creates a very impressive lineup. I subscribe, and It’s pretty much reached the point where I don’t really have to buy any games now. There’s so much to go through.
The two subscription tiers are very simple. You can just subscribe to the collection of games or opt for Game Pass Ultimate. This includes an Xbox Live subscription for online gaming and store discounts.
They are also developing a promising cloud gaming service that lets you stream on your Xbox as well as other devices, such as Android, iOS and iPad OS. Although it’s still in beta, it works really well on the Xbox Series X.
Three easy things you can do with Game Pass:
Get access to a huge selection of games
Stream from the cloud
Get discounts on the online store
This really is something anyone with an Xbox or a gaming PC should take a look at. It keeps getting better.
Medium
Medium is an online publishing platform that’s full of quality content. Your subscription will give you access to some very special writers. It’s available online and there are iOS and Android apps.
It’s nice to read things without adverts popping up everywhere.
There are so many subjects and so much helpful information. You also get quality, which is really important.
I subscribe for a simple reason. The subscription model shields you from less informative work online that’s often just trying to direct you elsewhere, sell you something or even worse, mislead you.
I really like the way it’s set out on both the web page and the mobile app. It’s easy to browse and save what you want to read later. You can also follow authors and subjects.
Three easy things you can do with Medium:
Get access to great work
Quickly find what interests you
Support great writers
This is the perfect way to stay informed and educate yourself. Dive in.
Audible
Audible is Amazon’s audiobook service. It’s grown a lot recently though, so there’s a lot more on offer. You can get exclusive podcasts and audiobooks now .
This is the place most people go for their audiobooks
It’s simple, your monthly subscription will give you a free credit (or more if you go for a higher tier). You can then exchange it for any audiobook. Your subscription also gives you access to exclusive content.
This isn’t the only way to use the service though, as you can just buy an audiobook if you prefer. There are regular sales and they often offer discounted subscriptions.
You just have to find a way of using it that suits you. The best thing is, your purchased audiobooks are always available to you, regardless of whether you have an active subscription.
I’ve recently subscribed again after a time away, and have really been impressed with what’s changed since I’ve been gone. I love the extra content and keep taking advantage of the sales. It all syncs perfectly between my devices as well.
Three easy things you can do with Audible:
Choose from a huge range of audiobooks
Get access to exclusive content
Sync and stream your content on all your devices
The books I suggest on the site should be on Audible. You’ll also find exclusive content from some of my favourite authors, such as Derren Brown and Chris Bailey.
Brain FM
Brain FM is a very different music streaming service. It uses neuroscience to produce sounds that will help you focus, relax and sleep. It’s available online and there are apps available for mobile devices.
This one really puts you in gear.
When you enter, it asks you what you want to do. If I’m working at my desk I can choose from deep work, learning or creativity. I can then select the neural effect, that I’ll leave you to discover for yourself
It will then play an instrumental track you can just leave on in the background. If you want something else, there are plenty of genres and soundscapes to choose from.
You can set it up specifically to suit what you’re trying to do. The core options are focus, relax and sleep and there are a lot of ways to customise them.
You can also set timers, which is handy if you’re using it to fall asleep or time your work. There’s also a setting where quotes will appear on the screen.
You can start off with a free trial before selecting a monthly or yearly subscription. As I write this, Brain FM if playing stimulating sounds in the background.
Three easy things you can do with Brain FM:
Emerse yourself in sounds that can help you work and focus
Select sounds to help you sleep and relax
Set timers while you drift away or work
This is one you will really need to try yourself. It’s worth looking out for special offers as well on the yearly subscription.
Readly
Readly gives you instant access to a huge range of digital magazines and newspapers. You can access it on all your devices and there are apps available. There’s something for everyone and you can just dip in and out as you please.
Think of it as Spotify for magazines.
A great selection is irrelevant though if it’s hard to read and access the titles. Fortunately, Readly are continually refining the experience and it’s great.
This really is your library. You can also access blog posts from key publications on the mobile app.
If you break down the cost of subscribing to just a couple of these titles, it makes sense. There are also frequent special offers to get you started, so it’s worth checking.
Unlike Apple News, you can also access it on multiple devices. In fact, it’s almost worth buying a cheap Amazon Fire tablet just to run Readly and read these magazines.
Three easy things you can do with Readly:
Quickly compile the content that interests you
Access it everywhere
Enjoy additional content from around the world
Like the other services I’ve highlighted in this list, it’s easy to just dive in for a month and see what happens. I’d definitely take a look at this one.
Udemy
Udemy offer quality online courses. You can either subscribe or buy them individually. It’s available online and there are apps available. You can also stream the videos to devices like an Apple TV.
I like to think of it as ‘YouTube curated’.
You’ll find a range of subjects and established instructors. The courses are presented as videos with a number of them featuring extra learning aids. This is the perfect platform to help you hone your craft.
There are three options here. You can subscribe for around £15 a month to get access to a selection of courses. You can also buy them individually, and there’s a far greater selection here. A business subscription is also available for organisations that want to help their staff develop.
I use Udemy and go there because of the quality. I don’t want to be let down or have to take time working out what’s right. You just have to be smart in the way you use this service though. The courses can be very expensive, but there are frequent sales. This is the best way to get the most out of the service.
I personally like to own the content, so I can keep coming back to it. Skillshare is a similar service that I have tried in the past, but I’ve found Udemy superior in terms of quality, options and content.
Three easy things you can do with Udemy:
Get access to a range of quality courses
Keep coming back to the courses you own
Take advantage of frequent sales
I would definitely take a look at this. I’ll say it again though, you’re better off waiting for the frequent sales if you want to buy something.
Canva
Canva is a graphic design platform that delivers so much. Helpful templates are provided and there are so many features, integrations and options. It’s available online and there are apps available.
Anyone can create great work.
In the old days, you needed an expensive and complicated suite of apps to do all of this. It’s easy now, as Canva delivers everything you need to create great designs. They make it all so easy as well.
This isn’t just a service for professionals and designers though. Anyone can use it.
If you need any sort of invite, a design for your Facebook page or just want to create a helpful document, Canva can help you.
There’s so much on offer here. There are countless templates and you can automatically create documents in the sizes and specs you need. The best thing is, there’s an extremely generous free package available. The paid package simply offers more features, folders, content and templates.
I use Canva and I love it. I use it to create most of what you see on the site and social media. It’s easy to overlook a lot of what’s offered here, as there’s so much, but social media scheduling, AI artwork and team collaboration should get you interested.
Canva will help you with any design task or project. Don’t overlook it, as it will really reward you.
Three easy things you can do with Canva:
Create great designs and documents
Instantly select the sizes and styles you need
Take advantage of all the templates and materials
This is one of those times when I feel I need to remind people that I don’t take part in affiliate schemes. I’m this excited about Canva as I genuinely love using it and it does so much for me.
I hope this helps. Please check prices and features with the services before making any purchases or subscribing though, as they could be subject to change. With most of these services you can just dive in for a month or so and see what appeals to you.
As usual, I’ll do my best to keep this list updated and add anything new I come across.
As I’ve said, I don’t participate in any affiliate schemes and don’t benefit if you choose to use any of these. I recommend them because I honestly think they could make a difference.
In case you’re wondering why I haven’t mentioned any services from Apple, I cover these separately in my post, The Apple One services >