The music app heyday is upon us. So, what happens when the 5 best music apps get together for a showdown? Here goes …
Music apps allow you to listen to your favorite ballads in just about every way imaginable. Finding free music is no longer the grueling task it once was. You only need to fire up your favorite Android or iOS music app and hit the search button. We have come up with a list to help you pick the best music app for Android and iPhone:
Let’s get right to the bones of it, shall we?
The 5 Best Music Apps
1. Apple Music
With more than 50 million users Apple Music is the best music app for iPhone. You can also use it on all other iOS devices including the iPad, iPod, Apple watch, HomePod speakers, and on iTunes on your Mac or PC. The app is also available for Android users.
While it is still relatively new in the overcrowded music app space, Apple Music has done exceptionally well over the last 3 years. The one outstanding feature of Apple Music is the “Connect” feature. This feature allows you to follow artists, bands, and individual curators such that you get a feed with all their updates.
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Subscription starts at $10 a month. There’s also a student option for $5 and a Family option for $15. Apple Music doesn’t have a free plan, but you do get a free trial for a period of 3 months.
✅ PROS:
- The “Connect” feature makes Apple Music stand out from the competition.
- Comes with a free 3-month trial.
- Has exciting music discovery features.
- Integrates seamlessly with your existing songs.
- You can save up to 100,000 songs on Apple’s servers.
⛔️ CONS:
- Integration with iCloud has issues.
- There’s no free option.
2. Spotify
Spotify has grown in leaps and bounds over the last couple of years. With over 80 million subscribers, it’s easy to see why. Spotify is great for when you want to use a music app offline.
You could opt for a Spotify FREE membership where you can still access the huge collection of over 20 million songs. The only catch is that you have to listen to ads. And the ability to download songs is restricted to premium members.
Spotify Premium members are allowed to download songs for offline listening for only $10 a month. Get Premium Individual or Family plans with including a Google Home Mini at no extra cost, so you can play Spotify hands-free and do so much more. Or prove that you're a student and Spotify's get you a $4.99 per month plan, so you've got cash left over for burger. But firstly, try any Spotify Premium plan free for 3 months.
✅ PROS:
- You can listen to a custom playlist in shuffle with free membership.
- You can listen to custom radio stations.
- Have access to more than 20 million songs.
- You can use the music app without WiFi by downloading songs.
⛔️ CONS:
- Music discovery is not as refined as in other apps.
- Some songs aren’t available on the Spotify catalog.
3. Shazam
Some people argue that Shazam is one of the best free music apps available. But it’s not exactly a stand-alone music app. It’s more of a music detection app. If you don’t know the name of a song, Shazam listens to it and gives you the name of the artist and the song.
This app works best when it’s paired with another streaming app.It recognizes songs and provides streaming and purchasing options from Spotify, Amazon Music, Apple Music, and others. You can also view the lyrics of the detected songs. The Shazam app runs on iPhone, iPad, and most Android devices. Shazam is available for free.
✅ PROS:
- One-tap identification of songs.
- Every song tagged in your user account is stored.
- When you turn on the Auto Shazam feature, the app will listen continuously until you switch it off.
- Has no ads.
⛔️ CONS:
- Lyrics are not available for all songs.
4. Pandora
Many people consider Pandora to be the best music streaming app, and for good reason. With Pandora music app, you get to create your own custom radio station. You start off by choosing your favorite artists or songs. The app then builds a radio station around similar music. It’s a great way to discover new music that might suit your taste. Pandora is easy to use and can be used across multiple devices.
You can install the app on your Android and iOS devices, Kindle Fire, Windows Phone, and NOOK. It also works with Apple Watch, Apple TV, Fitbit, and Wear OS.
The free option of Pandora is ad-supported. For a premium experience, you’ll have to part with $10 every month or $15 for the family plan.
✅ PROS:
- You can create a station based on the artists you love.
- You have access to pre-made stations based on decades, activities, moods, and other criteria.
- You can rate songs.
⛔️ CONS:
- You will need to create a user account.
- You’ll be served with ads on the free version.
- You can only skip a limited number of songs in a span of 24 hours.
- Only available in the US.
5. Deezer
Launched in France, Deezer is a music streaming service that’s available for damn near every single platform you can think of. It’s available on Android and iOS devices, macOS and Windows desktop, Xbox One, Roku, and via a web browser.
It’s way older than Spotify and Apple Music and is available in 182 countries. Little wonder why many people consider it the best free music app. Deezer features a more diverse catalog of music than most competing apps.
You can sign up for the free version or fork out $9.99 per month for the premium version. The free option is ad-supported and can only be used on your tablet or computer. If you want to use it on your mobile phone, you have to pay for the premium option.
✅ PROS:
- Has a diverse collection of songs.
- The family and student plans that are great value for money.
- It has live radio and lyrics.
- You can upload your own songs from a desktop.
⛔️ CONS:
- The desktop app doesn’t have an offline mode.
- The mobile app doesn’t support MP3 files.
- It’s not possible to rewind live radio streams.
- You can’t use your mobile phone with the free version.
How To Choose The Best Music App
So, how do you go about choosing the best music app for your needs? Here’s what you should look out for:
- The Music Catalog
Find out whether the app has the type of music you want to listen to. If you have a very niche taste in music, you may find some apps lacking. - Type of Subscription
Does the app offer a free or paid subscription? If it’s paid, you might also want to find out whether there’s a free trial period that you can use to test out the service. It worth noting that most free subscription music apps will have ads sprinkled in between tracks. - Availability in Your Country
Find out whether the app is available in your country. - Ability to Play Your Own Music
If you have your own collection of music, you want to find out whether you can manually upload it to the app. - Additional Features
Check out some of the key features you need in an app. Does the app allow you to sort out your songs in the order in which you want to listen to them? Can you pull lyrics from the internet automatically? Can you seamlessly share your favorite songs with friends?
List down all your must-have features to help evaluate each app.