In This Article
Are you tired of the endless shuffle in your music player, or have you got bored of the same old radio tunes? Free music streaming apps offer a huge library of songs at your fingertips, all without breaking the bank. But with so many options on the market, choosing the right one can be overwhelming.
This post is your guide to navigating the world of free music apps! We’ll break down the top competitors to stream music on Android and iOS while highlighting their unique features, music selection, ad-free listening experience, high-quality streaming, and any limitations you should be aware of. From on-demand listening to personalized radio stations, get ready to discover the perfect app to fulfill your music needs.
Quick Overview
- Spotify: The most popular music app for mobile. It is known as a Netflix of music as it has a massive music library, allows you to build playlists, and even has podcasts. The free version plays music on shuffle mode with ads between the songs, so you can’t pick exactly what plays next.
- Amazon Music: A perfect solution for Amazon Prime subscribers. The Amazon Music app is a free bonus if you’re an Amazon Prime member. The music streaming service has millions of songs, music stations, and even podcasts. It’s free with ads and shuffle mode.
- Pandora: Best choice if you are into custom radio stations with remixes. To enjoy Pandora, you need to pick an artist or music you like, and Pandora will build a station around it with similar music based on your selection. It’s free but has ads and plays songs in shuffle mode.
- YouTube Music: An excellent choice for music video lovers who love to watch while listening to their favorite track. YouTube Music is free but contains ads, and you won’t let you play music in the background or with the screen off unless you upgrade.
- SoundCloud: If you love to listen to independent artists and discover new music, SoundCloud is for you. It offers a perfect mixture of free and paid songs. It is a fantastic platform for finding fresh music. Like other services, the free version has ads.
- TuneIn Radio: This music service offers a radio-like experience worldwide. TuneIn Radio offers live radio stations; it’s free, but depending on the station and its location, there will be some ads.
1. Spotify
Spotify is one of the most widely recognized music-streaming apps, and it is available on almost every platform and supported in most parts of the world. Although they have paid subscription-based plans to offer you features like offline listening, unlimited skips, and a high-quality listening experience, the free version is one of the best compared to the other services.
Apart from music, it also offers radio stations where you can find a variety of songs in different genres.
- Massive Music Library: You get an enormous selection of the latest songs, podcasts, and audiobooks.
- Free Plan: Stream music and podcasts with some ads in between and playback in shuffle mode.
- Premium Plan: Enjoy ad-free listening, offline downloads, and unlimited skips.
- Discover New Soundtracks: The app offers personalized playlists, curated recommendations, and radio stations based on your taste to help discover new soundtracks.
- Social Features: You can share music with your friends, create collaborative playlists, and even see which music your friends listen to.
- Hidden Features: If you want to sleep while listening to music, there’s a sleep timer; you can use an equalizer to enhance music and support the most wanted sing-along lyrics.
2. YouTube Music
YouTube Music is a new music-streaming app from Google that helps you find and discover your favorite music and get recommendations based on your taste and current trends. The app lets you quickly find music albums, remixes, and other music. It even allows you to find music using the lyrics.
YouTube Music is replacing Google Play Music, and most features are being shifted to this new app. The best thing about YouTube Music is the broader selection of music since it sources YouTube to help you find your favorite music.
- Huge Music Collection: YouTube Music boasts a massive music library, including official songs, remixes, live performances, and even hard-to-find content you might not find elsewhere.
- Free with Ads: You can listen to music for free, although you will come across ads and have limited playback control.
- Premium Subscription Benefits: Upgrading to YouTube Music Premium unlocks special features like background playback, ad-free listening, and downloading songs to enjoy while offline.
- Upload Your Own Music: This unique feature allows you to upload your personal music library to YouTube Music, giving you access to all your music in one place.
- Multi-device Compatibility: The app is available for all mobile devices, including Android and iOS, all major web browsers, and Chromecast, allowing you to listen to your music wherever you go.
3. Deezer
Deezer is one of the best music streaming services, and it has designed its app for Android devices. However, it offers a premium version that will help you unlock additional features and functionalities, like offline music listening, the ability to listen to high-quality music, and native support for Android Auto.
However, the free version is enough to stream all the music from a wide range of genres and albums from almost every artist. The best feature, undoubtedly, is the Hi-Fi streaming option offered in FLAC quality.
- Personalized Recommendations: Flow is an algorithmic tool created by Deezer that curates personalized music mixes based on your listening habits.
- Offline Listening Support: Download your favorite songs and playlists on your device to enjoy them even without an internet connection.
- High-Fidelity Sound (HiFi): Deezer offers FLAC audio quality for a superior listening experience for premium subscribers.
- Smart Features: The app integrates with smart home devices and car infotainment systems, allowing you to control your music with your voice.
4. Pandora Music, Radio, and Podcasts
Pandora offers an uninterrupted radio experience for music lovers. It also allows users to listen to music and podcasts that athletes worldwide handpick. Pandora has native Android Auto support, allowing users to take Pandora with them on daily or road trips.
It offers voice functionality, which you can use to search and control music and adjust the volume. A premium version, too, provides an on-demand service for music and podcasts, the ability to download MP3 music on your device for offline listening, and ad-free music listening.
- Personalized Radio: Pandora’s core feature is its ability to create custom radio stations based on your music tastes and listening experience. This allows you to discover new songs while listening to your favorite ones.
- Free Music Experience: Experience endless free music with Pandora’s free tier, which is ad-supportedβa perfect option for casual listeners who don’t mind interruptions.
- Subscription Option: Pandora offers Plus and Premium subscription options, which offer an ad-free experience with higher-quality audio and more playback control.
- Offline Listening: With a premium subscription, you can download music and podcasts to listen to offline, perfect for situations without an internet connection.
- Podcast Support: There is a separate section for podcasts, too, which ensures you get to enjoy the best audio entertainment experience in every way.
- Mobile Friendly: It is available for free on both Android and iOS devices, making it easy to listen to your music on the go.
5. iHeart Radio, Podcasts, Music
iHeartRadio lets you stream unlimited music and hundreds and thousands of live radio stations from which you can select based on your current activity or mood. You will listen to your favorite stations, music playlists, and podcasts. It is fully compatible with Android phone and tablet devices; above all, itβs free.
Apart from the music, the app offers radio stations fully targeted towards sports, breaking news, comedy, and talk radio shows. The free version will show you advertisements; however, the premium variations like iHeartRadio Plus and iHeartRadio All Access will eliminate all the ads. Thatβs not it; premium will give you additional features like unlimited skips and download functionality.
- Huge Content Library and Radio Stations: You can access over 1,500 live radio stations, custom stations, curated playlists, millions of songs for on-demand listening, and an expansive library of podcasts.
- On-Demand Listening: You can listen to local AM/FM stations, create personalized radio stations based on your favorite artists and music, or explore curated stations based on mood or activity.
- Customization: Save favorite stations, skip songs on custom stations, and give feedback on songs to improve recommendations for a more personalized experience.
- Free Music Playback: The free music experience is the best way to enjoy many exciting features, including live radio and essential on-demand listening.
- Premium Subscription: If you want to upgrade, the premium option offers ad-free listening, unlimited song skips, and the ability to create custom playlists.
6. LiveOne (formerly Slacker Radio)
Formerly known as Slacker Radio, LiveOne is a reconceptualized music streaming service for Android devices. It allows users to stream endless music and watch live performances for free, which means the app is not just limited to audio but also music videos.
You can create a personalized feed that features music and hundreds of radio channels from your favorite artists. LiveOne even allows you to make your collection of favorite music and listen to all of it offline, which becomes handy when you have limited cellular data or somewhere without internet connectivity, like when traveling. Some features are for paid members only, costing around $3.99 to $9.99 monthly.
- Free Streaming Option: You can listen to a wide range of music and podcasts for free.
- Live Content: Watch live streams, music, podcasts, and live concerts and festivals, along with the option to read news related to music.
- Various Radio Channels: Enjoy custom-curated music radio stations or create a personalized radio experience with custom filters and controls.
- User-Friendly Interface: The LiveOne app is famous for being easy to navigate and use for anyone.
- Multi-Device Support: You can listen to and enjoy LiveOne music on your phone, tablet, desktop, TV, and even Wear OS devices.
7. SoundCloud
SoundCloud is very different from the other music streaming services and websites I have featured in this list because it is more like social media for music. We can even categorize it as a global community for sound and music, where you can upload a soundtrack, and anyone from anywhere in the world can discover it.
Apart from the free music shared by all the community members, you can opt for SoundCloud Go+, which provides a premium, high-quality listening experience. You will get access to every soundtrack and offline music listening to take your favorite music anywhere you go without any ads. The premium will cost you about $5.99 to $9.99 per month.
- Wide Music Selection: You get access to over 300 million tracks focusing on independent artists and unique remixes of existing music.
- Free, Ad-Supported Streaming: SoundCloud has a free version that allows you to listen to music for free and skip tracks unlimited times.
- Subscription Options: There are multiple paid tiers, including SoundCloud Go, SoundCloud Go+, and SoundCloud DJ. All of these options offer ad-free listening and offline playback, while others offer exclusive features like high-quality audio.
- Community-focused Service: You can follow favorite artists, like the soundtrack, leave comments, and even directly connect with the creators.
- Upload Your Own Music: This is a perfect option for aspiring musicians and anyone who wants to share their audio creations with the world through the SoundCloud platform.
8. TIDAL Music HiFi Sound
TIDAL Music has a vast music and soundtrack database of over 110 million. You will also get offline playback, unlimited skips, radio, and a native discovery feature that helps you discover new tracks. It is one of the few music streaming services offering features like high-fidelity soundtracks, 360 Reality Audio, and Dolby Atmos.
The music streaming service is compatible with a wide range of platforms, including Android phone and tablet devices, smart TVs, and Amazon Alexa, to name a few! Some of the features I have mentioned require a premium subscription, but you can try it for free for 30 days.
- High-fidelity Streaming: TIDAL offers music in lossless and HiFi formats like FLAC and MQA, delivering a richer and more detailed listening experience than standard streaming provided by other services.
- Offline Listening: The offline listening support allows you to download your favorite songs and playlists to your device to enjoy them anywhere, even without an internet connection.
- Discover Music Based on Your Preference: TIDAL uses algorithms to recommend music based on your listening habits, helping you discover new favorites.
- Find Curated Playlists: Discover playlists created by music editors and artists and listen to their favorites.
- Live Music Experiences: Tune in to live performances, concerts, and DJ sets for a unique and interactive listening experience.
- Additional Features: Listen to music videos, podcasts, and even Dolby Atmos content for a more immersive song-listening experience.
9. TuneIn Radio
TuneIn Radio is a powerful radio app that lets you stream tons of content worldwide. The app includes a variety of channels, including music, podcasts, news, sports, and radio. You can stream and listen to hundreds of channels and soundtracks.
Like others on the list, TuneIn Radio offers premium subscriptions, which allow you to listen to music and news without commercials and fewer advertisements on radio channels.
- Music From All Over The World: TuneIn boasts over 100,000 radio stations from around the world, including local stations, news, sports, music, and podcasts.
- Expansive Audio Content: You can listen to live sports broadcasts, news updates, and audiobooks, and there is music for every mood. Some features require a premium subscription.
- User-Friendly Interface: You can browse stations based on location, genre, or popularity, and then you can shortlist and save favorites for easy access.
- Free Version with Limited Ads: The free option is the best for most users as it offers a good listening experience with minimal disruption from advertisements.
- Premium Features: Upgrade to TuneIn Premium for an ad-free song-listening experience and to gain access to exclusive content like extended news segments and even audiobooks.
10. Amazon Music
Amazon Music is an excellent app for discovering and streamlining songs, podcasts, and radio stations. This decent music app can provide you with the cheapest premium music services, provided you are an Amazon Prime member. Alternatively, you can opt for Amazon Music Unlimited, which gives you access to over sixty million songs in high definition at a higher bit rate of over 24-bit, 192 kHz.
If you want a free option, you can listen to Amazon Music without limitations; this option doesnβt require a credit card. You will get access to thousands of radio stations, an option to stream podcasts, and the ability to listen to all soundtracks on your favorite devices.
- On-Demand Playback: If you subscribe to an unlimited plan, you can skip songs freely and play any song you desire an unlimited number of times.
- Offline Listening Support: Like other services, Amazon Music supports offline listening. It lets you download music and podcasts to listen to without an internet connection. This feature is available on Prime and Unlimited plans.
- Personalized Playlists: Amazon Music curates music based on your listening habits, helping you discover new music and soundtracks.
- Import Your Music: You can easily import your existing music library to Amazon Music from other supported music platforms.
- Integration with Wearable Devices: You can use your smartwatch or other compatible wearable devices to control music playback for on-the-go convenience.
- Alexa Voice Control Support: Depending on the device’s compatibility, you can use voice commands to control playback with Amazon Alexa assistant.
11. SongFlip
SongFlip is a free-of-cost music streaming app for Android devices. If you have ever been an iOS user, you must have heard about SpinTunes; if so, you will be happy to know that the same developer designs both apps. This music service offers you millions of soundtracks and songs that you can stream 24/7 without any charges.
Besides searching, you can discover new and popular songs in categories like dance, country, EDM, rock, hip-hop, and a handful of other genres. You can even create your custom playlist to listen to them quickly in a single tap. The app, however, does not support music-downloading functionality.
- Free to Use: SongFlip is a free music streaming app, so you don’t have to pay to listen to millions of music available on the platform.
- Genre and Artist Browsing: You can search for music by genre or artist, making it easy to find what you want to listen to.
- Playlist Creation: SongFlip lets you create custom playlists of your favorite songs so you can enjoy endless personalized listening experiences.
- Focus on Hip-Hop: If you are into the Hip-Hop genre, you can get immediate access to all the hip-hop mixtapes.
12. Jango Radio
Unlike most other services mentioned in the list, Jango has a website and an Android app that is compatible with smartphone and tablet devices. You can create your account for free and start personalizing it by selecting your favorite stations and radio services.
You can begin by searching for your favorite music album or artist, and then Jango Radio will automatically start suggesting music based on your selections. In addition to those recommendations, several other stations are divided into categories like rock, classic, country, hip-hop, top 100, and the latest trending.
13. Last.fm
Last.fm is very different from other music streaming apps I have featured in the list because it helps you track your music listening stats and shows all those reports in visual charts. It can keep track of your music from the past week to the music you have listened to over a year ago.
Apart from the music and soundtracks, Last.fm also shows you your favorite albums and artists during the last seven days and from the date you first started using the service. This helps you explore your music listening history and recommends other music based on those stats and your taste.
14. Mixcloud
Mixcloud is a music app based solely on radio stations and is divided into various genres, playlists, and DJ mixes. It even offers radio-style shows and podcasts curated by passionate creators worldwide.
The central plus point of Mixcloud, a radio-based music streaming app, is that it offers a free listening experience whenever you need it, without any limitations. There is a wide range of genres and categories to choose from; moreover, you can follow the channels of different creators to keep yourself updated with the latest shows.
15. LITT Live Radio (formerly Dash Radio)
LITT Live, formerly known as Dash Radio, is a commercial-free music and digital radio broadcasting app and web service that streams its services live all day without interruption. You will find music from all the major artists, DJs, and curators. There are over seventy-five high-class stations in all the genres that offer you endless music.
LITT Live’s home screen has several channels and music genres, including rock, Latin, jazz, classical, electronic, dance, talk, and many more. All the music and soundtracks are offered in top-notch quality.
Conclusion
Whether you’re a playlist pro or a radio buff, a free music app is waiting to be discovered! Here, we have reviewed over a dozen free music streaming apps always available at your fingertips. All you need to do is pick your favorite app and enjoy endless free songs.
Remember, the best music app choice depends on what type of song you want to listen to and how you want to listen to it.