What is the best music app for free?
With music streaming services continuing to grow in popularity, many users are looking for free options to listen to their favorite songs and discover new artists. This article will compare some of the top free music apps available today based on features, library size, ease of use, and overall user experience. We’ll look at key factors like ad frequency, offline listening, and platform availability to help determine the best free music app. With over 616 million people now using music streaming services, free music apps are an appealing option for those looking to listen without paying a monthly subscription fee. By evaluating some of the top contenders, we can get a sense of which one offers the best combination of features and convenience for users looking to stream music for free.
Spotify
Spotify is one of the most popular music streaming services, with over 82 million songs in its catalog and over 286 million total users (Source). The free tier of Spotify provides access to the full music catalog and podcast library, the ability to create and share playlists, and shuffle play for playlists. However, the free tier includes audio ads and has restricted on-demand playback. Users are limited to six song skips per hour and can’t download music for offline listening (Source). The free tier of Spotify serves as a way to try the platform and enjoy music with ads, but upgrading to a paid premium subscription unlocks the full functionality.
SoundCloud
SoundCloud is a popular music streaming platform that allows users to upload, record, promote, and share audio content. The free version of SoundCloud provides access to over 200 million tracks from both established and emerging artists (How does SoundCloud work?). Users can follow other SoundCloud members to stay up to date with new music uploads from artists they like. SoundCloud is especially popular with musicians and podcasters as a platform to host and share original content. The free service allows users to upload up to 3 hours of audio.
Pandora
Pandora’s free radio service provides users access to over 250 curated genre stations without the need for an account or subscription Pandora. The streaming model is ad-supported, limiting users to 6 skips per station per hour. Users can create and customize stations by entering a song or artist seed. The Pandora algorithm suggests songs to play based on the original seed and user feedback via thumbs up/down. This allows users to gradually tailor each station to their personal tastes. While the free service is limited, users can create up to 100 personalized stations at no cost. Overall, Pandora’s free tier offers an easy way to enjoy endless customized radio with minimal effort or expertise needed.
YouTube Music
YouTube Music is a streaming music service developed by YouTube. The free, ad-supported version provides access to the full YouTube Music catalog of over 50 million official songs, albums, thousands of playlists, and artist radio stations (YouTube, 2022).
A key benefit of YouTube Music is the deep integration with YouTube. Users can easily transition between music videos, live performances, covers, remixes, and other music content on YouTube. The music catalog also goes beyond just songs, with podcasts, live performances, remixes, and more (YouTube, 2022).
YouTube Music offers customizable radio stations based on songs, artists, and genres. Playlists and recommendations are personalized for each user. The service is available across mobile, desktop, and smart TVs.
Amazon Music
Amazon Music is Amazon’s free music service that comes with an Amazon Prime membership. It gives Prime members access to a catalog of over 2 million songs and thousands of expertly curated playlists and stations, all completely ad-free (Source).
The Amazon Music catalog primarily consists of popular hits and classic tunes from top artists. While the selection is more limited compared to premium services, there is still a good variety of music to choose from. Prime members can stream on-demand or listen to stations based on artists, eras, and genres (Source).
Amazon Music allows unlimited streaming through the Amazon Music app on mobile and desktop. Downloads are available for offline listening. Overall, Amazon Music provides a decent free music experience for Prime members looking for well-known songs and curated playlists.
SoundHound
SoundHound is a free music recognition app available for iOS and Android that allows users to identify songs just by singing or humming a few seconds of the tune. According to CNET, SoundHound can identify over 100 million songs with a high degree of accuracy. https://www.cnet.com/reviews/soundhound-infinity-android-review/
In addition to the free music recognition features, SoundHound offers additional capabilities through their premium SoundHound Infinity subscription. SoundHound Infinity provides an ad-free experience, unlimited song recognition, access to curated stations based on your tastes, and the ability to view lyrics synchronized to the music. The subscription removes ads and limits on the free tier of the app. https://download.cnet.com/soundhound-infinity/3000-2139_4-75210831.html
Overall, SoundHound provides powerful free music recognition capabilities along with additional features through their premium subscription. The ability to quickly identify music just by singing or humming makes it stand out as a top free option for music lovers.
Tidal
Tidal is a music streaming service that offers high fidelity sound quality and unique content from major artists. The free trial tier of Tidal gives users access to Tidal’s library of over 100 million songs and playlists in standard audio quality for 30 days. After the free trial, Tidal costs $9.99/month for standard quality audio or $19.99/month for lossless HiFi quality audio (TIDAL Pricing).
Some key features of Tidal’s free trial include:
- Full access to Tidal’s catalog of music, podcasts, and videos for 30 days
- Ad-free listening
- Unlimited skips and offline listening
- Supported on various devices like phones, computers, speakers, TVs, and cars
Tidal offers exclusive content like concerts and early access to albums from top artists. The high fidelity audio quality ensures listeners hear music the way the artists intended. Overall, Tidal’s free trial allows users to experience premium features and content risk-free before deciding whether to subscribe.
Comparison
The key free music apps all offer ad-supported free versions with limited features compared to premium versions. Here’s how they compare in terms of key features:
Spotify – Spotify’s free version provides access to a large music catalog with some limitations like shuffle-only play for albums, limited skips, and ads. Spotify has the largest catalog and best playlists. It lacks lossless audio quality however even on premium. (Source)
YouTube Music – YouTube Music has a large catalog and decent recommendations powered by YouTube’s algorithm. The free version has ads and won’t work in background or offline. Video content is a plus. Audio quality is capped at 256kbps. (Source)
Amazon Music – Amazon Music provides access to 50 million songs in the free version. Features are very limited though with no ability to skip or replay songs. Amazon Music HD offers lossless audio for premium subscribers. (Source)
Pandora – Pandora’s free service is radio-style listening with up to 6 skips per hour and limited replays. No on-demand selection. Great for music discovery but catalog size is smaller. Pandora Premium removes ads and limits. (Source)
Overall, Spotify remains the most fully-featured free option while services like Amazon Music and YouTube Music offer limited free access to their large catalogs. Consider premium options like Tidal and Spotify for sound quality and fewer restrictions. Evaluate your listening preferences and needs when choosing a service.
Conclusion
Through research of the top free music apps, a few options stand out for different uses. For the most robust overall free music experience, Spotify provides a huge library, smart recommendations, playlists, and more features even without a paid subscription. SoundCloud shines for discovering rising artists and niche genres not found elsewhere. Pandora still leads for customized radio stations based on your tastes. YouTube Music taps into YouTube’s massive video library while still operating like a standard streaming app. And Amazon Music pairs nicely if you have an Amazon Prime membership already.
Each app has particular strengths and weaknesses. Spotify lacks some newest major releases, SoundCloud’s interface can be confusing, Pandora only does radio, and YouTube Music still trails Spotify’s algorithms. The best free option depends on your listening habits and priorities – whether you want to sample rising stars or major hits, customize radio or access playlists, or more. But with several quality free music apps now available, it’s easier than ever to enjoy tunes without paying a cent. Users can pick the service that best matches their preferences.