What is the default audio player for Samsung?

Brief History of Samsung’s Audio Players

Samsung first entered the portable audio player market in 1998 with the launch of the YEPP YP-E mp3 player, one of the first mp3 players available commercially. The YEPP line expanded over the next few years with models like the YP-D1 in 1999, which could store up to 32MB of music.

In the early 2000s, Samsung released iconic models like the YP-T7 in 2004, which had a 1.5 inch color screen and touch-sensitive jog dial, and the super slim YP-U6 in 2006. By the late 2000s, Samsung transitioned to more advanced multimedia players like the YP-P2 which supported video playback.

In 2010, Samsung launched its first Galaxy-branded media player, the Galaxy Player. This touched off Samsung’s transition into smart devices and connected ecosystems. Recent audio players like the Galaxy Buds series of wireless earbuds demonstrate Samsung’s focus on mobility, connectivity and smart features.

Overall, Samsung has continuously innovated in the portable audio space for over 20 years, evolving from early mp3 players to today’s seamlessly connected listening experiences exemplified by products like the Galaxy Buds. Key hallmarks along the way include ultra-compact designs, color screens, touch controls and leading sound quality.

Samsung’s Default Music App

The default music player app on Samsung Galaxy devices is called Samsung Music. It was first introduced as Music Hub on the Samsung Wave in 2010, before being rebranded as Samsung Music Hub in 2011 and then finally renamed to Samsung Music in 2013 (1).

Samsung Music provides features like audio streaming, music downloads, and music organization and playback. It supports common audio formats like MP3, WMA, AAC and FLAC (2).

While the core functionality remains the same, Samsung Music has seen design updates and enhancements over the years alongside new Samsung device releases. For example, the Galaxy S20 version introduced a cleaner interface and improved playlist management. The Galaxy S21 version added YouTube integration and support for podcasts and audiobooks (3).

Overall, Samsung Music aims to provide an optimized music experience designed specifically for Samsung devices and their firmware. The app leverages Samsung partnerships and integrations to offer unique capabilities to Galaxy phone owners.

Features of Samsung Music App

The Samsung Music app comes with several useful features for listening to and managing music on Samsung devices, including:

Ability to play local music files – You can easily access and play music files stored locally on your Samsung device. The app supports common formats like MP3, FLAC, WAV, and more. You can browse your music library, create playlists, shuffle songs, and more.

Streaming integration – Samsung Music integrates with popular streaming services like YouTube Music, Spotify, Pandora, and others. You can sign into your accounts to stream music and manage playlists alongside your local music library.

Sound quality options – There are sound effects and audio settings like equalizers and Dolby Atmos surround sound to enhance your listening experience. You can customize the sound quality to your preferences.

Playlist creation – You can create customized playlists from your local music files and streaming catalogs. Playlists make it easy to organize and listen to music tailored to your mood or activity.

Overall, the Samsung Music app provides a robust set of tools for playing both downloaded and streamed music in a seamless interface optimized for Samsung devices.

Alternatives to Samsung Music

While Samsung Music is the default audio player on Samsung devices, there are many good alternative music apps available as well. Some popular alternatives include:

• Spotify – Streaming service with over 80 million tracks. Pros are its vast music library, playlists, and sharing features. Cons are ads in free version and limit of 10,000 songs in library for free users (https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.spotify.music&hl=en_US&gl=US).
• YouTube Music – Streaming service by YouTube with over 80 million official tracks. Pros are its huge catalog, smart recommendations, and video integration. Cons are ads in free version (https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.google.android.apps.youtube.music&hl=en_US&gl=US).
• Amazon Music – Over 75 million tracks from Amazon. Pros are integration with Alexa and Amazon Prime benefits. Cons are smaller music library than top services (https://www.pcmag.com/picks/best-android-music-apps).

The main pros of using alternatives are larger music libraries in streaming services, and unique features like YouTube video integration. The downsides are losing deep Samsung device integration and not having downloadable offline tracks.

Playing Audio on Samsung Phones

Samsung phones can play most common audio file formats like MP3, AAC, FLAC, WAV, and more. The native Samsung Music app supports these formats for playing locally stored music files.

For listening with headphones, Samsung phones typically have a standard 3.5mm headphone jack for wired listening. Many models also support high-quality wireless listening via Bluetooth 5.0. Popular options are Samsung’s own Galaxy Buds series or other Bluetooth headphones and earbuds.

Samsung phones can connect to external speakers and audio devices in a variety of ways. Pairing wireless Bluetooth speakers is simple and only takes a few seconds. For higher quality wired options, phones like the Galaxy S22 series include a USB-C to 3.5mm headphone jack adapter in the box. This allows connecting to speakers, receivers, or amplifiers via an auxiliary cable.

Managing Downloaded Music

When music is downloaded on Samsung phones, it is saved in the device’s internal storage in the “Music” folder. Users can access the folder by navigating to “My Files” > “Internal storage” > “Music” (1). Downloaded music can also be accessed directly through the Samsung Music app.

To better organize downloaded music, users can create playlists within the Samsung Music app. Tap on “Playlists” at the bottom, then tap the “+” icon in the top right corner. Name the playlist, then tap “Add songs” to select the downloaded music you want included. Playlists make it easy to access your favorite songs or albums (2).

To delete downloaded music, open the Samsung Music app and tap on the menu icon in the top left corner. Go to “Settings” then “Storage cleanup”. Here you can choose music to delete, or tap “Select unused files” to delete any music you haven’t listened to recently (3). Individual songs can also be deleted by tapping and holding them, then tapping “Delete”.

Sources:

(1) https://www.samsung.com/uk/support/mobile-devices/samsung-music-app/

(2) https://www.samsung.com/in/support/apps-services/how-to-manage-the-samsung-music-tabs/

(3) https://www.samsung.com/hk_en/support/apps-services/how-to-manage-the-samsung-music-tabs/

Streaming Music Options

Samsung phones support all the popular music streaming services like Spotify, Pandora, Amazon Music, YouTube Music, Apple Music, and more. These services allow you to stream millions of songs over the internet without having to download MP3s or other audio files.

Most streaming services offer both free, ad-supported plans as well as paid, premium subscriptions. The free versions allow you to listen to curated playlists and stations, but with limitations like ads, shuffle-only playback, and lower audio quality. Paid plans unlock features like on-demand playback, unlimited skips, high quality audio, and offline listening.

Paid subscriptions like Spotify Premium and Apple Music allow you to save songs, albums, and playlists for offline listening when you don’t have an internet connection. This is handy for plane rides, road trips, or other times when you won’t have mobile data or WiFi. The songs download to your device so you can listen offline later.

Overall, Samsung phones work seamlessly with all the top music streaming apps. Paid subscriptions unlock the full potential for features like offline listening, but free accounts still provide a solid music experience.

Podcast and Audiobook Support

Samsung phones come with built-in support for listening to podcasts and audiobooks. The default podcast app is Samsung Podcasts, which allows you to browse, subscribe, and listen to podcasts. For audiobooks, the default app is Audible, where you can purchase and listen to audiobooks.

With Samsung Podcasts, you can subscribe to your favorite podcasts and new episode downloads will happen automatically. There are options to only download on WiFi, limit the number of episodes stored, and more. Within the app there are handy controls for playback speed, skip silences, and sleep timer. You can also organize podcasts into custom categories.

For Audible, managing your library is easy. The app will save your listening position, bookmarks, notes and highlights. You can set notifications for new releases and daily deals. While listening, you have playback speed controls, bookmarks, and sleep timer. There’s also an immersive mode that removes distractions and focuses on the audiobook.

Both apps have typical audio playback controls like play/pause, skip forward/back, and volume. You can minimize the apps to continue playback while doing other tasks. For wireless listening, Samsung phones support Bluetooth headphones and speakers.

Audio Settings

Samsung phones offer various audio settings to customize the sound quality and audio effects.1 In the Settings app, you can adjust options like equalizer presets, Dolby Atmos, and sound quality.2

The Sound quality and effects menu lets you select from sound presets like Pop, Classical, Dance, and more. These presets automatically adjust the EQ levels to optimize for certain genres. There is also a Custom preset to manually customize the equalizer bands.

For immersive audio, Samsung phones include Dolby Atmos support. This can widen the sound stage for a surround sound effect. Adapt Sound customizes the sound profile based on your hearing.

Additional options are available to tweak audio quality like UHQ upscaler, sound effects, and headphone optimizations for Bluetooth audio.

Tips for Better Audio Experience

Here are some tips to improve your audio experience on Samsung devices:

Recommended Audio Formats

For the best sound quality, use lossless formats like FLAC, ALAC, or WAV files. Samsung devices also support AAC, MP3, WMA, Vorbis, and other common formats. Avoid low bitrate files, which degrade audio quality. See this guide for more on audio formats.

Troubleshooting Playback Issues

If you experience choppy or distorted playback, first make sure other apps aren’t using audio resources in the background. Try restarting your device or toggling Airplane mode to clear any glitches. Check your storage and clear space if needed. See Samsung’s troubleshooting guide for more tips.

Accessories to Improve Sound

Consider wired headphones or external speakers for more powerful, immersive audio. Look for accessories designed for Samsung devices that support proprietary codecs like Scalable Codec. Bluetooth audio devices like the Galaxy Buds provide an easy wireless listening option.