Online music streaming has come a long way since the days of Napster. Now you can easily listen to your favourite artists and genres online without having to resort to piracy. However, if you want to support your favourite artists, you should consider buying their CDs as the revenue from online streaming is still not up to the mark. If you just want to explore what’s out there and find new artists, online streaming can open up a whole new world for you. Here are our top 10 free music streaming apps for Android.
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In This Article
Spotify
Arguably the biggest music streaming platform in the world, Spotify lets users enjoy its services without paying for a subscription. Of course, the features are limited for non-subscribers, but Spotify’s vast song library and accessible UI make it one of the best free music streaming apps around. Free users get six skips per hour on Spotify. After a few minutes of uninterrupted listening, the app starts pushing ads. The good news is that Spotify has a great algorithm for discovering new music. The playlists that the platform curates exclusively for you are a great way to come across new artists and expand your musical horizon.
YouTube Music
YouTube Music boasts a vast library, a wide spectrum of artists, video playback, and rich playlists created by users on YouTube. But there is one catch that we find to be a deal breaker as non-subscribers – the inability to stream music on the app with the screen off. If you can get past that, you will enjoy the diverse library of music on offer. YouTube Music is our streaming app of choice if we want to watch live performances and discover new music via user-created playlists.
TuneIn Radio
Founded in 2002, TuneIn Radio predates most music streaming apps. It has thousands of music radio stations that cover all the important genres. These radio stations are a great place to discover new music. You can even find music stations centred around your favourite artists on TuneIn. Other than music, TuneIn is also known for hosting a wide range of talk radio programmes and podcasts. Its free version contains ads but they aren’t as intrusive or annoying as other platforms.
Tidal
Tidal is quite popular among audio enthusiasts for a HiRes sonic experience and its ‘CD-quality’ streams. The streaming platform also allows users to listen to music for free, without paying for a subscription. However, you are limited to a bitrate of 160kbps and get limited skips as a non-subscriber. Tidal has a good collection of songs and the personalised recommendations, while not as good as Spotify, do help in discovering new artists.
Pandora
On Pandora, you can find stations dedicated to your favourite artists. The music streaming app then suggests music based on your favourite artists. You don’t need a subscription to stream music on Pandora. As a free listener, you get limited skips and an ad-ridden listening experience. However, what makes Pandora great is its recommendation algorithm which is based on your ratings of different artists.
SoundCloud
If you’re interested in discovering underground music and independent artists, SoundCloud is a must-have app on your phone. This streaming platform breaks down the barrier of entry for artists, allowing everyone to showcase their talents. You can save your favourite artists, create unique playlists, and fast-forward through songs without needing a Premium subscription. The latter unlocks HiRes audio, gets rid of ads, and allows users to save music for offline listening.
iHeartRadio
Like TuneIn, iHeartRadio boasts a diverse range of radio stations that cover all the major artists and genres. You can tune into any station for an endless stream of music. The great thing about iHeartRadio is that it offers an ad-free listening experience. The not-so-great thing is that your skips are still limited as a free user. Not only that, but you also cannot replay songs or create playlists as a free subscriber. However, if you just want to listen to some good tunes without being interrupted by ads, this is the app for you.
Deezer
Apart from music streaming, Deezer offers a bunch of interesting fringe features like song finder, instantly translated lyrics, music quizzes, and more. The platform has a diverse range of music and its algorithms use your music-listening activity to come up with recommendations that you’ll like. On top of that, you can use the ‘Explore’ tab to find music that is trending worldwide along with ‘Editor picks’, concerts, and more. If you don’t know what you’re looking for, you can simply play music based on a certain mood.
Jango Radio
Jango Radio has a good mix of ‘big’ artists and independent musicians who are on their way to becoming big. The app offers an ad-free listening experience. This is because it charges new artists to play their music on the platform. A lot of people consider this an unethical practice and it does dampen the listening experience since the music discovery process is no longer organic.
LiveOne
Previously known as LiveXLive and Slacker Radio, LiveOne gives you free access to music, podcasts, and even music videos on its platform. You can find radio stations based on your favourite genres and discover new artists with ease. Once you tune into a station, you can filter the music it plays. If you’re feeling adventurous, just let the platform’s algorithm take control. The music discovery process on LiveOne is very rewarding.
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Conclusion
These are the top 10 free music streaming apps for Android that you should check out right now. While you don’t need to be a subscriber to listen to music on these platforms, some apps may ask you to create an account before you use their services. Which is the music streaming platform of your choice? Let us know in the comments!
