There are a huge variety of music and audio apps for Android, catering to just about every type of user. We’ve compiled a list of eight of our favourite music apps to help you sing along, dance or just simply think, so if you’re in the mood for some tunes, read on to find out which apps you should download on Android in this Canstar Blue guide.
Top Music Apps for Android
Some of the top music apps available to download on Android include:
- YouTube Music Premium
- Spotify
- Apple Music
- SoundCloud
- Poweramp Music Player
- iHeartRadio
- Deezer
- Audible
If you’re after a quick comparison, check out our guide on Apple Music versus Spotify, or check out our ratings on music streaming services to see how they stack up.
YouTube Music Premium
Replacing Google Music in 2020, YouTube Music allows you to listen to a massive variety of music, with a choice of turning music videos on or off depending on your mood. In the Premium version, you can listen to music ad-free, download music to listen offline, play videos with the screen off and integrate YouTube Kids with YouTube gaming apps, with YouTube Music also able to integrate with Android TV, Google Maps and Google Assistant, allowing you to listen while on the move. You can also sign up to a 30-day free trial.
YouTube Music Premium Cost
YouTube Music Premium has multiple subscription options, including:
- YouTube Music Premium: $11.99 per month
- YouTube Music Premium Family: $17.99 per month, with up to five family members allowed to be added
- YouTube Music Premium Student: $5.99 per month, with annual student verification required.
Spotify
One of the largest- and arguably the best – music streaming service around, Spotify remains hugely popular with Android users. The app provides a free, ad-supported service with some limitations, or Spotify Premium for on-demand streaming and offline listening. Spotify’s biggest advantages are its support for custom, shareable playlists, which can be easily embedded into websites and social media posts all over the internet, and its popularity amongst artists, who often release albums either first or exclusively on Spotify.
Spotify Costs
Spotify has a number of plans available for users to choose from, including:
- Spotify Free – Free to sign-up to and use, but you’ll be exposed to adds every few songs, with other restrictions enabled
- Spotify Premium Individual – $11.99 per month, with ad-free and offline listening available
- Spotify Premium Student – $5.99 per month, although terms and conditions apply to student sign-ups
- Spotify Premium Duo – $15.99 per month, which allows two people to share a Spotify Premium Account
- Spotify Premium Family – $18.99 per month, which gives up to six people access to a shared Premium account
Apple Music
Apple’s proprietary music app offers access to more than 100 million songs in its catalogue, as well as providing you access to any and all iTunes music you might have purchased over the years. The app also offers plenty of exclusive content, such as music documentaries, TV shows and behind-the-scenes footage. The only catch is that this requires a subscription – Apple Music unfortunately doesn’t have a free, ad-supported option.
Apple Music Cost
Apple Music is available on a number of different plans, including:
- Apple Music Individual: $12.99 per month – access to full library, ad-free listening and access to additional content such as shows
- Apple Music Voice: $5.99 – access to full music library, but no downloads or support for non-Apple products available
- Apple Music Student Plan: $6.99 per month – terms and conditions apply to students, with verification needed
- Apple Music Family Plan: $19.99 per month – can have up to five accounts allocated to the Family plan
- Apple One: $21.95 per month (includes Apple Music, Apple TV +, Apple Arcade, iCloud, Apple News +, Apple Fitness +)
Phone plans for music streaming
Need more data to keep the tunes going? Why not check out a new phone plan? Phone plan inclusions constantly change prices and data inclusions, so it’s worthwhile to have a scan every now and then, to make sure you’re not missing out on a bargain, or potentially missing out on a deal! You can find prepaid and postpaid plans in the table below.
Here is a selection of postpaid plans from Canstar Blue’s database with a minimum of 10GB of data, listed in order of standard cost, lowest to highest, then by data allowance, largest to smallest. Use Canstar Blue’s phone plan comparison tool to see a wide range of plans on offer from mobile providers. This table includes products with links to referral partners.
Here is a selection of prepaid plans from Canstar Blue’s database with a minimum of 10GB of data, listed in order of standard cost, lowest to highest, then by data allowance, largest to smallest. Use our comparison tool to see a wide range of plans from other providers. This table includes products with links to referral partners.
SoundCloud
SoundCloud is arguably the largest platform for up-and-coming artists and fans to check out. The mobile app and website allow you to create an account and upload your own music, podcasts, poetry or whatever audio takes your fancy. You can listen to other people’s music and subscribe to their own channels, with many celebrity artists continuing to post tracks. With more than 200 million tracks currently on the platform, and the ability to create your own playlists and discover new music, there’s something for everyone. SoundCloud offers a free platform and paid options specifically for creators.
SoundCloud Cost
SoundCloud has multiple plans on offer, including:
- SoundCloud Free – explore artists and playlists for free, with some limitations in place
- SoundCloud Go – $5.99 per month for ad-free listening, with offline listening capabilities
- SoundCloud Go+ – $11.99 per month for ad-free listening and access to SoundCloud’s full catalogue and high quality audio
- SoundCloud Next – the free subscription for creators looking to get their music out there
- SoundCloud Next Plus – $2.50 per month with more access to distribution channels and payments
- SoundCloud Next Pro – $12 per month with unlimited track uploads, custom profile control, advanced fan insights and track management tools
Poweramp Music Player
Poweramp Music Player is a service made just for Android, offering premium features for the flat price of under $5. Playing songs from your own library of songs, Poweramp features include gapless play, a ground-breaking equalizer, crossfade abilities and support for a wide range of file formats as well as app integration with Google Assistant, Chromecast and Android Auto. If you are picky with your music players, you will appreciate Poweramp’s free 15-day trial during which you have access to the entire service. If you choose to go ahead and subscribe, all and any updates will be forever free. If you have amassed an impressive library of music during your time, Poweramp is the way to go.
Poweramp Cost
Poweramp has just the one price tier for music-lovers to consider:
- Poweramp Music Player: $4.99
iHeartRadio
iHeartRadio is an internet radio app offering thousands of radio stations from around the world, covering genres such as music, sports, talkback and comedy, as well as countless popular podcasts, with the ability to create your own personalised stations with your favourite content.
iHeartRadio Cost
iHeartRadio is available for free, with a premium version also available:
- iHeartRadio: Free
- iHeartRadio Plus: $4.99 per month
Deezer
Deezer is a personal music player which lets you stream tracks from thousands of artists. Much like Spotify or Apple Music, Deezer lets you stream music and podcasts, download MP3 tracks to listen offline, create playlists and listen to radio stations. Deezer offers on-screen lyrics when listening to a song, enabling you and your friends to sing along to your favourite tracks. Deezer also has a feature called Flow, which provides a never-ending personalised radio of tracks based on your tastes. The app is available for free and with an optional Premium subscription, with a one-month free trial also available.
Deezer Cost
Deezer has multiple plans available for music lovers to choose from, including:
- Deezer Free – get access to over 90 million tracks and podcasts, but you’ll be exposed to ads as well
- Deezer Student – $6.99 per month, but terms and conditions apply
- Deezer Premium – $12.99 per month, with ad-free and offline listening available, with an annual subscription also available
- Deezer Family – $19.99 per month, with up to six accounts able to be linked
Audible
Audible is a little different to the other music services as it focuses more on audiobooks and audio shows. Owned by Amazon, with access to the company’s vast book library, Audible provides you with ad-free listening for a huge variety of audiobooks.
Your collection is stored in the cloud, meaning you can access it across all devices, and you can pick up where you left off thanks to place saving. Audible is a subscription service, but offers a 30-day free trial and a free first audiobook.
Audible Cost
Audible has a monthly subscription cost, although you can purchase annual memberships for a more cost-effective option:
- Audible: $16.45 per month
Original Author: Sam Bloom
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