It is no secret there are billions of music applications in both the iOS app store and Google Play. The actual number would take eons to decipher because new apps come and sometimes go too quickly even to be noticeable. Internet access to the radio, streaming services, instrument tuners, and editing device apps spring up, and it is hard to decide what is best for what and whom. No one wants to download a dozen music apps and take up space when only one suits their needs.
More than Just Listening to Music
Numerous music apps for devices are free in both the iOS and Google Play. The other side of that coin is the in-app purchase of music or premium subscription fees. Listening to music is an experience shared by everyone. It is best enjoyed with a nice set of headphones so relaxing is a state of being, not an occasional indulgent.
- Google Play Music
- One of the newest evolutions of music and apps is the transition of Google Play Music and YouTube Music into a single application. In 2019, they expect to have it available to a user, so they can fully integrate their current playlists into the newest platform.
Google’s apps run cleanly with user-unique playlists and radio stations for every user. The cloud-based music and podcast favorites cost ten dollars a month with access to an extensive database of music across all genres and decades.
The collision of YouTube Music Premium and Google Play Music will allow listeners to enjoy music without annoying ads, required downloads, and background listening. The free version still allows up to fifty thousand downloads of personalized playlists and will enable the user to listen without ads.
Play Music will be one of the break out stars in music apps in 2019.
- YouTube Music
- YouTube music joined the music app industry in June 2018. YouTube music allows listeners to access any music on their platform. It is not only for videos, now. The merging of Google Play Music with YouTube Music is happening and only means to expand the options. Premium subscriptions cost ten dollars a month for ad-free listening. However, they offer free services to those who cannot afford to skip annoying ads.
- Spotify
- Spotify is now a monster in the streaming music field. An estimated eighty million people access forty million songs, worldwide. The app streams single songs or entire albums and allows for customized playlists.
The drawback is their free offering. It only allows streaming with Spotify’s Shuffle Play option. If someone wants to listen offline or a particular song, it costs ten dollars a month to access. However, they offer to bundle with other services such as Hulu.
- Shazam
- Shazam is the magical device app that listens to a television or radio and recognizes the song. It is perfect for a new-music lover when watching a new movie or T.V. series and does not know the soundtrack’s title.
Shazam is free, but it does not work well as a standalone music application. Utilizing it with a different streaming service does optimize enjoying music, though. The app even offers a user the ability to purchase a song through multiple vendors: Spotify, Amazon Music, Apple Music, etc.
- Amazon Music
- Amazon Music is relatively new to the music app industry. However, it allows listeners access to a myriad of free music and access to their Cloud Player library. However, to acquire use of all fifty million plus songs, the subscription fee is ten dollars a month.
If a user is an Amazon Prime member, the free music available ranges around two million.
Android Music Apps and iOS likely has all the above in their application stores. However, keep in mind, Apple Music remains the first and most popular music app for iOS users. Access to any song in a genre from any decade is a huge draw for any music lover.
Android users have access to the same library through Apple Music which contains over fifty million songs. Customization is also a feature that catches attention. Subscriptions cost ten dollars a month, but they offer no free option. But, the free options are out there and waiting for the download.
