If there is one thing that seems to travel with us almost everywhere – from relaxation at home to long drives to late-night parties, it is music. Whether we are overjoyed, calm, or saddened by a sudden heartbreak, most of us like to listen to music to keep. In this digital age, music has become more accessible than ever before with many notable brands launching top-notch music apps for on-demand streaming. But just in case you are finding it a bit hard to discover which one can live up to your billing, we have got you covered with the 20 best free music apps for Android and iPhone in 2021.
Remember, no music app is perfect. At the end of the day, everything boils down to what your needs demand or what suits your taste better. What may seem to be an effortless pick for me may not sound appealing to you.
1. Spotify
When there is a discussion for the overall best music apps across the platforms, the one obvious name that strikes the mind instantly is Spotify. And rightly so as it’s by far the most feature-rich and elegant music app for both iOS and Android.
Cons:
- The sound quality of freemium version is comparatively poor
Smart Speaker Support:
Install: iOS and Android (free, $9.99/month)
YouTube Music is a top-notch music app from Google. If you like to keep a track of the official release or singles from your favorite artists, it will keep you at pace with your interest. Plus, it’s known to deliver the most suitable recommendations as per several things including your taste, location, and even mood.
One advantage of YouTube Music is that it also lets you access official videos, live performances, and more, right from the app. This means you have access to different versions of songs which is not quite possible on other free music streaming platforms.
Cons:
Smart Speaker Support:
- Alexa, Google Assistant, HomePod (via AirPlay from iPhone)
Install: iOS and Android (free, $9.99/month)
Should you want your music app to not only let you stream songs but also be a great radio app to let you listen to radio and podcasts (all in one) seamlessly, Pandora could be the right way to go. The best part about this music app is the full-on customization that allows you to create stations depending on artists, genres, and even your favorite songs. Thus, you have a more personalized music listening experience.
Pros:
Install: iOS and Android (free, $4.99/month for Pandora Plus)
If you have a rich taste for audio quality or consider yourself an audiophile, Deezer would be a better bet for you. Packed in with over 55 million songs, it’s second to none when it comes to numbers. Regarding the interface, I find it up to the task (if not at par with the best in the business).
It has a handy shuffle mode which makes it pretty simple to find new tracks. And every time, you come across a song that seems pleasing to your ears, you can add it to your ever-growing collection to quickly access it.
- A huge library of over 56 million songs
- Ability to organize music by artist and genre
- Premium+ version offers top-notch sound quality (320 kBps)
- Offline mode
Install: iOS and Android (free, $9.99/month)
Here comes the world’s largest music and audio streaming platform by a long-distance! Loaded with over 200 million tracks, SoundCloud will never let your music time go through a low phase. Everything from jazz, hip hop, classical, podcasts to audiobooks that you like to listen to or enjoy tuning into will be there on your radar.
Cons:
- The UI doesn’t seem intuitive
Install: iOS and Android (free, $5.99/month)
So, when you want to go for a music drive, you will not have to spend plenty of time to choose the songs that can thrill you. And just in case, you often have to deal with a poor internet connection, you have the liberty to download songs and stream them offline. And with Alexa always there at your beck and call, getting started with music will always be easy for you. Do note that this app is available for free only with Prime membership.
- Alexa, Google Assistant (via Cast), HomePod (via AirPlay)
Install: iOS and Android (free with Prime, $9.99/month for non-Prime customers)
Install: iOS and Android (free, starts at $4.99/month)
Though not as feature-packed as some of its noted counterparts, “iHeartRadio” has long been a good platform for music, radio, and podcasts. To ensure your music station delivers only what you wish, you have the option to create personalized radio stations based on your all-time favorite artists.
The music library has loads of tracks of several different genres like Top 40, Country, Rock, Pop, Hip Hop, EDM, R&B, and more. With this app, you can discover a lot of radio stations that are near you or from anywhere in the world. This liberty ensures you can listen to top radio stations, no matter where they exist.
- Option to listen to thousands of live radio stations
- Access to famous sports radio stations like ESPN Radio, Fox Sports Radio, FNTSY Sports Radio, and more
- Ability to stream unlimited playlists
- Curated playlists
- Weekly Mixtape
At first glance, “Gaana Music” may lack the versatility to compete with the likes of Spotify and Apple Music but when you take a close look at its repertoire, you would find it more than good enough.
- Lacks versatility
- Available only in India
Install: iOS and Android (free, Rs. 298/year)
If you are living in India and want a music app that can let you stream millions of songs for free, JioSaavn could be more than a handful. The first thing that caught my attention in this app is the compilation of over 55 million tracks, which are definitely on par with the best in the business.
Not to mention the “Romantic Hot 40” and “EDM Hot 40” that can keep your music time on the charge. If you like tracking the new releases, the app will also offer you instant access to the tracks which have just been rolled out. The editorial picks are thoughtfully-crafted, keeping in mind different tastes.
Cons:
- Alexa, Google Assistant, HomePod/ HomePod mini (via AirPlay)
Install: iOS and Android (free, Rs. 299/year)
For the folks hunting for a reliable platform for streaming Hindi and Punjabi songs, Wynk Music seems to be a good option. While the library of around 2.8 million songs may seem below par as compared to the popular music-streaming apps like Apple Music or JioSaavn, it may prove to be more than enough if you like to listen to top Hindi and Punjabi hits of all time.
Install: iOS and Android (free, starts at Rs. 29/month)
Another Indian music app that is fully equipped to spice up your music streaming is Hungama Music. Featuring a fairly good library of 10 million songs and music videos, the app can let you listen to both famous Bollywood songs and chart-topping international hits.
- Music library is a little lacking
Install: iOS and Android (free, starts at Rs. 99/month)
If you’re a fan of classical music, this is the service for you. Whether you’re looking for Mozart’s piano concerts, Brahm, Mahler, Bach, or any of the classical greats, idagio has you covered. The service offers free access to a huge catalog of classical music albums that you can stream.
Pros:
Cons:
Install: iOS and Android (Free; paid subscriptions at €9.99 per month)
Another great radio app that you can check out for your smartphone is LiveXLive. If you loved using Slacker Radio, rejoice because LiveXLive basically replaces Slacker Radio and you can get most of the same features here. You get access to various radio stations for free, so you can enjoy listening to a range of genres without paying a dime.
- Alexa, Sonos
Install: iOS and Android (Free; paid tier starts at $3.99 per month)
As weird as the name sounds, Datpiff is a music streaming app that does one thing, and does it really well — mixtapes. Yeah, most of use remember the fun it was to create mixtapes of our favourite songs and share them with friends. Well, Datpiff brings the fun of mixtapes into the digital world.
- None, really, except it’s only useful for mixtapes.
Install: iOS and Android (Free)
If you are someone who likes to curate their own collection of music then all of the above music apps are not for you. What you need is a good music player app that can help you not only play your offline music but also categorize it, sort it, and keep it accessible. In this section, we are going to mention 5 such offline music player apps that you should check out. What’s more, if you want, you can use Google Cast or AirPlay to play music from these apps on your smart speakers as well, which is pretty cool.
I’ve always found the “Vox Music Player” to be a full-fledged music player app. Whether you want to store a lot of music or keep your entire playlists in the right order, it will stand up to your needs.
Thanks to the support for many audio (including the hi-res) formats such as FLAC, APE, WAV, ALAC, MP3, WMA, OGG, and more, it ensures managing and playing music always remains a convenient task for you.
Install: iOS (free, $4.99/month)
17. Radsone Hi-Res Player
For keeping the entire music library perfectly in sync, “Radsone Hi-Res Player” is as good as any music app. With the implementation of Distinctive Clear Technology (DCT), it delivers impressive sound quality by getting rid of digital artifacts.
- UI looks outdated
Install: iOS (free, in-app purchases available)
If versatility is right on top of your priority list, you should try out “Pulsar Music Player”. The modern interface coupled with a wide range of features makes it a full-fledged music player. Features like easy play speed adjustment, convenient tag editing, equalizer, music visualizer, and crossfade can enhance your music listening experience.
Install: Android (free, in-app purchases available)
There are very few Android music players in the market that provide as much flexibility as “Musicolet”. It lets you create up to 20 queues, which would be more than enough to keep your tracks perfectly in line.
One notable feature of this app is that it allows you to manage queues while catching up with another queue. Sporting a pretty minimalistic design, it makes navigating your music library quite straightforward. With the handy tag editor, you will be able to edit tags and album arts of many songs at one go.
To take complete control of tons of songs and keep them in the apple-pie-order, “Canaree” is always one of the better picks. Featuring a nifty UI and smooth player controls, the app doesn’t take much time to carve out a niche. The floating windows make it more convenient for tracking videos.
Install: Android (free, in-app purchases available)
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I get free music on my iPhone?
There are several music apps like Spotify and YouTube Music that you can use to get free music on your iPhone.
Going by the numbers, Spotify is by the far the best app to get free music. Though YouTube Music and Deezer are no less impressive.
You can use Finder/iTunes to transfer locally stored music from your computer to the iPhone or iPad seamlessly.
There are several highly-efficient iTunes alternatives such as DearMob and WinX MediaTrans that can let you transfer music from your computer to your iPhone and iPad with ease.
Though Apple Music is not available for free, you can get a free trial of 3 months. During festive times, Apple also offers a free trial of up to 6 months.
What is Hi-Fi Audio?
Hi-Fi audio is basically high fidelity audio. It’s a term used to signify music that’s streaming at a higher quality, usually lossless, or audiophile grade streaming. A couple of apps offer Hi-Fi audio streaming, but none of them are free. You can get lossless streaming in Apple Music, Tidal, etc.
That ends our article on the best free music apps that you can get for your iPhone and Android. In this article, we have assembled the list of best free music streaming apps and offline music player apps for you.
