Most of us have used our phones as music players at some point, but we can also use them to share our tastes and get more info on our favourite artists and related music events. Here is a list of five favourite music apps for android:
This is a mobile phone optimized version of the popular Last.fm social network. In some countries, it can be used as a personal radio station on your phone- all you need to do is choose an artist or genre and the app will build a playlist catering to your taste. You can learn about your favourite artists or discover new ones similar to them. You can use the scrobbler feature to share your music taste or you can sync your last.fm friends with your contacts. You can also find out about upcoming events in your area if you apply the GPS feature. Some phones will need you to install a third party media player so that you can use the scrobbling feature, though.
This free app is currently available in the US only. With it, you can shop for music on Google Play and instantly listen to it on your phone or on your tablet. You can also add up to 20000 of your songs for free or look for something new on the web. All the music you obtain is stored online so storage space and syncing is not a problem. Your favourites can also be accessed offline and shared with your friends on Google +.
This is definitely one of the most loved music players. It plays mp3, mp4/m4a, ogg, wma, flac, wav, ape, ww, tta, mpc and aiff and has an optimized equalizer and a separate bass and treble adjustment, crossfade, replay gain etc. It plays songs from folders or from library and downloads missing album art, has a tag editor and includes a scrobbling feature. The app is full of customisation options and has 4 configurable widget types. You are encouraged to try the 15 day trial version and see for yourself whether the app deserves all the praise it is getting.
This is a tried and tested player, frequently opted for as the default one. It plays, manages and syncs music from your Mac or PC to your Android, featuring wireless desktop sync. It also offers iTunes library import and access to thousands of online radio stations with the SHOUTcast feature. Its other core features include: an easily collapsible/expandable now playing screen, album art, artist news, bios photos and discographies, playlists and playlist shortcuts, free music streaming, integrated Android Search and “Listen to” voice action etc. The Pro Bundle comes without adds, with personalized station recommendations and many more features continually added.
Vevo is a platform for those who enjoy watching music videos. This app boasts a collection of 50 000 music videos from over 11 000 artists. It works over 3G network connection but its full potential is realized via Wi-Fi as that ensures the highest quality. It includes exclusive videos, premieres, top charts and playlists, and info on tours. The videos can be shared with friends via Facebook and Twitter and searched using the voice control feature or via your android search button. The app is simple to use, to the point and on top of everything- it is free.
Like most other aspects of our lives, apps have also revolutionized our music listening experience and our smartphones have largely replaced our stereos – for better or for worse. Luckily, most apps have built-in sharing features so music will still stay the thing that “makes the people come together”, as one of the modern music icons once suggested.
Ella is writer and blogger, loves to explore and write about various technology and internet trends. Since she got her Sony Ericsson Xperia mini Android Phone she is interested in everything related to its apps and features.
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I’m very surprised about the omission of Pandora. I thought that was everyone’s favorite music streaming application. It doesn’t require a premium account, unlike Last.fm. Another worthy choice for free music streaming is Spotify.
I’d also like to recommend MortPlayer for listening to stored music. It’s my favorite Android music player so far because it uses a file hierarchy based library, rather than organizing it using ID3 tags.