Want the Best Free Music Apps? Stream or Download | iPhone & Android

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Are you looking for the best free music apps or the best music apps with paid subscriptions? We’ve got them all on this page.

We all love listening to music. And with smartphones, it’s become so easy to access the music you love.

There are dozens of music streaming apps on the market. Some are strictly free. Others come with bonus features that can only be accessed with subscriptions.

There are also websites to download music. With so many choices, it’s difficult to decide which app to use. Below, we list 28 free music apps for streaming music.

A. Totally Free Music Apps for Streaming

These apps are totally free and great for streaming music.

Slacker Radio / Live X Live Streaming

Slacker Radio Music App Screen Shots

Slacker Radio offers free streaming on your computer or phone. They have many genres and subgenres available.

You can create an account or link to your Facebook or Google accounts. This lets you save your favorite stations. When you download the app, Slacker gives you a 20-second preview. From there, you can decide if you want to use it or not.

Other Slacker options include:

– Listing of the top thirty songs from 5 years ago
– Album of the week lists
– Weekly music countdowns

Download for IOS
Download for Android

SoundCloud

SoundCloud Music App Screen Shots


This free music app has over 150 million tracks. It includes tracks made by top artists as well as self-published artists. SoundCloud is a great way to discover up-and-coming artists. It’s easy to create playlists for your phone. New music gets added every day.

To get more song choices, you can browse the “Top 50” or “New & Hot” lists to. You’re sure to find some new artists or songs that you’ll love.

There’s no end to discovery with this free music app. You can find new music based on your genre preferences.

Download for iOS
Download for Android

Jango Radio

Jango Radio App Screenshots

Jango Radio allows you to create personalized radio stations. You can search for your favorite artists or genres. You log in with your Facebook account or with an email address. Jango will suggest new music or stations based on your music preferences.

They make it easy to navigate between your stations. Jango has 930 expert-curated stations to pick from as well. These stations were created by the people behind Jango to give users another way to find music they love.

Limit Commercials: If you connect your Facebook account to Jango, you can limit the number of commercials you hear to one per day.

Independent artists can feature their music in stations with similar artists. This gives you a chance to discover new artists.

Download for IOS
Download for Android

Shazam

Shazam App Music Listening App

Have you ever heard a song but you can’t remember the name of it? Shazam listens to the song currently playing and tells you the name, artist, and album. You can share your discovery on Facebook. Or you can open the song on YouTube or Spotify. Shazam can create a Pandora station for you based on the song.
Sometimes you can read the lyrics of the song as it plays. Each discovery you make creates a tag. These tags are shareable with your friends.

Download for IOS
Download for Android

WANT MORE FREE STUFF? Check out our Free Stuff Category

Musi

Musi YouTube Music App

This free music app lets you add videos from Youtube and SoundCloud to playlists. Customization in Musi is simple. The playlist plays on your phone. This means you can control the music volume without the app being open. Another cool feature is the sleep timer. This lets you set a timer for when your music needs to shut off. Perfect for those of us who fall asleep to music.

You can make unlimited playlists in Musi. Searches are based off artists and genre. Some songs have already been imported from Youtube and SoundCloud. This makes them easier to add to your playlist.

Download for IOS
Download for Android

8Tracks

8tracks Music App Screen Shot for Android.

8Tracks is a unique internet radio app. It allows you to listen to playlists without ads. Each playlist is 8 tracks long. You can save your favorite playlists or create your own. The playlists can be repeated or shuffled.

Unlike other music apps, 8Tracks gives you the ability to select music in unique ways. These selections are based on how you’re feeling or what you’re doing. Their “genre” lists include:

– Chill Essentials
– Sleep Songs
– Workout Essentials
– Happy Songs
– Sad Songs
– Study Songs

If you don’t want to make your own, you can search through hundreds of created playlists. Most are user-created but there are staff recommendations.

8Tracks has genres, moods, or activities that you can search for.

WordPress even has a plug-in that lets you have an 8Track playlist on your blog or website.

Download for IOS
Download for Android

Vevo

Vevo YouTube Music Channel

More of a music video app, Vevo still offers many songs. You can browse through hundreds of music videos and stream them. You can create playlists based on your favorite genre or artist.

The music app will notify you if new music videos are available based on your preferences. They recently partnered with YouTube to provide its users with a quality streaming experience.

MusixMatch

MusixMatch App Lyrics screen shots

Focused on lyrics, MusixMatch allows you to find the lyrics to songs already in your library. It syncs with other music apps. The app will also translate lyrics from another language to English. You can search for song lyrics by looking for the song title. Or vice-versa, it lets you search for a song title based on lyrics. Once you find the lyrics you want it can be synced with Youtube, Spotify, Pandora and more.

Download for IOS
Download for Android

Spinrilla

Have you heard of hip-hop mixtapes? Spinrilla features singles and mixtapes from independent artists. One unique feature of the Spinrilla app is that you can listen to music offline. No other free app offers this feature. And you can also create playlists and then share your favorite selections with your friends.

You can also share comments for the artists and future listeners.

Download for iOS
Download for Android

SliceThePie

With Slicethepie, you will be paid to review music. This is totally different than all of the other music apps on this page. How cool is that?

Most of the songs are new or up and coming musicians. This is a great way to expand your musical options. You’ll discover new songs and new artists.

Not just music. You can also get paid to give feedback on clothes and other consumer products. When you’ve reached $10 in earning you can request payment. They send money to your Paypal account.

If you refer a friend you earn a bonus.

Download for IOS
Download for Android

B. Music Streaming Apps with Free & Paid Versions

Some music apps have both free and premium services. At MoneySmartFamily.com we use Pandora’s free service. But some of our kids have chosen to pay for the premium service. They enjoy the expanded playlists.

11. Deezer

Deezer Music App Screen Shots

Personalized playlists are the backbone of this free music app. Deezer’s free version lets you listen to a personalized playlist. They choose songs based on your genre and artist preferences. If you don’t like a song, you tell Deezer and it removes the song. It also adjusts your station to reflect that choice. “Flow” has endless, personalized music.

Deezer has a Premium+ option that allows you to download your playlists for offline listening. You get unlimited music with no ads. Deezer has a family plan that gives Premium+ accounts to 6 members.

The even have an option that works like karaoke where you can sing along with lyrics. With more than 43 million tracks they’re sure to have the music you crave.

Several people who reviewed  Deezer said that this app is great to use with Google Home and Sonos using their premium Hi-Fi option.

Download for IOS
Download for Android

12. Pandora Radio

Pandora Music App Screen Shots


The free version of Pandora acts like a normal radio. You can choose from thousands of stations based on genre, artist, or mood.

Pandora puts songs on the station associated with the genre or artist. You can like or dislike a song to further personalize your station. Each station is automatically saved to your profile. Pandora offers a great way to find new artists that are similar to your tastes.

Pandora Plus gives you 4 stations for offline listening, no ads, and unlimited skips. Pandora Premium lets you search for songs by title. This Radio Channel can be played on your Kindle as well. Pandora Plus costs $4.99 per month,

Android download button      iOS Download Button

Download for IOS
Download for Android
Download for Amazon Kindle
Download for Windows

13. iHeart Radio

iHeart Radio Music App screenshots

This free music app lets you listen to local radio stations online. iHeart Radio also lets you create personalized stations based on your favorite genres and artists. You can also listen to podcasts. Save your playlists as presets or even as alarms.

Like previous apps, iHeart Radio has a sleep-timer that you can set to turn off certain stations.

You can also view the lyrics to songs. Artists biographies are available as well. And you can share your stations with your friends.

iHeart Radio Plus gives you unlimited skips, replays, and the ability to save songs from the radio to your playlist. Their All Access subscription lets you listen offline. Each subscription comes with a free 30-day trial.

Download for IOS
Download for Android
Download for Amazon
Download for Windows

14. Apple Music

Apple Music App Screenshots.

Stream millions of tracks straight to your phone with AppleMusic. Apple boasts 45 million songs with zero ads. For those with IOS systems, Apple Music integrates into your music system already. You can browse hundreds of songs and artists.

Apple Music also has different stations based on genre and mood. You can also listen to podcasts. If you have an Apple Watch, you can sync your playlists there.

The app requires a subscription but gives you a free 3-month trial. You can listen offline with the subscription. Apple Music also has music videos from as far back as the ‘80s. The subscription plans come in Student, Individual, and Family Packages.

No Download for iOS – if you’ve got an iPhone, you’ve got Apple Music … right?
Download for Android.

15. Spotify

Spotify music app screenshot


From streaming albums to podcasts, Spotify offers a huge range of music choices. You can search for a particular album or artist. Build your own playlists easily and share with your friends. You can find playlists created by other users or staff members.

Spotify also offers Daily Discovery Playlists based on your preferred music. These playlists have suggested songs and artists that you may enjoy. Push notifications alert you to new albums or singles by your favorite artists. Spotify Premium allows you to listen to downloaded music offline.

Other things you can do on Spotify:

– Follow Facebook friends to increase your music library
– See song lyrics in the Spotify app
– Get new songs each week
– Play Spotify music on a PlayStation 4

Get 3 months of Premium for $0.99. Only $9.99/month after that.

Download for IOS
Download for Android
Download for Windows

16. Tidal

Tidal Music App Screenshots

All about audio-quality, Tidal boasts over 25 million tracks with lossless quality. They offer music videos as well. You can browse countless albums by artist and genre. Want to see what’s new in the world of music?

Tidal has a What’s New section that shows new albums from various artists. They also lend a voice to new artists with Tidal Rising. One unique feature is Tidal’s access to interviews of music artists with Tidal Read.

Their subscriptions include Premium and HiFi. Both have discounts for students, family, and military.

Download for IOS
Download for Android
Download for Windows

17. Google Play Music

Google Play Music app screen shots

As a free music app, Google Play Music curates radio stations based on your music preferences. You can search for songs, artists, and genres. This app also has radio stations based on mood or activity.

The app also lets you simply listen to your own music. It simply syncs to your existing library, or you can download particular albums or songs. You can download up to 50,000 songs. The “I’m feeling lucky mix” takes all of your music into account and creates a new playlist for you.

A subscription to their All Access pass lets you skip the radio stations’ songs as much as you like. It also comes with Youtube Red.

Download for IOS
Download for Android

18. YouTube Music

YouTube Music app screenshots

Using your Youtube history, YouTube Music suggests other music videos for you to watch and listen to. Unlike regular Youtube, however, this free music app lets you listen to your music outside of Youtube. This means you don’t need to have the screen open to listen.

You have full access to everything on Youtube. Youtube Music pairs well with Google Play Music. If you already have a subscription with Play Music, you have Youtube Red for free. This lets you listen to Youtube Music ad-free. Or you can subscribe to Youtube Red through Youtube Music.

Download for IOS
Download for Android

19. TuneIn Radio

Tunein Radio App Screenshots

This free music app brings the radio to the convenience of your phone. Not only does TuneIn Radio let you listen to music, but it also lets you listen to featured news stories from top news stations. With this app, you can stream more than 100,000 radio stations for live music and genre-based selections. You can browse local radio stations.

They also have top music, sports, talk, radio and podcasts from around the world. You can save your favorite stations as presets to find them later. If you like a particular song, you can search for stations that play that song.

Their Premium service comes with commercial-free music and live sports games. TuneIn streams to Smart TVs and Google Home services.

Download for IOS
Download for Android
Download for Windows

20. Qello Concerts

Quello Concert app screenshots

Sometimes we wish we could relive the first concert we ever went to. Do you want to remember the best concert you’ve ever seen? Then Qello Concerts is the music app for you. Quello has a library of old and new music concerts.

The concerts are full-length. They also offer related music videos and interviews. At the moment, Qello has a library of 1,500 concerts.

Their All-Access subscription lets you watch all the concerts in their database. You can create your own setlists with different concerts and songs. You can even watch your concerts on your Smart TV.

Download for IOS
Download for Android
Download for Amazon
Download for Windows

C. Download Music Legally with These Free Apps & Sites

The following sites and apps allow you to download music at no cost and with no legal peril. We don’t totally understand how this is possible, but apparently, after the Napster website downfall music sites have discovered loopholes in the law. Many of these sites aren’t showcasing top-ten music. They’re sharing indy artists and other less popular genres.

At MoneySmartFamily.com we regularly download music from Freegal.com through a subscription that our local public library has. It’s legal and amazingly free!

21. Audiomack

Audiomack Music Download App Screenshots

If you like SoundCloud, then you will enjoy using Audiomack. It features new music from new artists. Everything is free to stream. Some artists do have downloads available. You can search for albums and artists.

Audiomack has sections for Trending, Top Songs, and Top Albums. The downloadable songs are typically in MP3 format. You can also stream your music from your phone or tablet. You don’t need an account to download music. The interface looks a lot like SoundCloud and is easy to navigate.

Download for IOS
Download for Android

22. Jamendo Music

Jamendo Music download app screenshots

The free music on this app comes directly from Creative Commons licensing. This means the artists give out their music for free. Jamendo makes it easy to find new music. Simply use their latest music filter to see new songs.

You can also view trending music and popular albums. Some artists do have their songs available to download. Jamendo also offers radio channels. You can search these channels by genre. You can either stream or download music with this free music app.

Download for IOS
Download for Android
Download for Windows

23. NoiseTrade

NoiseTrade Music download screenshot

Primarily featuring new artists, NoiseTrade offers downloads for thousands of free songs. The artists here want to be discovered and promoted. You can share songs easily with your friends. NoiseTrade also gives you the option to tip artists.

When you download an album, you receive it as a ZIP file, so make sure you have the right software. NoiseTrade gives you suggestions for new albums based on what you download. They offer the same tipping and sharing service to authors with audio books.

24. Free Music Archive (FMA)

Free Music Archive screenshot

Run by the freeform station WFMU, Free Music Archive offers free downloads. The songs come from Creative Commons and public domain. All the songs are free to download. FMA sorts its music by genre.

You can find more artists to listen to by checking out FMA’s blog. They give collections and highlight artists and songs. Each month and week have top charts. By creating an account, you can interact with other listeners and share your own collections.

Download for IOS
Download for Android

25. Internet Archive’s Audio Archive

Internet Archive Audio Archive

The Audio Archive has thousands of free downloadable content. These include songs, audio files, podcasts, and radio programs. They also feature a live music archive. This archive has songs and albums that were recorded live in concerts.

They make it easy to filter what items you’d like to search for. You can search through the songs by artist and genre. Downloads are available as MP3s and OGGs. You’ll find new artists as well as popular artists in the Archives.

26. SoundClick

Soundclick Music Download app screenshots

The free music downloads on SoundClick come directly from artists’ websites. SoundClick acts as a portal to find these websites. The artists who give their music out for free are both signed and unsigned.

You can search through genres and artists. Once you find a song you like, you can either stream it or download it for free. You can create personalized radio stations. There are other users on SoundClick that share their stations. You can also learn more about the artists.

Download for IOS
Download for Android

27. Last.fm

LastFM Music app screenshot

Last.fm features page of free music downloads. You can stream new releases and top songs. You can search through the pages by category and genre. Last.fm will recommend new artists and bands based on your listening history. One-click downloads your chosen song.

28. FreeGal Music App & Website

Freegal Music download app screenshots

Freegal Music is a free music service that is provided to you by your participating public library. Download and/or stream music on any compatible device. Browse through their vast collection of over 15+ million songs from over 200+ genres.

The Freegal Mobile App and website are a completely free and legal way to download any of almost 9 million MP3s. Most public libraries have a subscription to the service. And you’ll learn how to access it with your library card through your library’s site.

You’re limited to 5 free downloads per week. But with that huge of a selection, you’ll love making choices each week.

Library Ideas, LLC, the parent company of Freegal, is a company dedicated to providing digital solutions to libraries and schools of all kinds around the world. We urge you to support your local library in any way you can.

Download for IOS
Download for Android

All of the apps listed in this article are legal. This is because you are only streaming songs (kind of like listening on the radio). Unlike other illegal platforms where you physically downloaded (owned) a physical mp3 or other kinds of audio file.

The apps we listed that do allow downloads are careful about following copyright laws. They work under a legal licensing agreement with the music publishers. You don’t have to worry about these sites being sued like Napster and the BitTorrent sites.

Staying legal is another thing that makes these the best free music apps out there.

Wrap Up

With so many free options for streaming and downloading music, you should be able to save a boodle.

26 of the best free music apps for streaming or downloading music.