Despite how you might personally feel about downloading vs. streaming music, it's abundantly clear that streaming is the way of the future. Just look at how many popular services there are: Spotify, Apple Music, Pandora, SoundCloud, and YouTube embrace the goodness of music streaming.
But a lot of the best services are paid, so are not suited to everyone. If you'd rather not subscribe to a service, here are the best free streaming apps you need to consider.
1. Spotify
Spotify remains the reigning king of streaming music. Its library is absolutely massive, spanning everything from mainstream goodies to some of the most obscure artists you've never heard of.
In terms of popularizing the notion of streaming, Spotify is very much the Netflix of music, and there's a reason for its excellent reputation: the service is high quality and has only improved since its launch in 2008.
User Experience
Overall, there's a lot to love about Spotify's Android interface. Whether you're on a tight-screened smartphone or a big-screened tablet, everything is cleanly laid out and intuitive to follow and there's absolutely no clutter.
What's particularly nice is that you can play Spotify on multiple devices, and they'll stay synced up: if you move onto the next song with your smartphone, so will your tablet.
There are some hidden long-press menus, mainly in your Library, and limitations, like six skips per hour on the free plan. Another catch is that everything is on the cloud (unless you have a paid account, which we'll discuss in a bit), so the app's free version only lets you listen to music while online.
Be sure to heed these amazing Spotify playlist tricks and tips to get the most out of it, especially if you bounce between the Android and desktop/Web versions.
Free vs. Paid
The free version of Spotify is quite unrestricted, but it does play audio ads every few songs. Premium accounts have no ads at all, allow for unlimited skips, and give you the ability to download songs for offline playback. Don't forget to take advantage of the offer for one free month of Premium while you still can!
Download: Spotify for Android | iOS (Free, in-app purchases available)
2. YouTube Music
In late 2015, Google launched a new mobile app called YouTube Music, designed for users who love using YouTube as their main source of music. In fact, this is the most common content type of all YouTube traffic.
It's not too surprising then that the app replaced Google Play Music and became Google's only music streaming service, whether you prefer video or straightforward audio. What is surprising is just how useful YouTube Music actually is, especially if you fully integrate it with the platform's video version.
One downside is that it requires you to log into a YouTube account before you can start using the app. An anonymous (or guest) option would be nice, but considering how Google still likes to force app logins that won't change.
User Experience
The best feature of YouTube Music is that it lets you listen in audio-only form, although in the free version this is limited to only your own uploaded music library.
The interface is pretty straightforward—nothing fancy about it, but it rarely gets in the way either, except for ad interruptions. One thing you might appreciate is Your Likes playlist, which is based on all the liked tracks on your YouTube Music account.
But the selling point of this app is that it lets you choose a particular song to generate a radio with similar tracks. As you listen and like, it learns your tastes and the recommendations become more accurate. And of course, the app allows you to cast the songs you're listening to onto any Chromecast-connected device.
Free vs. Paid
The app is mostly free, but ad-supported. With a YouTube Music subscription—$9.99 per month—you can get rid of ads, download music for offline playback, keep listening after the screen locks, and seamlessly switch between a track's song and video versions.
If you're a YouTube Premium subscriber, you'll get YouTube Music bundled in with your subscription for free.
Download: YouTube Music for Android | iOS (Free, in-app purchases available)
3. SoundCloud
SoundCloud is a bit different from the rest of the apps here, but this difference is what makes it a worthy mention. It's less about listening to your own music library or mainstream radio and more about the in-betweens: budding musicians and indie artists.
If you aren't already, you really should start using SoundCloud today. There's an entire world of undiscovered music out there that you may not find on Spotify, Pandora, or YouTube.
User Experience
The reason why SoundCloud is so great for indie artists is that it makes it incredibly easy to share your own music with others and create a following. You can upload audio files, share songs on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and more, and even mix tracks by combining SoundCloud and select DJ apps. No other music service is as artist-centric as this one.
The interface is tidy and user-friendly. You'll be able to get around just fine, while also engaging with other users by following them, but also by leaving comments on individual tracks. Overall, SoundCloud is smooth, fast, and uniquely social.
Free vs. Paid
This music streaming app also starts out free with plenty of tools and tracks, both indie and mainstream, to ensure your user experience is smooth.
There are subscriptions for creators and listeners, the latter's fee ranging from $4.99 to $9.99 per month for lots of perks, like no ads, unlimited offline listening, high-quality audio, and full access to SoundCloud's catalog.
Creators can also enjoy unlimited uploads, access to advanced audience insights, and features for promoting and monetizing their music.
Download: SoundCloud for Android | iOS (Free, in-app purchases available)
5. Deezer
If you like music streaming apps with rich libraries and smooth interfaces, Deezer is another candidate to check out. It feels like a simpler version of Spotify or YouTube Music, but has an equally large music library to explore.
User Experience
You'll find a range of music and podcasts, as well as neatly laid out suggestions and categories, including new releases, charts, and themed playlists for chilling, working out, and so on.
Another cool feature is Deezer's ability to identify songs from sounds, whether you're capturing a movie's soundtrack or humming a tune.
Free vs. Paid
You can use Deezer for free, with ads as your main inconvenience. Otherwise, it's a good choice for simple listening on Android.
If you're happy to upgrade to a paid version, there are two Deezer plans to choose from: Premium and Family, starting at $6.99 and $10.99 per month respectively.
Download: Deezer for Android | iOS (Free, in-app purchases available)
6. Pandora
Pandora pioneered the Internet radio trend and consistently lands among the best of the best when it comes to Internet radio apps for Android. You probably know all about it by now, but in case you don't, explore its key features below, as well as our Spotify vs. Pandora comparison.
User Experience
The thing to understand about Pandora is that it isn't a source of on-demand music. If there's a specific song you want, there's no guarantee that Pandora will play it. However, as a way to expand your music exposure, Pandora is perfect.
Because this app is all about dynamically-generated stations, you can search for any song, artist, or genre, and Pandora will start spitting out songs that are similar to your search query. Get dozens of stations and you'll find many amazing songs.
But because Pandora's database of music is not as big as other apps', you may get sick of it. Spend a few years of regular Pandora use, and there'll be little left to explore in the genres that interest you.
Free vs. Paid
Free users must deal with issues like audio ads every few songs, limited skips, standard audio quality, only online listening, and few personalization options.
Pandora Plus and Premium cost $4.99 and $9.99 per month respectively. They remove the ads, greatly increase the skip limit, improve the audio quality, enable offline listening, allow playlist creation, and more.
Download: Pandora for Android | iOS (Free, in-app purchases available)
7. TuneIn Radio
In the realm of Internet radio apps, TuneIn Radio is something special. Instead of just creating online music playlists—whether those playlists are dynamic or hand-crafted—TuneIn actually streams real-life radio. This instantly sets it apart from services like Pandora.
With over 100,000 radio stations available (including FM, AM, and digital) combined with the fact that it has talk shows, sports, and podcasts in addition to music, it's pretty much impossible for you to explore everything it has to offer.
User Experience
With so much to explore, it's amazing that TuneIn never feels overwhelming. Everything is broken down into manageable categories, and the search bar is great at finding relevant stations.
But the thing that truly impresses is Car Mode, which simplifies the interface into the bare essential functions represented by larger buttons. Since mobile music is often played during commutes and trips, it will please you to know that they're doing something to make it easier (and safer) for drivers.
And lastly, unlike most other music streaming apps, TuneIn supports Chromecast, so you can cast whatever station you're listening to onto any Chromecast-connected TV for better audio.
Free vs. Paid
Free accounts can only access non-premium stations (but there are lots of them available) and must deal with banner ads in the app. Premium costs $9.99 per month and unlocks premium stations, removes banner ads, and even grants access to 40,000+ audiobooks.
Download: TuneIn for Android | iOS (Free, in-app purchases available)
Which Music Streaming App Is Best?
There are plenty of ways to stream music for free online, but if you could only choose one music streaming app to use, you should probably go with Spotify for its massive library of music and beautiful-yet-practical interface. But you'd be missing out if you didn't try the other apps, too.
Do pay special attention to YouTube Music. The concept is wonderful as it enhances the basic YouTube app and offers a far richer music experience. Whatever you choose, make sure your audio is at its best when you're playing music on your phone. Sometimes you just need a bit more volume to enjoy great tracks.