Millions of songs in the palm of your hand, no storage issues, and no fees-that's what the greatest free music apps offer. The only difficult decision is choosing which streaming service to use. But don't worry, we're here to assist you.
With the exception of Tidal, Qobuz, and Apple Music, most major music streaming services offer a free tier, and although these free music services always contain advertisements and have less functionality and audio quality than their paid-for counterparts, they're still very appealing. And if you keep your ears to the ground, you'll frequently discover one, two, or even three-month free (or almost free) offers on your preferred streaming service's paid-for tiers, allowing you to sample the audio goods before you purchase them.
While we always encourage you to pay for higher-quality streams, if you're just a casual listener, free streaming options may make more sense than paying for something you don't use. We've compiled a list of the finest free choices available so you can discover which ones fit you best-it's a worthy list. Still searching for a viable alternative after Google Play Music Apps demise on February 24th of this year? So there you have it.
1. Spotify
Still top of the game, though there's plenty of hi-res competition around.
SPECIFICATIONS
Quality of free tier: Up to 160kbps | Library size: 70 million+ | Platforms: iOS and Android apps, desktop app, web player, smart TV apps, connected speaker support, cars
Reasons to Buy
Plenty of ways to find new musicEasy to useWorks on lots of platforms
Reasons to Avoid
Not the best soundingNo lossless audio
2. Amazon Prime Music
The best streaming service you didn't know you had.
SPECIFICATIONS
Quality: 256kbps | Library size: 2 million | Platforms: iOS and Android apps, Echo and Fire TV devices
Reasons to Buy
2 million songs for freeNo advertsWorks with Alexa
Reasons to Avoid
Only free to Prime subscribers
3. Deezer
An extensive catalogue makes this free service a compelling prospect.
SPECIFICATIONS
Quality of free tier: 128kbps | Library size: 56 million | Platforms: iOS and Android apps, desktop app, web player
Reasons to Buy
Lots of choiceGood podcastsSimple to use
Reasons to Avoid
Not great for discovery
4. YouTube Music
The video-sharing giant's free music streaming service is surprisingly decent.
SPECIFICATIONS
Quality of free tier: 128kbps | Library size: N/A | Platforms: iOS and Android apps, web player
Reasons to Buy
- Uncluttered
- Plenty of rareties
- Lots of videos
Reasons to Avoid
- Iffy sound quality
- Discovery could be improved
6. BBC Sounds
The new app to replace iPlayer Radio.
SPECIFICATIONS
Quality of free tier: 48-320kbps | Library size: N/A | Platforms: iOS and Android apps, web player, internet radios, smart speakers, Virgin Media, YouView
Reasons to Buy
Diverse contentExcellent radio stationsUseful features
Reasons to Avoid
BuggyNot music-centric
7. SoundCloud
If your taste is more off the beaten track, SoundCloud could be for you…
SPECIFICATIONS
Quality of free tier: 64kbps | Library size: 200 million | Platforms: iOS and Android apps, web player
Reasons to Buy
Great for emerging artists120 million+ tracksGreat UI
Reasons to Avoid
Some annoying pop-ups
