Whether you stream millions of songs or play your own downloaded files, Android has excellent music apps. The right choice depends on what you listen to, whether you want to pay, and how much data you use. Here are the best options in each category.
Streaming apps
Spotify
Spotify has the best recommendations and playlists, plus podcasts and audiobooks in many countries. The free tier is supported by ads and limits skips on mobile. Premium adds offline downloads, higher quality and no ads.
Best for: discovering new music. See our Spotify page for the latest version.
YouTube Music
YouTube Music has a huge catalogue that includes remixes, covers and live performances you will not find elsewhere. YouTube Premium removes ads on YouTube too and allows background play.
Best for: people who already watch music on YouTube.
JioSaavn
Strong in Bollywood, regional Indian music and Hindi podcasts, with a generous free tier in India.
Best for: Indian music fans.
Apple Music and Amazon Music
Both offer lossless audio and large catalogues. Apple Music works well on Android and suits people with an Apple subscription. Amazon Music comes with some Prime plans.
SoundCloud
The home of independent artists, DJ mixes and new talent before they reach the big platforms.
Open-source alternative
SimpMusic is an open-source client for YouTube Music with a clean Material design, background play and lyrics. Because it is open source, you can see exactly what it does. Details on our SimpMusic page.
Best offline music players
If you keep MP3 or FLAC files on your phone, a dedicated player gives you better control than a streaming app.
- Poweramp: the most powerful player, with an excellent equalizer, gapless playback and hi-res support. Paid after the trial.
- Musicolet: free, no ads, works fully offline, supports multiple queues and lyrics. A favourite for simplicity.
- VLC: plays almost any format, free and open source.
- Oto Music / Retro Music: beautiful Material design players for local files.
Comparison
| App | Free tier | Offline | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spotify | Yes, with ads | Premium | Discovery |
| YouTube Music | Yes, with ads | Premium | Rare tracks, remixes |
| JioSaavn | Yes | Pro | Indian music |
| Musicolet | Free | Yes | Local files |
| Poweramp | Trial | Yes | Audio quality |
Tips to save data and storage
- Lower streaming quality on mobile data in each app’s settings.
- Download playlists on Wi-Fi for offline listening.
- Store large offline libraries on a memory card where possible.
- Clear streaming app caches regularly, as shown in our storage guide.
Frequently asked questions
Which music app is completely free without ads?
For your own files, Musicolet and VLC are free with no ads. Streaming services rely on ads or subscriptions.
Can I play music in the background for free?
Spotify’s free tier plays in the background. YouTube Music requires Premium for background play.
Which app has the best sound quality?
Apple Music and Amazon Music offer lossless streaming. For local files, Poweramp with FLAC files sounds excellent.
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