15 Best Free Music Apps (Stream Legally!)

Why use Spotify:

• Millions of tracks on offer.
• A wide variety of tracks on offer from modern singles to classic hits.

Spotify probably offers the best selection of songs out of all of the apps on the list. BUT…I have a couple of issues with the free version.

Firstly, it plays ads, which can interrupt your listening.

Secondly, you can’t select specific songs to play – instead you have to select an album or playlist and the songs play on shuffle – and there’s a limit of 6 skips per hour.

There are some playlists that you can listen to with no skip limits – these don’t have a shuffle symbol next to the title of the playlist. So you can choose the song you want to play and you have unlimited skips.

Overall, Spotify is a great choice in terms of music availability, but the free version doesn’t offer the best user experience.

By the way, there are a few hacks for getting Spotify Premium for free!

Here’s where you can get the app:

• Download for iOS here.
• Download for Android here.

2. YouTube Music

Next on the list we have YouTube Music. YouTube Music is another website with an awesome selection of music – it rivals what’s available on Spotify. And, it’s free!

Here’s why you might want to try YouTube Music:

• Huge selection of music on there. There are more than 70 million official songs available on the app.
• Get unlimited skips.
• Find everything from current chart hits to classic songs, and even classical music.

The downside to YouTube is that the free version plays ads, which can be annoying.

Here’s where you can get the app:

• Download for iOS here.
• Download for Android here.

3. Pandora

Pandora is another one to consider if you’re looking to listen to music for free.

Here’s why you might want to consider it:

• Great selection of songs on offer.
• Create stations based off your favorite artists and genres.
• Podcasts available too.

The only downside to Pandora is that the free version has ads.

Here’s where you can get the app:

• Download for iOS here.
• Download for Android here.

4. Musi

Next on the list we have Musi, which is a super popular music streaming app on the Google Play store.

Here’s why you might want to consider it:

• Find trending artists, albums, and genres to stream.
• Create your own playlists.
• Lots of genres available like pop, hip-hop, and classical.
• Listen to some music offline too.

Here’s where you can get the app:

• Download for iOS here.
• Download for Android here.

5. LiveXLive

LiveXLive, which is powered by Slacker (formerly known as Slacker Radio), is a free music streaming app.

Here’s why you might want to use it:

• Watch live streaming performances, like concerts and festivals, for free.
• Get access to hundreds of music stations.
• Get music recommendations that are personalized to you.
• Get original shows and podcasts.

Like Spotify, LiveXLive provides a selection of paid membership plans, and a free membership option too.

The only downside to the free account is that there are ads, and you don’t get unlimited skips either.

Here’s where you can get the app:

• Download for iOS here.
• Download for Android here.

6. Deezer

Deezer is a free music streaming app.

Here’s why you might consider it:

• Create your own playlists.
• Stream millions of tracks.
• Podcasts are also available.
• Get a set of smart playlists with recommendations made just for you.

Here’s where you can get the app:

• Download for iOS here.
• Download for Android here.

7. Jango

Next on the list we have Jango. It’s a free internet radio app that allows you to listen to a wide variety of music genres.

Here’s why you might want to consider it:

• No ads! Yes, even though it’s free, you can now enjoy Jango Radio with no ads.
• Listen to hundreds to stations from Top 100 to Hot Country to Classic Rock.
• You can search the name of your favorite artist or band and Jango will create a custom station based on their music and that of similar artists.

Here’s where you can get the app:

• Download for iOS here.
• Download for Android here.

8. SoundCloud

Next on the list we have SoundCloud. This is another popular music streaming app that you may want to consider.

Here’s why you might want to give SoundCloud a try:

• Great for finding music from emerging artists, as well as from established ones.
• Create playlists.
• Get suggested tracks based on your listening habits.
• Podcasts are available too.
• You can connect directly with artists and other listeners.

Here’s where you can get the app:

• Download for iOS here.
• Download for Android here.

9. TuneIn Radio

TuneIn Radio is another one to consider.

Here’s why you may want to try TuneIn Radio:

• Listen on any device.
• Stream music from a variety of music stations and channels, with genres available from rock to country.
• Stream more than 100,000 AM, FM, and internet radio stations broadcasting from 197 countries.
• Podcasts, sports, and live news are available too.

The only downside with this app is that there are ads with the free membership option.

Here’s where you can get the app:

• Download for iOS here.
• Download for Android here.

10. iHeartRadio

iHeartRadio is one of the best free music apps out there.

Here’s why you might want to consider it:

• Listen to music from tons of genres, like R&B, Christian, Alternative, Country, Classical, Dance, and EDM, and thousands of live radio stations.
• There are playlists on offer as well.
• Podcast and news are available. There are sports stations on offer like ESPN radio and Fox Sports Radio.
• With “My Favorites Radio,” you can have all the songs you love collected in one free personalized station.

Here’s where you can get the app:

• Download for iOS here.
• Download for Android here.

11. AccuRadio

AccuRadio is another option to consider. The app is free to use, so if you’re looking for a free music streaming app, then you may want to give this one a go.

Here’s why you might want to try AccuRadio:

• There are hundreds of music channels available in more than 50 musical genres, like Celtic, Punk, Hip-Hop, Classical, and Americana.
• You can save your favorite music channels and listening history.
• Unlimited song skips.
• You can rate songs and unlock your own “Five-Star” channel.

Here’s where you can get the app:

• Download for iOS here.
• Download for Android here.

12. 8tracks

Next on the list we have 8tracks. It’s an internet radio app where you can stream free music playlists.

Here’s why you might want to consider the app:

• Lots of music available in multiple categories, like indie rock and dubstep.
• Audio ad free, uninterrupted streaming radio.

Here’s where you can get the app:

• Download for iOS here.
• Download for Android here.

13. Amazon Music

Next on the list we have Amazon Music. Now, this one is free if you are a Prime member.

If you’re not a member of Prime and you shop on Amazon, then you really should consider joining.

Even if you only order a couple of things each month, the membership cost is still worth it because it often covers shipping. You get free shipping on Prime eligible items, with no order minimum. And you also get access to free movies and TV shows that you can stream with Prime Video, free cloud photo storage, and, of course, free music.

Here’s where you might want to consider Amazon Music:

• Access 2 million songs.
• No ads.
• Get unlimited skips.
• There are millions of podcast episodes available too.
• Offline listening available.
• Get access to thousands of stations and top playlists.
• Get hands-free access with your favorite devices.

Here’s where you can get the app:

• Download for iOS here.
• Download for Android here.

14. RadioTunes

RadioTunes is a free internet radio app where you can stream a wide range of radio channels.

Here’s why you might want to consider the app:

• There are more than 90 streaming radio channels available.
• Find music in a variety of genres, like Pop, Rock, 60’s, 80’s, and 90’s, Easy Listening, and International Music.

Here’s where you can get the app:

• Download for iOS here.
• Download for Android here.

15. Radio.net

Finally, we have Radio.net. This is another one to consider. It’s a free internet radio and music streaming app where you can listen to lots of music at no cost, which is pretty great, right?

Here’s why you might want to consider Radio.net:

• It features more than 30,000 national and international radio stations.
• You can listen to selected radio broadcasts again.
• You can save favorites.
• Radio stations are sorted by theme, genre, and city/country.
• It offers more than 600,000 podcasts too.
• You can download podcast episodes for offline listening.

Here’s where you can get the app:

• Download for iOS here.
• Download for Android here.

So, Which is the Best Free Music Streaming App?

Spotify is, arguably, the best-known music streaming service out there. And, that’s with good reason. It does provide millions of tracks from well-known artists, as well as podcasts and some other great features.

The issue that I have with the free version of Spotify is the fact that you can’t choose songs to play and you have to instead just shuffle albums or playlists – with the exception of select lists where shuffle is disabled.

I find that quite annoying if I want to listen to a specific song from an album. Sure, you can skip tracks, but you only get 6 skips per hour. If I want to listen to the 7^th song on an album or playlist, then I’ve already used up all my skips just to get to that one song. I think to myself, why don’t I just go on YouTube and listen to the song on there?

That’s why I ended up upgrading to Spotify Premium.

I thought the ads were fine on the free version, but that the 6 skips and hour and the fact that you can’t choose songs were an annoyance. If you enjoy listening to full albums and playlists and aren’t bothered about skipping ahead to specific songs, then the free version of Spotify is definitely for you.

I like iHeartRadio, YouTube Music, and Amazon Music the best.

I have a Prime account and one of the best benefits is definitely Amazon Music.

It doesn’t have all of the songs I want. I noticed that for some of my favorite artists, I will only have their last couple of albums, and not their earlier ones. However, I’ve found it to have a great selection, and I can easily listen to it on devices ranging from my Laptop to my Echo device.

It really depends on what it is you’re looking for from a music streaming service.

Give these a try and let us know your thoughts on the best free music apps in the comments section below.