Whatever I’m doing throughout the day, I need to have some music playing along. So, I’ve tried all the best music streaming apps on my iPhone to find the truly worthy ones. Whether you’re looking for a free music app for iPhone without a subscription or an app that delivers high-quality audio, this handy guide has you covered. Check out my top recommendations below.
Best music streaming apps
You have plenty of options to choose from when it comes to top iPhone and iPad music apps. But if you don’t want to waste your time with the wrong ones, here are my top picks after hundreds of hours of testing.
1. Apple Music – Best music app for iPhone
Of course, I have to begin with my go-to app for music on my iPhone, Apple Music. It’s definitely the winner for anyone looking for a seamless, high-quality listening experience.
With an extensive library of over 100 million songs, it can match every musical taste, from classics and the latest hits to lesser-known indie gems and experimental releases. It’s the ideal music streaming app if you’re immersed in the Apple ecosystem, as it integrates flawlessly with iOS, macOS, Apple Watch, and HomePod. Features include automatic syncing across devices.
You can make the most of Siri voice control and get personalized recommendations. Moreover, if you’re an audiophile, you’ll appreciate the lossless audio and spatial sound that offers unmatched clarity and depth on your Apple device.
2. Spotify – The best free music app without a subscription
Coming to the next most popular music streaming app, Spotify is the best choice if you want a free music app that’ll allow you to discover new music and podcasts from around the world.
I really appreciate the powerful personalization features, like Discover Weekly and Daily Mixes. The app curates playlists tailored to your tastes, making every listening session feel fresh. With offline listening, you can download your favorite songs and episodes to enjoy anywhere, even without an internet connection. However, you’ll need to be a paid subscriber to enjoy that feature.
Spotify’s user-friendly interface and smart recommendations make it a great app. Moreover, in addition to the music, I love the vast selection of podcasts, including exclusive shows and original content.
3. YouTube Music – Enjoy a vast music library
If you’re addicted to YouTube like me, YouTube Music is probably the best music streaming app for you. Its integration with YouTube’s vast library stands out, allowing you to switch effortlessly between audio tracks and music videos.
Moreover, it gives you access to musical content that you wouldn’t find anywhere else, such as live performances, remixes, covers by smaller artists, experimental mashups, soundscapes, and more.
If you sign up for a YouTube Premium subscription, you can enjoy features like offline downloads, background play, and of course, an ad-free experience.
4. Amazon Music – Enjoy high-quality spatial audio
Amazon Music is the best music app for iPhone if you’re already an Amazon Prime member or want to take advantage of Prime benefits. With a vast library of songs, it offers a great mix of popular hits and lesser-known treasures, along with thousands of curated playlists and stations. But what takes it up a notch is the access to lossless audio and spatial sound for an immersive listening experience.
Moreover, this app boasts seamless integration with Alexa, allowing hands-free control for effortless playback. So, if you’re already in the Amazon ecosystem or looking for a music app with excellent sound quality and voice control, Amazon Music is the way to go.
5. Tidal
Tidal is an iPhone music app designed for audiophiles, it offers HiFi and lossless audio, delivering studio-quality sound that preserves every detail of a track. So, you can enjoy millions of songs in HiRes lossless sound quality up to 24-bit, 192 kHz and Dolby Atmos.
Moreover, it offers a library of millions of songs, mixes and playlists curated by TIDAL editors and music fans worldwide.
There’s also tons of exclusive content, including early releases, artist-curated playlists, and behind-the-scenes footage. So if you prioritize top-tier audio fidelity and want to support artists with higher payouts, Tidal is your best bet. It offers a free 30-day trial so you can test it out before subscribing.
Signing off.
You’re spoilt for choice when it comes to music streaming apps on your iPhone or iPad. But it makes life easy and efficient when you pick the best one based on your unique needs and preferences. I hope this article has helped you make the perfect choice. Let me know in the comments below if you need any more insights.
FAQs
The best music app depends on your needs and preferences, but Apple Music is the best music streaming app if you’re in the Apple ecosystem.
Yes, most music streaming apps on your iPhone or iPad allow downloads for offline listening. This includes Apple Music, Spotify, YouTube Music, and more.
Many apps offer this feature. Apple Music is a great app that lets you download music to your device to listen without an internet connection.
Apple Music is a great choice because it offers a huge music library, a high-quality listening experience, and easy sync between different Apple devices.
If you want to command Siri to play music, Apple Music is the best app to use as it seamlessly integrates within the Apple ecosystem.
Yes, TIDAL is a great music app that is specifically designed for high-quality music streaming with Dolby Atmos and Spatial Audio.
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