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The Best Apps to Download Free Music on the iPhone

The Best Apps to Download Free Music on the iPhone

For decades and decades, listening to music has been a favorite pastime of millions of people all over the world. However, it wasn’t always as easy as it is now to listen to music on demand. You used to have to go to a concert to listen to music. But as technology developed, there became other ways to listen to music including records, cassettes, CDs and eventually MP3s and streaming.

So while there are a lot of options nowadays to listen to music, many of them cost a lot of money. While they are still more affordable than having to buy CDs or records every single week or month, there are cheaper options. In fact, there are also many options out there to listen to all the music you want, for free. Many of the most popular music streaming apps on the planet now offer free versions, many of which are incredible.

However, not all of them are good. As a result, it can be tough to know which free music apps to download and which to skip. That is where this article comes in. This article will look at a number of the best free music apps you can find in the App Store. All the apps on this list are completely free to use, but many have a premium membership as well. For the purpose of this article, we will only be looking at and considering the free version of each app.

Winner - Pandora
Winner - Pandora

Compatible With

IOS

With playing music being one of the most popular functions of iPhones these days, it is no shock that there are dozens and dozens of free music apps trying to gain hold in the market. Despite the immense competition and pressure from other apps, one has managed to rise up above the rest to be named the best free music app. Pandora is our choice as the best free music app available on the iPhone. There are many different reasons why it has our top choices, reasons that will be covered in this section.

Pandora is an app that streams music for you to listen and love. Pandora was first introduced back in 2000 and over the past decade-plus, has turned into one of the most popular apps in the category. In fact, there are nearly 80 million active users of this app, from all over the world. Not only is it one of the best and most popular free music apps, it is one of the most popular free apps period, which is a testament to its value. It is very impressive that it has retained market share for so long, and even more impressive that it is still one of the leaders and innovators in the space.

Based on the songs and artists you select, the app will play other songs and artists in the same genre that it feels you will like. So while you can listen at random, you can also have a certain level of customization and personalization in this app as well. You can create personalized stations so you are only listening to the genre, artists or songs that you want. The app also learns your tastes over time as you thumbs up or thumbs down a song. If you thumbs up a song, the app will recognize you like songs like that and will craft the station to play similar songs. This is an incredibly simple and clear/deliberate way for the app to know what you like and don’t like, so it knows what type of content to recommend.

pandora pic

There are also a few extra features that are good and help for a more complete and thorough experience. For example, you can temporarily remove a song from a playlist or station if you are tired of hearing it. This will not remove the song completely, it will just make sure it doesn’t play for a while. You can also learn more about why a song was included in a certain playlist or station, which can help you understand the composition of each song. The app also provides you ways to purchase songs while listening to them, if you would prefer to have them for on-demand listening and not just as a part of a station. You can even rate songs and save artists that you discover during your listening, in case you want to look them up or purchase their songs and albums.

One of the best parts of this app is actually not a feature, but technically the removal of one. Up until a few years ago, you were only allowed to listen to 40 hours of music free per month, which is not very much at all when you think about it. Thankfully, that “feature” has now been removed and you can now listen to as much as you want. Another great part of the app is the fact that it allows you to listen to either pre-made stations of to customize your own. It is very easy to listen to whatever you want as there are many options for the pre-made playlists, if you don’t want to take the time to customize or personalize your own. However, making your own is also a great way to make sure you don’t have to waste your song skips.

You can skip songs, but only a certain amount before you won’t be able to for a while, so use your skips wisely. Also, since the app is free but still wants to generate some revenue, they play ads in between every song. Thankfully, these ads aren’t too terrible and they are a small inconvenience for a service as good as this. Other than that, there are no real negatives to this app as it is quite simple and works incredibly well without any real complications, which is why it was a logical choice for this spot in this article.

While this is an article about best music apps on your phone, Pandora actually provides you with different ways to listen to your favorite music. Whether you want to listen to your tunes on your computer, iPad or iPhone, this app will work flawlessly. The app will also sync your stations and preferences across platforms, so you won’t have to worry about starting all over. While you may notice a quicker connection and a smoother song-to-song transition in wifi, this app will work just fine without it for the most part and you shouldn’t experience too much trouble unless your service is not very good.

So while the features in this app are plentiful and great, what good are great features on a bad design or interface? Thankfully, Pandora has a great design to go along with its great features. It features an attractive color scheme and an incredibly simple navigation and user interface. It doesn’t get much simpler than this app, which is definitely part of the reason behind its success. While it is simple, it still includes a lot of helpful and cool information throughout the app, without appearing too busy or cluttered.

pandora pic2

So while the app is obviously free (as you can likely tell from the title of this article), there is a paid option if you want. For $4.99 a month, you can get Pandora Plus which will eliminate ads, give you unlimited skips, offline listening and more. There is also a $12.99 a month Pandora Premium that combines that personalized radio you are used to, with an on-demand service similar to things like Apple Music, Spotify and others.

However, being that this is a battle of free music apps, the premium membership of this app (or any others) wasn’t part of the reason this app was named the winner. Only the free versions of the apps were considered and apps won’t receive bonus points if their paid subscription membership is better than another’s. We are merely touching on it just so you know you have the option to pay if you so choose.

There is no surprise that this app is among the most popular and famous music apps on the iPhone. It has been around for years, and shows no signs of slowing down. If you are looking for a music player that evolves with your tastes and learns what you like and dislike, this is the app for you. In addition to letting you customize your own radio stations and playlists, there is no doubt you will also discover new music you like. All in all, this app offers you a unique and great experience and has been doing that for millions and millions of customers for years, which is why it is the best.

App Details iOS

  • Category Music
  • Category Ranking 3
  • Rating 8.6M
  • Rating out of 5 4.8
  • Last Updated Date 1 February 2022
  • App Developer Pandora Media, LLC
  • Download Size 178.9 MB
  • Compatibility Requires iOS 13.0 or later.
  • Price Free
Winner - Pandora

Runner-up - Soundcloud
Runner-up - Soundcloud

Compatible With

IOS

Very few apps in this category have as much content on their app as SoundCloud does, and that is always a positive when it comes to music apps as tastes can always change over time. SoundCloud has nearly 200 million tracks in numerous different genres, with more being added almost constantly. The variety of the content is also top notch too. While many of these apps will heavily feature extremely famous and popular acts, SoundCloud is the place to go to find the next big thing before they make it. Many successful acts in popular music today such as Post Malone, Bryson Tiller, Kygo and many more.

So while the app definitely specializes in listening to your favorite artists, it also wears a few other hats too. First of all, it is among the best apps out there for podcasts as many of the most popular podcasts on the planet make their shows available on SoundCloud. Also, if you are a music creator, SoundCloud can be a great place to find or develop an audience. You can easily post your tracks, mixtapes or albums on the app for others to see, listen to and comment on.

Speaking of the audience, that is another one of the best features/reasons to download this app. SoundCloud is home to thousands and thousands of people who have a passion for music and it is one of the most incredible communities of any app on this list. These people can put you on to the next big thing and you can see intelligent critiques on various different kinds of music and audio.

IMG_6650

In addition to being able to easily search throughout different artists and genres to select what you listen to, the app also gives you suggested tracks and playlists based on your listening habits and your likes. So as you use the app more and more, it learns what you like and as a result, will introduce you to new artists that you might enjoy.

Also, instead of searching or being recommended new tracks, you can also search through many different pre-made playlists, and even create your own and pack it full of songs and artists in many different genres. It really is one of the best music apps period, and the fact that you can download and use it for free is just the icing on the cake.

However, there is also a paid version of SoundCloud that can unlock extra features such as an ad-free listening experience, offline listening, more tracks and more. However, even without this option for a paid version, this app would still be on this list. In addition to great features, the simplicity and clean design of this app really make it stand out above its competitors. If you are into discovering new talent before they hit it big, and like a passionate and proud community, this app might be worth a download.

App Details iOS

  • Category Music
  • Category Ranking 4
  • Rating 13.2K
  • Rating out of 5 4.4
  • Last Updated Date 21 April 2022
  • App Developer SoundCloud Global Limited & Co KG
  • Download Size 176.3 MB
  • Compatibility Requires iOS 14.0 or later.
  • Price Free
Runner-up - Soundcloud

iHeartRadio
iHeartRadio

Compatible With

IOS

iHeartRadio is a completely free streaming music player that features more than 2oo different and popular radio stations. These feature music from many of today’s biggest stars in many different genres. You can also customize the listening experience to hear whatever you want, no matter what mood or mindset you’re in.

Not only is the app great, it is also quite easy and simple to use. Right after you download the app, you are able to listen to any and all the music featured on the app. The design of the app is great and the navigation is incredibly easy to pick up. As a result, you have a great app that looks good as well. While the app can be a bit spotty when not in wifi, it still will work as long as you are connected to the internet or data in some way.

iHeartRadio has also been putting on an awards show for a few years that hosts many of the biggest and most popular acts in music. Look for iHeartRadio as a company and an app to continue to grow and get more popular over the next few years as well.

App Details iOS

  • Category Music
  • Category Ranking 12
  • Rating 527.3K
  • Rating out of 5 4.7
  • Last Updated Date 14 March 2022
  • App Developer iHeartMedia Management Services, Inc.
  • Download Size 150.5 MB
  • Compatibility Requires iOS 13.0 or later.
  • Price Free
iHeartRadio

Musi
Musi

Compatible With

IOS

Youtube is one of the most popular places to visit for music, but this app makes using Youtube for music even easier. Musi is an app that lets you stream and organize music straight from Youtube with ease. The app lets you build playlists, share music with others and more.

Musi is a fairly new app to the market, but is already getting popular and gaining market share. It is incredibly simple to use, just like browsing youtube to look up videos. Think of it basically as a more customized version of Youtube that allows you to not only enjoy the music, but also make playlists and customize to your own liking.

Also, this app is completely free, as you could probably guess by its inclusion in this article. While it may not have as many features as many other apps, it is a great option. The simplicity of it all makes it easy to pick up and use without much thought or planning necessary.

App Details iOS

  • Category Music
  • Category Ranking 7
  • Rating 2.5M
  • Rating out of 5 4.8
  • Last Updated Date 25 February 2022
  • App Developer Musi Inc.
  • Download Size 47.8 MB
  • Compatibility Requires iOS 12.0 or later.
  • Price Free
Deezer
Deezer

Compatible With

IOS

If you have a wide and varied palette when it comes to music, this might be the right app for you. Deezer gives you free and unlimited access to millions and millions of songs from all different types of genres. You can search music, create playlists and many other things as well.

But of all the features of the app, one sticks out as the best and most unique. Deezer Flow is the ultimate music matchmaker. Flow discovers new songs and artists that you might like, all based off of your listening habits. This means the app can be easily customized by yourself, but you can also see what the app thinks you enjoy. Flow also shows on-screen lyrics, which is a great addition.

There is a premium membership that gets you access to different and new features, but even without that option, this app is still one of the best. The music catalogue is vast, the design is simple and beautiful and the features are just what you would want or expect in a free music app.

App Details iOS

  • Category Music
  • Category Ranking 92
  • Rating 29.4K
  • Rating out of 5 4.7
  • Last Updated Date 19 April 2022
  • App Developer DEEZER SA
  • Download Size 115.9 MB
  • Compatibility Requires iOS 14.0 or later.
  • Price Free
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Spotify
Spotify

Compatible With

IOS

Whether you listen on the computer, tablet or iPhone, Spotify is one of the best and popular music apps. Spotify has millions of songs and playlists to choose from, for whatever genre of music you like and whatever mood you’re in. As a result, it is not shocking that it is among the most popular apps in the space.

While the free option only allows you to listen to artists, songs and playlists on shuffle, that isn’t so bad. You still get access to all of the biggest songs and albums, as soon as they come out. You also need to listen to ads if you use the free version, but the ads on Spotify aren’t too bad at all and are generally quite unintrusive and quick.

If this was an article about the best music app period, this would be the winner. The premium version is incredibly great. But since this is just a look at the best “free” music app, this app doesn’t quite have enough to get that spot. However, it is still a great option and one that millions of people use and love.

App Details iOS

  • Category Music
  • Category Ranking 1
  • Rating 2.7M
  • Rating out of 5 4.7
  • Last Updated Date 21 April 2022
  • App Developer Spotify
  • Download Size 155.9 MB
  • Compatibility Requires iOS 13.0 or later.
  • Price Free
8Tracks
8Tracks

Compatible With

IOS

8tracks is one of the best places to find cool and interesting musical playlists. These playlists are custom made by other users and there is definitely a playlist for any mood your might be experiencing. In fact, there are more than 2 million free playlists made by thousands of music lovers.

This app bears similarities to Pandora, but has a different feel and is still gaining market share as it hasn’t been around for as long. You can easily explore different mixes and playlists and can save them for future reference. The app provides you with great recommendations and the community is vibrant, helpful and quite passionate about music.

There is a premium membership you can pay for, but the free version of the app is more than enough for most people as there is so much variety, you are sure to find a playlist (or multiple playlists) that you love. It is a very popular choice for indie or underground music, if that is your style.

App Details iOS

  • Category Music
  • Rating 786
  • Rating out of 5 4.2
  • Last Updated Date 12 June 2020
  • App Developer BackBeat Inc.
  • Download Size 152.6 MB
  • Compatibility Requires iOS 10.0 or later.
  • Price Free
Jango
Jango

Compatible With

IOS

While this is an internet radio and streaming app like many others on this list, there is something very different about this app. Unlike most free music apps, Jango doesn’t use ads at all, which can make for a smoother listening experience that features less interruptions. This alone will be reason enough for some people to decide to go with this app.

The app ialsosp very easy to use. As you tell the app an artist you enjoy, they will craft a playlist specifically around that artist. It will feature their songs, and the songs of other similar artists. Or, you can tune into one of many pre-made stations and playlists in a number of different genres.

You get unlimited listening, without the use of ads, which are both incredibly rare and tough to find in a free music app. You can save stations, adjust quality, and do many more things as well. All in all, if you really hate ads, but don’t want to pay for you music app, this is one of the best options in the App Store.

App Details iOS

  • Category Music
  • Rating 1.1K
  • Rating out of 5 4.3
  • Last Updated Date 28 December 2021
  • App Developer DKCM Inc.
  • Download Size 64.3 MB
  • Compatibility Requires iOS 10.0 or later.
  • Price Free
Qello Concerts
Qello Concerts

Compatible With

IOS

There is something about live performances that goes just so much further beyond simply just listening to the music. If you are someone that adores concerts and live performances, this might be the music app for you. Qello Concerts is an app that basically lets you turn your phone into a live performance.

This app features over 1,000 live performances from some of the biggest acts in music including Queen, Beyonce, Pink Floyd, Tupac and many more. Their live performances stream right to your phone and there is no simpler way to see incredible live performances on your iPhone.

While you have to pay to get unlimited and full access to the concerts, there are plenty of great things about the free version of this app. You get at least one track from every concert (oftentimes more than one), and there are more than 30 free channels that show you some great concert moments from some of your favorite performances. While it likely won’t be your only music app, it is a great option for those who love concerts and watching them.

App Details iOS

  • Category Music
  • Category Ranking 171
  • Rating 340
  • Rating out of 5 4.7
  • Last Updated Date 25 March 2022
  • App Developer Stingray Group Inc.
  • Download Size 38.9 MB
  • Compatibility Requires iOS 11.2 or later.
  • Price Free
Qello Concerts

LiveXLive
LiveXLive

Compatible With

IOS

Slacker Radio is among the best free options on the market. You get access to hundreds of different interactive listening stations, many of which were hand-crafted by music lovers like yourself. Slacker Radio also allows you the ability to listen offline, which many apps like this don’t offer.

Another great thing about this app is the fact that it includes a bit of exclusive content. There are a number of exlusive shows and stations that no other app has, and the app also includes some news and sports coverage as well. The app itself is also quite good-looking and menus are stylish and simple to navigate.

It is one of the best-kept-secrets in this category, as it is not quite as famous as other names on this list such as Pandora, Soundcloud, and Spotify. Despite this, it is still one of the best options on this list. It is available to use for free and you get quite a bit of the app included without a dime being spent. However, there is still a paid option for the app if you so choose.

App Details iOS

  • Category Music
  • Category Ranking 96
  • Rating 4.1K
  • Rating out of 5 4.6
  • Last Updated Date 19 April 2022
  • App Developer Slacker, Inc.
  • Download Size 108 MB
  • Compatibility Requires iOS 12.0 or later.
  • Price Free
LiveXLive

Shazam
Shazam

Compatible With

IOS

Not only is Shazam among the most downloaded and popular music apps, but it is one of the most popular of any apps you can download for the App Store. In fact, well over 100 million people use this app every month. Shazam got famous as a great and simple way to identify music.

Basically, if you hold this app open to a song for a few seconds, it will be able to identify the song and who sings it. This app also lets you know what famous people are Shazamming, which is a cool feature. The app can also keep tabs on the people you have Shazammed (and your favorite artists) and keep you posted when they release new content.

The app can also connect to a variety of other music apps in order to play full songs and introduce you in a bigger fashion to the artists you have searched for. The app also can provide you with the lyrics of the songs you search for and you can easily share your Shazam’s with others. It is one of the most famous apps on this entire list, and for good reason.

App Details iOS

  • Category Music
  • Category Ranking 4
  • Rating 6.3M
  • Rating out of 5 4.9
  • Last Updated Date 20 April 2022
  • App Developer Shazam Entertainment Limited
  • Download Size 36.3 MB
  • Compatibility Requires iOS 14.0 or later.
  • Price Free
TuneIn Radio
TuneIn Radio

Compatible With

IOS

Radio on the iPhone doesn’t get much better than TuneIn. This app gives you access to over 100,000 different radio stations from all over the country. So if you are in New York, you can tune into radio stations from places like Atlanta, Houston or Chicago with ease. The types of music and content included in the app are nearly endless as each one of the radio stations is constantly being different and changing its programming.

The types of music and content included in the app are nearly endless as each one of the radio stations is constantly being different and changing its programming. In addition to its viability as a music app, TuneIn also gives you access to a number of different things such as sports and news.

This free app has many great features and a simple, yet elegant, design, but there is also a premium version if you choose to purchase it. This membership gives you access to many ad-free stations, play by play for sports, audiobooks and many more.

App Details iOS

  • Category Music
  • Category Ranking 23
  • Rating 73.5K
  • Rating out of 5 4.7
  • Last Updated Date 19 April 2022
  • App Developer TuneIn
  • Download Size 80.4 MB
  • Compatibility Requires iOS 14.0 or later.
  • Price Free
TuneIn Radio

Kale Havervold

May 15, 2017

I have been a writer for a few years now and look to inform, educate and entertain with my writing.

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