In the age of streaming music services like Spotify and Apple Music, one might wonder if it’s still possible to listen to music for free. While most major platforms require a paid subscription, there are still some options for accessing free music through smartphone apps. This article will explore the question, “Is there a totally free music app?” by examining the top contenders in this space.
What defines a “totally free” music app?
When evaluating if an app is truly free, there are a few key factors to consider:
- No ads – The app cannot have any banner, video, or audio ads interrupting the listening experience.
- No subscription required – Accessing content does not require signing up for a paid subscription plan.
- No in-app purchases – There are no extra purchases required to unlock additional content or features.
- Completely free downloads – Users can freely download any available songs at no cost.
Of course, developing and maintaining a music app requires resources, so meeting all of these criteria is a tall order. Most “free” music apps employ one of these monetization strategies to generate revenue. The question is whether any options exist that are uncompromised when it comes to being free.
Major music apps that require payment
Before examining free options, let’s quickly review the dominant paid music apps:
Spotify – Spotify offers a sizable catalog of over 80 million songs and industry-leading algorithms for music discovery. However, only the basic radio feature is free. Accessing on-demand music requires a paid Premium subscription which starts at $9.99 per month.
Apple Music – Similarly, Apple Music grants access to over 100 million songs but requires a $9.99 monthly subscription. Additional iCloud storage for your personal music library also incurs recurring fees.
YouTube Music – YouTube Music grants access to a huge catalog of official songs, albums, live performances, and more. However, background/offline playback requires a paid YouTube Premium subscription starting at $11.99 per month.
Amazon Music – Amazon Prime members get access to 2 million songs through Amazon Music without added cost. But an Amazon Music Unlimited subscription (starting at $9.99 per month) unlocks over 100 million songs and features.
Pandora – Pandora’s free ad-supported tier only allows you to listen to personalized radio stations. Unlocking unlimited skips, offline listening, and track replay requires their $4.99 per month Pandora Plus plan.
The bottom line is all major music streaming platforms require payment for full, unrestricted access. Are there any lesser-known options that manage to offer a comparable experience at no cost? Let’s investigate some promising candidates.
App candidates that may offer free music
Here are some apps that market themselves as free music platforms:
Free Music Download Apps
- DatPiff – Offers a library of free mixtapes uploaded directly by the artists.
- SoundCloud – Features tracks, podcasts, and more uploaded by independent creators.
- Jamendo Music – Provides free music licensed under Creative Commons.
- Free Music Archive – Curates and indexes free music and audio recordings.
- NoiseTrade – Musicians distribute free music in exchange for email addresses.
- Bandcamp – Some artists allow free downloads of their music.
Free Online Radio Apps
- iHeartRadio – Lets you stream live radio stations and custom artist-based stations.
- TuneIn Radio – Access live sports, news, talk, and music radio streams.
- Radio Garden – Browse live radio stations from around the world by spinning a globe.
- Jango Radio – Create customized radio stations based on favorite artists and songs.
- AccuRadio – Offers professionally programmed radio with minimal ads.
These apps eliminate the need for a paid music subscription. But do any meet the criteria to be considered totally free?
Evaluating true free music apps
Let’s evaluate the above candidates against the criteria for a totally free music app:
No ads – Right off the bat, apps like iHeartRadio and AccuRadio that play occasional audio ads don’t qualify as completely free. Apps like DatPiff and NoiseTrade avoid ads but have other limitations.
No subscription – None of these apps require an ongoing subscription, so they meet this criteria.
No in-app purchases – There are no extra charges within these apps, so they deliver free music as advertised.
Free downloads – While DatPiff, SoundCloud, and Bandcamp allow free downloads, the selection is limited and variable. Only Jamendo Music seems to offer a sizable catalog for free download.
Based on this analysis, the two apps that come closest to meeting the criteria for a totally free music app are Jamendo Music and Free Music Archive. Let’s take a closer look at each one.
Jamendo Music
Jamendo Music is an app and online music platform that provides free music licensed under Creative Commons. Their catalog spans a variety of genres and includes over 900,000 tracks by over 40,000 indie artists.
Some key facts about Jamendo Music:
- App is completely free with no ads or required signup.
- All songs are licensed under Creative Commons CC BY-SA/CC BY-NC-SA.
- Music can be freely downloaded for offline use.
- Provides unlimited on-demand playback.
- Available as a web player, Android, iOS, and desktop apps.
Jamendo Music succeeds in delivering an ad-free on-demand streaming experience comparable to paid services, with the option to also save music offline. However, the catalog is focused on independent and lesser-known artists rather than popular hits and albums. But for fans of discovering new free music, Jamendo Music satisfies the criteria to be considered a totally free app.
Free Music Archive
The Free Music Archive is another platform offering a library of legal, free music downloads. The catalog contains over 150,000 tracks sourced from independent musicians and curators.
Here are some notable facts about the Free Music Archive app:
- Free mobile app and online library with no ads or registration.
- Music licensed under Creative Commons for free use.
- Catalog includes classic tunes, obscure tracks, podcasts, and more.
- Music can be downloaded in MP3 format.
- Organized into diverse genres and subgenres.
- Mobile app available for Android.
Like Jamendo, the Free Music Archive provides a respectable selection of free music. It matches the criteria for a totally free app, albeit with a smaller catalog than dedicated music services. The focus is more on obscure and historic recordings rather than recent hits. But as a free repository of music, it certainly fits the bill.
Limitations of free music apps
While apps like Jamendo and Free Music Archive live up to being completely free, it comes with inherent limitations:
- Smaller catalogs lacking mainstream hits.
- Focus on lesser-known independent artists.
- Limited recent music and new releases.
- No personalized playlists or radio stations.
- Few extras like dedicated apps, offline syncing, or integrations.
The minimal ads and subscription revenue of paid music services allow them to license popular music and fund extra features. So free apps tend to offer smaller DIY catalogs rather than full-fledged music libraries. But for fans of indie music or anyone seeking free tunes, these apps deliver.
Conclusion
After evaluating the criteria, apps like Jamendo Music and Free Music Archive qualify as totally free thanks to their lack of ads, subscriptions, purchases, and free downloading. But their DIY catalogs have limitations compared to leading music services. For the
average listener seeking mainstream music and extras like smart playlists, a paid subscription remains the best option. Yet quality free music lives on thanks to these apps embracing open catalogs and creative commons licensing. Their ad-free and freely downloadable music make them the rare exceptions that could be considered totally free.