After reviewing the best apps for watching series and movies and the best apps for reading books and comics , it was necessary to do the same with the best apps for listening to music on our tablets, to take advantage of the increasingly high level we find in their audio systems and accompany us a little when we are using them for other things like browsing or even to put our own soundtrack to certain games.
Music streaming: beyond Spotify
The big names in music streaming are well-known to everyone. They have increasingly similar catalogs, their services are quite comparable, and, of course, they're available on both Android and iOS, including Apple and Google 's own platforms . There are also no significant price differences, which makes Spotify stand out from Apple Music and Play Music simply because it gives us the option to continue listening to music for free with ads. However, it's not the only service that offers this, and Deezer is worth mentioning.
Apple and Google 's services , for their part, have the advantage of allowing us to listen to the music we purchase. Apple's service stands out for acquiring the most exclusive tracks, while in terms of sound quality, the victory should go to the more exclusive Tidal . For more details and to see the results of an interesting test that shows whether we can appreciate the difference in sound between each service, you can take a look at our comparison.
Music with videos, to take advantage of the big screen
Another advantage of listening to music on our tablets compared to other devices is, of course, that we can also enjoy music videos, live performance recordings, and more. And it goes without saying that the obvious choice in this regard is YouTube Music (although for iOS we'll have to make do with the standard app), and if we subscribe to YouTube Red we can avoid ads. It's worth remembering, however, that it's not the only option, as Vevo also has its own app.
We'd like to remind you, speaking of YouTube, that it's also possible to use it somewhat like a conventional music streaming app, since you can listen without needing to have the screen on , although you'll have to look outside of Google Play to get the app (just like with others such as ogyoutube). You can also continue listening in the background with Firefox . On iOS, you can also play it in the background from the Control Center if you open it in Safari.
Audio players to listen to your own collection
If over the years we've built up a good music collection and don't want to pay for subscriptions or put up with ads, we can always simply go back to conventional music players. To start, we have some good options available for both iOS and Android that are free, such as n7 Music Player and Jet Audio.
The best options, however, are specific to each of these platforms. If we want a player that covers all our basic needs and offers the most convenient gesture controls, on iOS we have to use Listen , and on Android, Player Pro . If, on the other hand, we want a player with every imaginable configuration option, the best option right now on the App Store is Cesium , while on Google Play it remains Poweramp.
Not just music: the best options for listening to the radio and podcasts
Music is the star of the show today, but many people surely enjoy simply listening to the radio , and for that we also have some great options. The go-to app here is TuneIn , but there are a few others you can try, such as Earbits or Radio Lite . The ones we included in our selection were originally focused on Android, but you can also find them on the App Store, and we should also add radio.es to the list.
We don't have to limit ourselves to traditional radio stations, though. It's also a good idea to have a few podcast apps handy to keep up with recordings from our favorite media outlets. The advantage is that we can download them when we have a Wi-Fi connection and listen to them later anywhere. Our favorite is iVoox , which is also available for free on both platforms, but if we're willing to make a small investment, Pocket Casts is a great option.
Some more recommendations
Finally, we can't fail to mention some apps that help us discover new music, and although they are well-known classics, we must give a shout-out to Last.fm and SoundCloud , which have apps available for both iOS and Android. And, of course, we mustn't forget Shazam and SoundHound for when we hear something we like and want to identify it.