Music has come a long way from the world of FM radio. With the introduction of satellite radio, people were able to listen to the radio with relatively few commercials. . With the introduction of the iPod, one could listen to music and podcasts without ever being interrupted. Perhaps the best thing ever to happen to the world of music, however, is the iPhone. Hundreds of apps exist to allow people to share and connect with music, whether it is local or a station from halfway across the world. With school finally kicking into full gear, we could all use a music break once and a while, so here is a list of four apps which are completely free, and in my opinion are some of the best music apps around.
One of the oldest free music apps out there is TuneIn radio, which allows you to listen to radio stations from all over the world. From news to heavy metal, TuneIn has every radio station a person could possibly want, and also allows you to favorite stations so that you can navigate between them easily.
8tracks Radio, a music app released this summer, is like the musical version of instagram. You can find playlists and mixes created by other users that match your own personal tastes, follow them, and create your own playlists that people can then follow. Each playlist gives you at least 8 tracks, or enough music to last a half an hour, hence its name. It has also been called better than Pandora by many a reviewer, due to the fact that it does not have adds and allows listeners to search for music according to genre, mood, or artist. It also allows you to share mixes with friends via facebook, twitter, or text.
iTube is another app worth checking out, and solves the problem of wanting to download music without paying for it. Released in September of 2012, iTube lets you listen to, watch, and create playlists of any video on YouTube. The best part? Once you watch the video once, you can watch it anytime, anywhere without the need for an internet connection. It is also completely legal, which means you can stop spending so much money on iTunes and spend more time listening to albums and exclusive performances from your favorite artists.
Finally, while it is not strictly a music app, Shazam is definitely worth mentioning. Have you ever been listening to the radio and heard a song you loved, but never been able to find it on YouTube or iTunes? Shazam is the answer to that. With the tap of a finger, Shazam uses you phone’s microphone to listen to the song that is playing and will identify it within a minute, while at the same time linking you to everywhere that it is available for download.
Whether you love finding new music, or just want to find songs that are true to your favorite genre, these apps are a worth the download. An added bonus? They’re completely free.
Written by Sarah Fornshell’15
