Free Apps Every Amazon Fire Stick User Should Have Installed
A TV is primarily for watching stuff but that doesn't mean that's all it can do, especially with the help of a Fire Stick. For one thing, if you're looking for a more cost-effective replacement for a fancy home sound system, your Fire Stick-equipped TV can serve the same purpose. All you need is the Spotify app.
The Spotify app on Fire Sticks works the same as it does on mobile and desktop devices, giving you access to libraries of music, live radio stations, podcasts, and more. While you need to pay for Spotify Premium to save music offline and get the highest quality possible, if you just want to listen to music and don't mind some ad breaks, you can use the service's base features at no cost. Plus, since the Fire Stick is Amazon-made, you can quickly and easily sync up the Spotify app to Alexa, allowing you to stream music from your TV with a quick verbal command.
Prepare For Tons More Android Apps On Windows 11
Windows 11 is about to get a huge influx of Android apps on the Amazon App store for Windows, as it's now open to all developers.
This week, Microsoft announced that it would be opening up the program for all developers who wanted to do so, to submit their Amazon App Store apps to the Windows 11 platform. As 9To5Google points out, this should lead (hopefully) to a lot more Android apps on Windows 11, as there are currently around 50,000. That's no small number of course, but it's far less than what Amazon offers in the app store. Not to mention far less than there are Android apps in general.
While there were limitations on this before, it seems Microsoft is easing up. Noting that the main requirement now is just that developers need to have an Amazon Developer account to submit the apps to Windows 11.
If they meet that requirement, then submissions can be made. This likely means that Microsoft feels the Amazon App Store is in a good spot. And push forward by opening the door for any developer that wants to expand their app's reach.
Apps of course do need to be tested and approved before they're published on Windows. So submitting them isn't guaranteeing they'll be distributed to Windows users. For new developers, Microsoft has set up a pretty explanatory guide. On top of that, Amazon has plenty of useful information on getting through the process as well.
Running Android apps on Windows 11 may not be ideal for some users. But for others it might be a nice change of pace. For one, you get to use the apps with a larger display. It also might be more comfortable to use your favorite apps on a desktop.
Best Music Streaming Android Apps – Updated June 2023
Physical music albums have become a thing of the past. In the modern era of smartphones and the internet, you can have access to as many songs as you want right on your smartphone. Yes, music listening is that simple today.
However, like every other industry, there's a lot of competition in the music streaming industry as well. A quick look at the Google Play Store will tell you that there are way too many music streaming apps for your Android smartphone and you don't know which one is the best suitable for you. Each app has its pros and cons that they don't openly tell you.
But we are here to help you out of this situation. We used several music streaming apps for Android and selected the best apps that you should consider subscribing to. The apps that we have listed below are not in any specific order, so you might want to read through all the details before deciding. We have provided a brief description, Google Play rating and size, cost of in-app purchases, and screenshots or promo videos, as well as a Google Play Store download link, for each app below.
Best music streaming Android apps 2023Below is a quick overview of the best music streaming Android apps for 2023, including any download and in-app purchase costs.
Download Cost In-app cost (per item) Spotify ✕ $4.99 – $15.99 Deezer ✕ $2.49 – $196.99 Amazon Music ✕ $10.99 TIDAL ✕ ✕ YouTube Music ✕ ✕ IDAGIO ✕ $0.99 – $199.99 SoundCloud ✕ $0.99 – $11.50 TuneIn Radio ✕ $0.99 – $149.99 iHeartRadio ✕ $0.99 – $12.99 Pandora ✕ $0.99 – $9.99 Best music streaming Android apps 2023 downloadsBelow is a little more information on each app, including a direct link for easy downloading.
All download links go to the app's Google Play Store listing. Users are always recommended to download apps from Google Play or an authorized app store.
SpotifySpotify is one of the best music streaming apps available today, if not the very best. It boasts a massive collection of songs from every corner of the world. You get curated playlists for every mood, song type, artist, genre, and more. Additionally, Spotify offers podcasts as well. This app has a clean interface and is very easy to navigate around.
Spotify is available in both paid and free versions in most regions around the world, including those that its competitors don't operate in. Of course, non-paying users will have to listen to ads often and will also miss out on some features such as downloads for offline listening, unlimited skips, shuffle playlist, and others. But if that's fine with you, then Spotify will not prevent you from listening to your favorite songs.
As for the paid version, you can choose from individual, duo, family (six accounts), and student plans. They cost $9.99, $12.99, $15.99, and $4.99 per month respectively. However, do note that Spotify lacks HiFi (High Fidelity or lossless) streaming, though the company is working on it. So if that's a dealbreaker for you, scroll down for alternatives.
DOWNLOAD SPOTIFY
DeezerWith a collection of over 90 million songs, Deezer is also one of the largest music streaming apps for Android. Its podcast collection isn't as big as Spotify's, but it makes up for that with HiFi streaming and live radio support.
Deezer has its own specialties too. Its SongCatcher feature identifies songs playing around you, while Deezer Flow creates the perfect playlist for you based on your music tastes. This app also lets you upload MP3 files, though the feature is limited to the web/desktop version.
While Deezer offers an ad-supported free version of its mobile app, the desktop version requires you to subscribe to a premium plan to play full songs. Individual and student plans are priced identically to Spotify, but the family plan costs $14.99 a month. Note that you will have to pay more for HiFi streaming. An individual Deezer HiFi plan costs as much as a premium family plan for six persons.
DOWNLOAD DEEZER
Amazon MusicIf you're an Amazon Prime subscriber, then Amazon Music might be the best music streaming app for you since it comes at a discounted rate. But the e-commerce giant's music streaming service isn't a bad option for non-Prime users as well.
Amazon Music brings over 100 million songs and ten million podcast episodes at an identical price of $10.99 per month ($8.99 per month for Prime subscribers). At that price, you are getting lossless, CD-quality music. The company also offers select tracks in an immersive 3D Music format.
Other notable features include the ability to upload your own audio files. You can then stream them via the app. Amazon Music is also available in a family plan for six users at $15.99 per month and in a student plan costing $5.99 per month. Depending on where you reside, you could be eligible for up to 30 days of free trial as well.
DOWNLOAD AMAZON MUSIC
TIDALTIDAL also boasts a massive music library of over 100 million songs and hundreds of thousands of music videos. But that's not the best thing about this app. It is more about the music of the highest quality. You can find tracks with up to 9,216 Kbps bitrate here. That's way more than what most other streaming services offer.
Along with HiFi and MQA (master quality audio) streaming, TIDAL also offers 360 Reality Audio and Dolby Atmos support. You get personalized mixes for both audio and video as well.
But this app isn't available in a free version. You'll have to subscribe to one of the premium plans to stream music on TIDAL. Prices start at $9.99 per month for an individual plan and go up to $29.99 per month for a family plan for six members, with HiFi and MQA streaming.
DOWNLOAD TIDAL
YouTube MusicYouTube Music is Google's replacement for Google Play Music as the default music player on Android smartphones. But the company is also developing it as a full-fledged music streaming service. It isn't as feature-rich as many other apps in this list but its music collection isn't any poorer. It boasts a collection of over 100 million songs.
Like Amazon Music, YouTube Music also lets you upload your own music files. Other features include recommendations based on taste, location, time of day, and weather, as well as easy search options.
Google offers YouTube Music free with a YouTube Premium subscription that costs $11.99 per month for an individual plan or $17.99 per month for a family plan. But if you want Music alone, you'll have to shell out $9.99 or $14.99 per month for the two plans, respectively. YouTube Music is also available for free with ads, as well as in a discounted student plan.
DOWNLOAD YOUTUBE MUSIC
IDAGIOIf classical music is your thing, then look no beyond IDAGIO. This app boasts a collection of over two million modern and traditional classical tracks of high quality. So there's a good chance that your favorite classical track is available here. You can search with a keyword and filter the results by composer, work, orchestra, soloist, and more. It also offers exclusive releases and personalized Weekly Mix as well as access to live concerts.
IDAGIO lets you download tracks for offline listening. The app is compatible with third-party speakers like Sonos, Chromecast, Bluesound, or Burmester. IDAGIO is available in over 190 countries worldwide and offers a free trial for varying periods. The free version doesn't let you play music on demand. Paid plans start at $9.99 per month with lossless, CD-quality music ($19.99 per month for the family plan). Live concerts cost extra, though.
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SoundCloudSoundCloud is not your ordinary music streaming app. It has a unique feature that lets you upload any audio file to the platform. The catch is that those files are visible to all other users. So if you have sung a cover for some hit song, you can share it with other users on SoundCloud. It is due to this approach that the app boasts a massive collection of over 300 million audio tracks. You can find music here that exists nowhere else. The company says over 30 million artists from 193 countries share their music on SoundCloud.
This app is available to use for free with ads, with access to the vast majority of tracks. If you want to get rid of those disturbances, you can subscribe to the SoundCloud Go plan for a $5.99 a month subscription. You also get offline listening with this subscription, though some tracks aren't accessible. You will need to upgrade to the $9.99 per month SoundCloud Go+ plan to access those tracks as well as listen to music of a higher quality. This plan is available at just $4.99 per month to students. SoundCloud also offers various tiers for music creators.
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TuneIn RadioLike SoundCloud, TuneIn Radio also takes a slightly different approach to music streaming. It combines music, podcasts, and radio with live news and sports. The app features curated music stations for every music taste, mood, and activity. Simultaneously, you have 24/7 access to live news and sports coverage from all over the world. You will also find nearly six million podcasts and over 100,000 AM, FM, and internet radio stations on TuneIn Radio.
TuneIn Radio is compatible with pretty much popular connected devices, including Google Home, Amazon Echo, CarPlay, Sonos, Roku, and Chromecast. It costs $7.99 per month or $79.99 annually. You also get a free trial of seven days. Note that a Premium plan doesn't remove all ads from this app. You have to download a paid version of the app that costs a one-time fee of $9.99 for that.
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iHeartRadioiHeartRadio specializes in podcasts, though it also boasts a sizeable collection of music and radio. It offers various customization features so you can find podcasts that you like to listen to very easily. Ad with offline listening, you can tune in to your favorite podcasts anytime, anywhere. You can also control playback speed on this app.
As far as music listening is concerned, iHeartRadio boasts a collection of millions of tracks that you can listen to on demand. You can search for tracks as well as artists, albums, and playlists. It offers offline listening for songs as well. The service costs $9.99 per month.
DOWNLOAD IHEARTRADIO
PandoraOriginally a radio streaming service, Pandora has grown into a music streaming app lately. It's like a combination of the two and is best suitable for people who occasionally like to tune in to a radio station. Additionally, you'll find a few good podcasts here as well. Pandora's Music Genome Project feature classifies individual songs by over 450 different musical traits to recommend songs based on your taste.
You can access Pandora's radio service for free with ads. If you want the full music streaming experience, Pandora Plus costs $4.99 per month. It removes ads and offers high-quality audio, unlimited skips and replays, and offline access to four stations. Additionally, Pandora Premium brings offline access to the full collection at $9.99 per month. It is also available in a family plan for six members at $14.99 per month. The plan is discounted for students and military personnel.
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