Last week we took a look at some great baseball apps for the Android platform. This week we’re going to mix it up a bit and review some top music apps for both Android and iOS devices.
As more and more of us ditch dedicated MP3 players for our Swiss Army smartphones, developers are following and creating some excellent apps. Not just music players, but fun tools that can identify songs you hear on the radio, share what you’re listening to on Facebook or last.fm, and even help you learn to play guitar. Below are some of the best music apps we’ve seen lately on AppStoreHQ.
jukefox (free)
Jukefox is a music player for large collections. It knows about music similarity and allows new ways to interact with your music collection. Jukefox includes a rich set of functions, including a smart shuffling mode that detects your mood, “scrobbling” to last.fm, automatic download of album covers, and more.
Shazam (Android version here) (free)
Create and share music moments and stories. With Shazam you can identify music tracks, buy them, and share the tags with friends. You can also learn more about artists; keep and grow your music collection and personalize your tags. Identify music from radio, TV, and film and watch related videos on YouTube.
Songbird (free)
Songbird for Android is an elegant music player for your mobile devices. Browsing your music collection is easy, and playback controls are always accessible. The unique ‘now playing’ drawer offers quick access to album art and additional details, including Facebook and Flickr integrations. You can create and edit playlists, set tracks as ringtones, use a lock-screen widget, and view a Flickr photostream of artist images.
SoundHound (Android version here) (free)
What’s that song? Who’s that hot artist? SoundHound knows. And now, everyone can enjoy a free taste of the SoundHound revolution in instant music search and discovery. SoundHound provides super-fast music recognition and can even work if you sing or hum the song yourself. David Pogue called it “amazing… insane.”
NPR Music (free)
Engage, explore and discover new music of all genres with the NPR Music app. Pop/Rock/Folk, Jazz & Blues, World, Classical and Hip Hop/R&B – you get music programmed by people and the quality storytelling you expect from NPR. You can read music news and reviews while listening to interviews, live concerts or exclusive streams of albums before they’re released. Multitask with the NPR Music app as your guide to new music. Updated daily, with hundreds of new music stories monthly.
AudioGalaxy (free)
Stream your music and playlists from your computer to your Android phone for free!
Important: Visit www.audiogalaxy.com from your Mac or PC to create your account before installing this app. Simple setup without router configuration. High quality, uninterrupted streaming and headset support. Create and edit playlists on-the-go.
MisoMusic Plectrum (iPad) ($2.99)
Winner of the Audience Choice Award at TechCrunch Disrupt 2010! Learn to play the Guitar today. Learn classical arrangements, or choose a song from a growing library of music’s biggest hits. New songs added every week. Play virtual instruments from Fender, Martin & Co, Deering Banjo and KoAloha Ukulele. Patented note recognition technology gives real-time feedback that indicates if the correct note is being played. It makes learning music fun and easy.
If there are any topics or themes you’d like to see covered in these articles, @reply me or leave a comment below.
–Scott Blanksteen, CEO, AppStoreHQ, @sib1013
