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The best free music players for Android: an in-depth comparison

Bearing these previous considerations in mind, we have focused, first of all, on having an interface that is pleasing to the eye and intuitive when using it. It is also important that it has extensive customization options , including a sound equalizer, the creation of lists or the possibility of editing the song tags (the author, the cover, etc.).

Also, it is important to know if our player is compatible with various audio formats , not just MP3, and to know the maximum quality of the files that it can play (kbps). And finally, it is appreciated that it has support for Chromecast and Android Auto, and can be synchronized with other apps.

Youtube music

Youtube music

We start the comparison with Google’s music player, and not precisely because it is one of the best, but because it comes pre-installed on the vast majority of Android phones after the disappearance of Google Play Music . The free version of YouTube Music includes ads – lots of them – and is fairly basic , though it does allow you to store songs from your personal music collection and automatically organizes them by songs, artists, albums, and genre.

It also offers the possibility of creating mixes according to your tastes and has an intuitive interface, as well as integration with the Google Assistant and compatibility with Chromecast. Among the options of the free version, the possibility of directly accessing your phone’s equalizer to adjust the audio settings, limiting streaming to “only with WiFi” to reduce data consumption and moving forward or backward a few seconds with a double tap on screen.

However, the app constantly reminds you that there is a subscription model (YouTube Music Premium) in which, in addition to avoiding ads, we can listen to music in the background (with the screen off or while using other apps) and download it to listen to it Without connection. The price of the individual subscription is 9.99 euros per month and that of the family subscription (up to six people in total) is 14.99 euros per month.

Youtube music

Youtube music

AIMP

Aimp

It’s not the easiest music player to use, nor the prettiest, but its manual mode for adding songs to the library , as well as for deleting and sorting them, is appreciated. In addition, it offers extensive support for audio formats and is compatible with both the classic MP3, WAV and AAC as well as APE, MPGA, OGG, UMX, MOD, MO3, IT, S3M, MTM, XM, AAC, FLAC, M4A, M4B, MPC, WV, OPUS, DSF, DFF and TTA.

Also noteworthy are its ten-band equalizer , the sleep timer and the ability to adjust the balance and playback speed. It also includes widgets for the home screen and the lock screen, and has support for Android Auto, lyrics and album covers (from tags, from the file folder or from the Internet).

Aimp 02

In addition, it has multiple customization options (with dark and black themes, and the possibility of changing the tonality) and allows you to add markers, create smart playlists based on folders, define the playback queue, cross tracks (crossfade), mix files from multi-channel audio to stereo and control playback from the notification bar, through headphones or using the volume buttons.

AIMP

AIMP

Phonograph Music Player

phonograph

Phonograph is a lightweight player, with a simple and easy on the eye Material Design layout and classic navigation for songs, albums, artists, genres and playlists. In addition to the basic features, it adds Last.fm integration for automatic downloading of bios and album covers (can be disabled or restricted to WiFi) and plenty of customization options (including a dark theme).

It also has a sleep timer and an editor to easily change the tags of music files, such as title, artist, album name…, both for individual songs and for complete albums. It also has widgets for the home screen and for the lock screen, sleep timer and support for synchronized lyrics (only in LRC format).

Phonograph 02

Unfortunately, within the Audio Settings, it tells us that no equalizer has been found, so, in that sense, it does not allow us to adjust the sound to our liking. Of course, there is the possibility of acquiring a Pro version for 3.59 euros , which includes additional functions, such as the folder view, the black theme for AMOLED screens or more primary and secondary colors (the free version only supports the top five).

Phonograph Music Player

Phonograph Music Player

Shuttle Music Player

Shuttle

Shuttle is another player that is visually appealing, fast, and relatively lightweight. It features a colorful interface with various shades and themes (including dark and black), and intuitive navigation through songs, albums, artists, genres, and suggestions.

It has integration with Last.fm for the automatic download of covers, a five-band equalizer with bass boost and a practical function to share songs directly with your friends (in those applications that allow it, of course). Also includes support for embedded lyrics and online lyrics via MusiXmatch, timer, customizable widgets and Last.fm Scrobbling.

shuttle 02

There is a paid version that costs 3.09 euros ( Shuttle + ) and has additional functions, such as more themes to customize the interface, the label editor, search by folders or support for Chromecast.

Shuttle Music Player

Shuttle Music Player

Press Music Player

Press

This simple and complete player has the characteristic look of Material Design and an intuitive interface with included animations. It offers classic song, album, artist, genre, and folder navigation, plus Chromecast and Android Auto support , widgets, lyric display, crossfade, tag editor, sleep timer, and Last.fm sync.

In addition to supporting standard music file types including MP3, AAC, FLAC, OGG, WAV, etc., it is capable of automatically downloading and displaying album art and artist image , and can create smart playlists with the most played, recently played, and recently added tracks. It also allows you to share music through compatible apps, offers several themes to customize the interface and gives you the possibility to adjust the sound balance.

press 02

In this case, there is also a paid version, Pulsar+ , which costs 3.99 euros and adds, among other things, a five-band equalizer with nine presets, bass enhancement and sixteen colorful themes to customize the appearance of the app .

Pulsar Music Player

Pulsar Music Player

jetAudio HD Music Player

jetaudio

One of the great advantages of this proposal is that it plays almost any type of digital music file : WAV, MP3, OGG, FLAC, M4A, MPC, TTA WV, APE, MOD, SPX, OPUS, WMA… In addition, it includes a sleep timer, ten-band graphic equalizer with 32 presets, and other advanced features such as playback speed control, crossfade, or automatic gain control (AGC).

Although the interface is somewhat dated, it features easy navigation by artists, albums, folders, songs, and genres, and you can play music over Wi-Fi from shared folders on your local home network, whether it’s from a Windows computer, a flash drive, or a flash drive. USB or from a network drive (NAS).

jetaudio 02

It also allows you to share what you’re listening to on Facebook, Twitter and other compatible apps, search for the song on YouTube and customize widgets. Acquiring external paid plugins or buying the Plus version for 3.99 euros , in addition to eliminating advertising, it is possible to access different sound effects, more functionalities (such as lyrics support, the label editor or the twenty-band equalizer ) and numerous customization options.

jetAudio HD Music Player - Free Mp3 Flac Audio Player

jetAudio HD Music Player – Free Mp3 Flac Audio Player

  • Developer: TeamJet
  • Download it at: Google Play
  • Price: Free
  • Category: Music and audio

BlackPlayer Music Player

Blackplayer

One of the things that makes this local content player stand out is that it offers many customization options , including the ability to change colors, fonts, animations, and themes. It also has a five-band equalizer with bass boost, BassBoost, 3D Surround Virtualizer and amplifier.

Likewise, it allows you to download covers and biographies of the singers, supports the most common files, such as MP3, WAV, OGG, FLAC, M4A…, and supports Android Auto and Wear OS . In addition, it has an ID3 tag editor, sleep timer, three widgets, crossfade and a very nice interface with gesture navigation.

blackplayer 02

Here we also have a paid version for 3.59 euros ( BlackPlayer EX Music Player ), which not only removes advertising, but also adds support for Chromecast and countless customization options, including more themes, colors, fonts, widgets , etc.

BlackPlayer Music Player

BlackPlayer Music Player

Comparison table

YOUTUBE MUSIC AIMP PHONOGRAPH MUSIC PLAYER SHUTTLE MUSIC PLAYER PRESS MUSIC PLAYER JETAUDIO HD MUSIC PLAYER BLACKPLAYER MUSIC PLAYER
ADVERTISING YES NO NO NO NO YES YES
PAID VERSION YES (€9.99/month) NO YES (€3.59) YES (€3.09) YES (€3.99) YES (€3.99) YES (€3.59)
TIMER NO YES YES YES YES YES YES
EQUALIZER the one on the phone YES (10 bands) NO YES (6 bands) OF PAYMENT YES (10 bands) YES (5 bands)
COVERS YES YES YES YES YES YES YES
LABEL EDITOR NO YES YES OF PAYMENT YES OF PAYMENT YES
LETTER INTEGRATION NO YES YES YES YES YES YES
WIDGETS YES YES YES YES YES YES YES
SCROBBLING LAST FM NO NO NO YES YES YES YES
CHROME CAST SUPPORT YES NO NO OF PAYMENT YES YES OF PAYMENT
ANDROID AUTO SUPPORT YES YES NO NO YES YES YES

Any of the players that we propose in this comparison is a very good alternative to listen to music on an Android device, as shown by the ratings by users who have already tried them. The choice of one or the other, therefore, will depend largely on our priorities.

If we give great importance to the design of the interface, the characteristic aspect of Material Design presented by Pulsar and Phonograph will enter our eyes

For example, if we give a lot of importance to the general design of the interface, the characteristic aspect of Material Design that Pulsar and Phonograph present will be the one that most attracts our eyes. If, on the other hand, what prevails are the sound settings, you will have to opt for the ten-band equalizer offered by AIMP and JetAudio , but, yes, keep in mind that the latter includes ads and the paid version to avoid them It is one of the most expensive in the comparison.

On the other hand, if we intend to edit the tags and do not want to pay for the premium versions, it is better to forget about Shuttle or JetAudio, which do not offer this option in the free app . The same thing happens with support for Chromecast, that in the cases of Shuttle and BlackPlayer you have to resort to its premium version. In short, all the music players that we propose here are great alternatives, whether each one decides on one or the other will depend on their priorities.

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