June 21 (today) is celebrated as World Music Day globally and this day was first celebrated as "Fete de la Musique" in France in 1982. Music has evolved over the years and so has the way we listen to music. iPod owners gradually moved to iPhones when it was launched as they could transfer plenty of iTunes songs with ease. Similarly, Android smartphone users also have great options for streaming and listening to music - from Spotify to YouTube Music, these free-to-use apps have changed the way people listen to music on the go and at home. While you may want to pay for streaming through these music apps, you should also know there are a lot of these apps that let you stream music for free.
Today, on World Music Day we bring the top free music streaming apps for Android.
Spotify
There is no doubt that Spotify is the undisputed leader in music streaming apps. Well, almost. The Swedish music streaming giant offers both free and paid tiers for Android users and its plans start for as low as Rs 119 per month. The company's website also says that it provides the first month of premium subscription for free before users choose a plan. Spotify's premium subscribers grew 15 per cent YoY to reach 182 million in the first quarter of 2022, up from 180 million in the previous quarter.
YouTube Music
YouTube Music is owned by tech behemoth Google and like Spotify, it offers both free and paid music streaming services. YouTube Music Premium costs $9.99 a month and lets users listen to and download ad-free music on the go. Last year in September, the company announced that its paid subscribers on YouTube Music and YouTube Premium grew to 50 million users from the 30 million mark in December 2020.
Gaana
Gaana is another good music streaming app for Android users. Similar to Jio Saavn and Wynk Music, Gaana also offers music streaming in Hindi, English, Telugu, Marathi, Punjabi, Bhojpuri, Tamil, Kannada, Malayalam, Gujarati, Odiya, Rajasthani, Urdu, Haryanvi, Assamese and Bengali languages. Gaana offers both paid and free plans; for the premium subscription, users get ad-free music streaming at 320kbps and offline music playback.
Wynk Music
Owned by telecom major Bharti Airtel, Wynk Music streaming platform is one of the best music streaming apps on Android. Its USP is its music library being offered in fourteen languages namely, English, Bengali, Assamese, Bhojpuri, Gujarati, Haryanvi, Hindi, Kannada, Malayalam, Marathi, Oriya, Punjabi, Rajasthani, Telugu and Tamil. Wynk Music subscription is complimentary for Airtel subscribers. Those using other cellular networks can also use the app. Wynk Music's monthly subscription price starts at Rs 49 or yearly subscription at Rs 399.
Jio Saavn
Earlier known as Saavn, Jio Saavn is owned by telecom major Reliance Jio and offers ad-supported music streaming services. The platform offers songs in several languages, including English, Telugu, Tamil, Punjabi, Marathi, Gujarati, Bengali, Hindi, Kannada, Bhojpuri, Malayalam, Urdu, Haryanvi, Rajasthani, Oriya and Assamese.