Introduction
Android. The Operating System that is flexible, can do everything, can do social networking, can do media, music... wait a minute. That "music" app on my desktop is supposed to be my music player, and organizer? What kind of junk is this? On my high-end Android?
Let's face it: the stock Android music player, before Android 4.1 Jelly Bean, could, well, play music. That's about where it ended. It did the typical stuff, sort by artist, song name, create playlists, whatever. The stock music player on Android 4.1 Jelly Bean and above is generally Google Play Music, and it's better than the previous stock player, but it still has its limits. Hey, I even used to have a Samsung Galaxy Player, which was basically an Android mp3 player. And I basically had that stock Android 2.3 Gingerbread music player, just with the Samsung skin. Fine for basic playback, but what do you do if you want something more than "shuffle"?
That's where Android's magic shines - you can use whatever app you want to play music, and, if the developer did it correctly, you won't even notice that you're not using the default app. Here are the best music players and organizers for Android.
One note for those who may be on Android 4.4 KitKat - there are issues with apps not being able to access the SD card. This is a problem with the operating system, and not the music player.
Rated Products

Platforms/Download: [field_blackberry_download] |
Version reviewed: 5.2.34
trainman261
Our Rating: 5/5 |
![]() |
Rocket Music Player, in my opinion, is the best free music player available for Android. It has plenty of features, and even more can be enabled by turning on ads.
Read more...
Rocket Music Player, in my opinion, is the best free music player available for Android. It has plenty of features, and even more can be enabled by turning on ads.
Read full review...
WinAmp
WinAmp is an app that is currently in limbo, but still a good choice for a music player, if not just for the SHOUTcast internet radio feature.
Platforms/Download: [field_blackberry_download] |
Version reviewed: 1.4.15
trainman261
Our Rating: 4/5 |
WinAmp is a music player that has been well-known in the desktop world for what seems like an eternity, and for quite a while they had a (supported) version for Android. They've now dropped the official support for Android, which is a shame, to be quite honest. However, it is still obtainable as an APK. It is a good, simple, albeit somewhat basic music player in its free incarnation - however, it has SHOUTcast, a massive online Internet service, which is really well done, and which almost makes it worth a download for that alone.
Read more...
WinAmp is a music player that has been well-known in the desktop world for what seems like an eternity, and for quite a while they had a (supported) version for Android. They've now dropped the official support for Android, which is a shame, to be quite honest. However, it is still obtainable as an APK. It is a good, simple, albeit somewhat basic music player in its free incarnation - however, it has SHOUTcast, a massive online Internet service, which is really well done, and which almost makes it worth a download for that alone.
Read full review...Platforms/Download: [field_blackberry_download] |
Version reviewed: 2.0.4
trainman261
Our Rating: 4/5 |
Cloudskipper is a music player with a fun, elegant, and easy-to-use interface. It has some occasional quirks, but it is still is a good music player. Did I mention it has some nice eye-candy?
Read more...
Cloudskipper is a music player with a fun, elegant, and easy-to-use interface. It has some occasional quirks, but it is still is a good music player. Did I mention it has some nice eye-candy?
Read full review...
MixZing
MixZing used to have some interesting features albeit with intrusive advertising. Now, the advertising has stopped... but so have some of the most interesting features.
Platforms/Download: [field_blackberry_download] |
Version reviewed: 4.4.1
trainman261
Our Rating: 3.5/5 |
MixZing was a very well-made music player... with one exception: the horrendously intrusive advertising. Yes, the kind where where all you wanted to do is listen to a song quickly - and it shoves a video ad down your throat, which you can't skip or anything, before you can even listen to that one track. Now, the advertising has stopped - I'm assuming because the app has been abandonned - but so have many of the key features, such as the recommendations system and the music information.
Read more...
MixZing was a very well-made music player... with one exception: the horrendously intrusive advertising. Yes, the kind where where all you wanted to do is listen to a song quickly - and it shoves a video ad down your throat, which you can't skip or anything, before you can even listen to that one track. Now, the advertising has stopped - I'm assuming because the app has been abandonned - but so have many of the key features, such as the recommendations system and the music information.
Read full review...
Google Play Music
Google Play Music is a good option if you're using Google's cloud services to store your music. Otherwise, not really.
Platforms/Download: [field_blackberry_download] |
Version reviewed: 8.14.7429-1.H
trainman261
Our Rating: 3/5 |
Google Play Music is specifically designed to work with Google's cloud services, and it does that job decently well. Otherwise, there isn't too much exciting about this music player. Also, if you're interested in the cloud, this app will let you upload 50 000 tracks to Google's servers for free.
Read more...
Google Play Music is specifically designed to work with Google's cloud services, and it does that job decently well. Otherwise, there isn't too much exciting about this music player. Also, if you're interested in the cloud, this app will let you upload 50 000 tracks to Google's servers for free.
Read full review...
Meridian Player
Meridian is a decent, if not too pretty or simple, music and video player, with some oddities
Platforms/Download: [field_blackberry_download] |
Version reviewed: 5.0.8
trainman261
Our Rating: 3/5 |
Meridian Player is an interesting music - and video player. While the interface isn't the nicest or simplest available, it generally works, and has a decent range of features. It also supports the 5-star rating system not supported by all that many apps on Android, although at least for me, it doesn't work properly.
Read more...
Meridian Player is an interesting music - and video player. While the interface isn't the nicest or simplest available, it generally works, and has a decent range of features. It also supports the 5-star rating system not supported by all that many apps on Android, although at least for me, it doesn't work properly.
Read full review...
Related Products and Links
You might want to check out these articles too:
- Best Free Music Player and Organizer
- Best Free Android Apps
- Best Free iPad Apps
- Best Free iPhone Apps
Comments
Hi, I usually find many good tips in your articles but not this one... strangely you forget to mention a CRUCIAL feature that almost all Android music apps lack (at least in their free versions): possibility to select music by folder! It´s so easy I cannot understand why anyone would want to spend hours manually creating playlists. Anyway, after a lot of searching something struck me: why not use good oĺ trusty VLC player? People (myself included ;)) tend to consider it a video player but it playes audio files just as fine, plus you have 100% functionnality for 100% free... pretty hard to beat that. I'm a bit surprised it´s not even mentioned in this article....
Rocket Player, the top choice, allows you to select music by folder... one of the reasons why I chose this player on my phone.
Agree with the top choice of Rocket Player. I installed it a few days ago, and it is just the kind of app I wanted.
Having used a variety of music players, I will suggest Black Player as it's just what I was looking for. It features an equalizer, bassboost & 3D surround virtualizer with widgets, scrobbling, an ID3 tag editor, no ads, themes, and support for most commonly used music files. Additionally working with tabs and drawers is amazing with this music player, and supports changeable themes, fonts, colors, and has gapless playback, HD album cover management and a lot of customization options.
I recommend FrostWire! www.frostwire.com It is the best music player for Android
Want to suggest this app. It's beautiful and elegant, and has good features:
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=bitsie.playmee.musicplayer...
NOTE WinAmp:
A.) NO LONGER is in Google Play.
B.) IS NOT FREE, because it is NOT offered by the original makers of WinAMP.
Well, I've just checked, and I still find it on Google Play. As mentioned in the article, you have to use the link I provided, since it won't appear in search results, but it is still free. I've mentioned a little more about the situation in the article.
I too just re-tried the provided link and google play responds with "We're sorry, the requested URL was not found on this server."
For THIS link:
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.nullsoft.winamp#?t=W251bGwsMSwxLDIxMiwiY29tLm51bGxzb2Z0LndpbmFtcCJd
AND I researched it and saw on a number of sites where it is NOT free.
I just entered your link into my adress, and for me, it works. For all I know it could be a regional thing.
There has always been a free version and a paid version of this app. I've reviewed the free version, which I find pretty good. However, that's why you're finding sites where it isn't free.
For the future I would ask that you please not use caps like that, it comes accross as rude.
The link does not seem to be working for me too. It says "not found". I even searched for Winamp on Google Playstore from my phone and Winamp does not appear in the list, even when I specfically searched for it.
On Winamp site too, there is no mention of an Android version, only PC and Mac.
Winamp was owned by Nullsoft, then sold to AOL and again sold to Radionomy in early 2014. As a result, many changes in Winamp are being made according to DJ Egg of the Winamp Team at the forum here: http://forums.winamp.com/showthread.php?t=374929
I think for those users who've already installed Winamp for Android, the app link to Google Play still works after signing into the Google account. It's likely temporarily stopped from public access until a new version is available.
The last version of the app was 1.4.15 updated in Oct 2013. You will still be able to get the apk package from the Winamp forum here: http://forums.winamp.com/showpost.php?p=2984799&postcount=2
Ah hah, that's it. I just tried using the link in pivate browsing, and sure enough, it doesn't work there. So you're right - it's only visible to those who already have it linked to their account. I'll be updating the article shortly to reflect that.
Has anyone used doubletwist? It seems to get good reviews on other sites, but apparently also has a number of "additions" that cost. Interested in how the free version (without the pay additions) compares with Rocket as a basic music player. thanks
Thank you. I think you're correct. I simply want to use my phone as an mp3(or wav or whatever) player with only the basics for sound and perhaps a shuffle option. I can live with Google (came installed) except I'd prefer not to get past Google wanting me to save my library to its cloud and download music from its site. I have all my music files organized on a separate drive on our NAS using a program on my computer. I'll transfer full playlists onto my phone and simply want to play them. It looked like Rocket had the fewest bells and whistles that I don't need, but doubletwist seemed to get good reviews for its basic player (with complaints that all the extras cost money). Thanks again.
I've been using the free version of Google Play Music for the last few years, because so far it does what I need it to do, but even when updated it tends to rearrange the obsessively organized music files I load onto my phone. Trust me, it all looks peachy on the SD card in Windows explore, then when looking at music on my phone, albums are split into two icons with half the songs on each (as though it were two albums instead of one)... and songs from other albums are redistributed into multiple unrelated places, under other artists. I keep on top of all updates and am using a newer phone (Galaxy S5), so I'm wondering what I'm doing wrong. I'll admit I'm not extremely tech savvy, so all the bells and whistles aren't necessities but displaying the files accurately seems pretty basic. Has anyone else had this experience? Is it user error? App error? Just plain time for a different app? Please help..
Thank you for posting this! Just what I needed to know because my files are folder based because I listen to music, books, Spanish-learning tapes and other stuff.
Hi. I'm new here and wish to enquire regarding the best free music player with regards to playing a list of songs, stopping after each song instead of playing continueously one after the other. The reason being, I perform live with backing tracks and want a break between songs to get ready for the next song. Hope this is clear enough?
Thanks
Jazzhorn
I like your review criteria. Would like to hear your views on Fusion:
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.lava.music
I installed it after seeing the interface. Thanks for your input.
Have you looked a n7player. Slightly oddball UI but seems to cover all bases.
The biggest challenge with "music players" on Android and other systems is that they don't differentiate between Music files and Podcasts. "Music players" are inherently flawed for Podcast mp3 files because they don't have fine adjustments in time. They all use the traditional slider bar to find a spot in the "mp3" or other audio file. They treat ALL MP3 files as if they ARE music, and that's just simply not the case. If they can't filter which folders they draw their playlists from, then the program is useless in my mind.
"Music Players" (even the one I chose, [edited]) are also inherently obsessive about "Album art." I don't give a wit about the art, because I'm not generally sitting there staring at the screen as it plays music. I wish they'd all have an option to ignore art completely, and give more screen space to controls, and titles.
I have used [edited] for music, and Ginkgo Player for podcast mp3's because they don't "overlap" in what they claim as their own files, if you configure them. Ginkgo Player has big and small skips forward/backward for the large audio files. [edited] is easily configured not to select podcast files for random music file plays.
I've tried a few of Gizmo's selections on this post for Android, and settled with [edited]. You simply have to get a good one.
[Moderator's note: Commercial app edited out. Please post about free apps only.]
Pages