The best Android apps for audio, radio and music playing - group test review
TuneWiki, Shazam, Spotify, RD3 Groovebox, Winamp and A Online Radio rated
Review date: 14 November, 2011. Review by: Sandra Vogel
We all like a bit of music now and again, and with a built in music player and headset connector any Android phone can deliver the goods. Many Android handsets also have built in FM radios, so you can listen to live broadcasts too. But if you only rely on what's built in to your Android smartphone when it comes out of its box, you may be missing out on a variety of other audio options that can tantilise and satisfy your ears.
APP OF THE MONTH:TuneWiki
PRICE: £FREE
RATING: 5/5
If you're looking for a more versatile replacement for the standard music player in your Android handset then TuneWiki might be perfect. As a music player it offers some cool controls such as screen sweeping to move between tracks.
But the fun in TuneWiki comes from its offboard services. It automatically finds lyrics for your music and displays these on screen. There's a facility for you to comment on lyrics so you can engage in discussions with other people. There's built in SHOUTcast online radio and a YouTube link. And then there's SongBox - a way of discovering new music through the recommendations of other people. Oh, and TuneWiki is free.
Shazam
PRICE: £FREE
RATING: 4/5
Shazam is one of those little apps you'll probably install and forget about most of the time. Then, when someone says "Oooh, I love that tune, what is it?" you can pull out your smartphone and provide the answer. Shazam needs a recorded snippet of a tune to work with, and it will then pop off to do some online research, delivering the details when it has found them.
There are twists and turns, with the ability to share tags on Facebook and Twitter, link out to Spotify and, inevitably, buy stuff - tracks via Amazon's MP3 store, gig tickets. But it is the basic music identification that will lure you in. We don't venture further and we love Shazam. There's a charged for ad free version for £2.99, or you can opt for the free, add supported one instead.
Spotify
PRICE: from £FREE to £9.99 a month
RATING: 4/5
When it launched, Spotify changed the way many people listened to music. Huge numbers of tracks, for free, at your fingertips on a computer. Adverts were used to deliver the service for free, with subscriptions offered to remove the ads.
Spotify fans can use the service on their Android smartphone. If you are already a Premium subscriber (£9.99 a month), you can synchronise playlists and take advantage of offline listening as well as stream. Other users (Unlimited at £4.99 a month and free users) don't get the offline mode, but there is still music streaming available. Just make sure you are in a free Wi-Fi zone if you want to avoid data charges.
