The 5 Best Apps to Listen to Music Free in 2026
Listening to all the music you want on your phone is possible and free: the big platforms offer entirely legal ad-supported free tiers. Spotify dominates, YouTube Music adds remixes and live sets, and SoundCloud is home to emerging artists. In this guide we compare the 5 best apps to listen to music free in 2026.
Top apps for free music streaming
Music streaming apps with a free, legal tier for listening to millions of songs and podcasts on your phone, with personalised playlists and new music discovery.
Top pick
Spotify: Música y Podcasts
Spotify AB · Free (with purchases) · 1.000M+
The most popular
4.2
35.8M reviews
TopApps analysis
Spotify is the most used music app in the world: a huge catalogue, the best recommendations and playlists, and an ad-supported free tier. The universal benchmark.
Spotify is the most popular music streaming app in the world, with millions of songs and podcasts. The free tier lets you listen with ads and on shuffle, and its real strength is personalised recommendations and playlists (Discover Weekly, Daily Mix). It remains the universal reference for listening to music on your phone.
Pros
- Enormous catalogue of music and podcasts
- Free tier available (with ads)
- The best recommendations and playlists
Cons
- The free plan means ads and shuffle only
- Still no lossless audio (HiFi) on the free tier
- Downloads require Premium
YouTube Music
Google LLC · Free (with purchases) · 5.000M+
Best catalogue
4.3
7.7M reviews
TopApps analysis
YouTube Music draws on the whole of YouTube: beyond official tracks, it has remixes, live sets and versions you will not find in other apps. Free tier with ads.
YouTube Music taps into the whole YouTube catalogue: on top of official tracks you get remixes, live versions, covers and rarities you won't find in other apps. The free tier lets you listen with ads. It's the best option if you already consume a lot of music on YouTube and want it all in one app.
Pros
- Includes remixes, live sets and covers from YouTube
- Free version with ads
- Huge catalogue that goes beyond official releases
Cons
- Background playback only with Premium
- Interface less polished for music than Spotify
- The free plan has ads
Amazon Music
Amazon Mobile LLC · Free (with purchases) · 100M+
Best if you have Prime
4.3
3.4M reviews
TopApps analysis
Amazon Music comes included with Amazon Prime (limited catalogue) and offers high-quality audio. Ideal if you are already a Prime member and do not want another subscription.
Amazon Music offers millions of songs and podcasts, and its big advantage is that it already comes with the Amazon Prime subscription many people have, albeit with a limited catalogue. The Unlimited plan adds the full library and high-quality audio. A sensible choice if you are already Prime and would rather not pay for yet another subscription.
Pros
- Included with Amazon Prime (limited catalogue)
- Unlimited plan with the full catalogue
- High-quality audio (HD and Ultra HD)
Cons
- The Prime Music catalogue is limited
- The full catalogue requires Unlimited
- Somewhat cluttered interface
Deezer: Música y Podcasts
Free (with purchases) · 100M+
Best discovery
4.0
3.6M reviews
TopApps analysis
Deezer offers more than 90 million tracks and its Flow feature, an endless mix based on your taste, with high-fidelity audio. A solid alternative to Spotify.
Deezer is a solid alternative to Spotify, with over 90 million tracks and its Flow feature, an endless mix that adapts to your taste. It offers high-fidelity (HiFi) audio and a built-in song identifier. A good pick for anyone after a huge catalogue and a different approach to discovery.
Pros
- Over 90 million tracks
- Flow: an endless mix built around your taste
- High-fidelity (HiFi) audio
Cons
- Less popular, smaller music social network
- The free mobile plan is limited
- Recommendations lag slightly behind Spotify
SoundCloud: Música y Audio
Free (with purchases) · 100M+
Best independent music
4.6
7.6M reviews
TopApps analysis
SoundCloud is home to independent artists: remixes, mixtapes and underground music you will not find on other platforms. The place to discover new talent.
SoundCloud is where independent and up-and-coming artists live: remixes, mixtapes, underground music and tracks you simply won't find on other apps. Anyone can upload their own music, which makes it the best place to spot new talent before everyone else. Ideal for listeners chasing sounds that are genuinely different.
Pros
- The best app for independent and emerging music
- Remixes, mixtapes and underground content
- Discover artists before anyone else
Cons
- Smaller mainstream catalogue than Spotify
- Audio quality varies from upload to upload
- Ad-free features cost money
Frequently asked questions
Which is the best app for listening to music free?
Spotify is the best free option for most people: its free tier lets you listen to the whole catalogue (with ads and in shuffle mode on mobile) and its recommendations are the best there are. YouTube Music is a great free alternative if you like remixes and live sets, and SoundCloud is unbeatable for independent and emerging music. All of them are legal.
Is it legal to listen to music free with these apps?
Yes, completely. Spotify, YouTube Music, Amazon Music, Deezer and SoundCloud have legal free tiers funded by advertising: artists get paid for those plays. It is the legal alternative to downloading music from pirate sites, which is both illegal and risky. The only "catch" with the free tier is the ads and a few limits compared with premium.
What is the difference between the free and paid plans?
The free tier includes ads between songs and, on mobile, usually limits playback to shuffle and does not allow downloads for offline listening. Premium (around 11 euros a month) removes the ads, lets you pick any track, download music, skip without limits and offers better audio quality. If you listen every day, premium pays off; if not, the free tier is more than enough.
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