BECKHAM
26-05-2013, 09:26 AM
Remember when we used to tote around MP3 players? Most folks have now ditched their iPod or other dedicated music device in favor of smartphones. And instead of downloading dozens of MP3s to listen to, we opt for apps for free or paid music. Which ones are favorites? We put the question to consumers recently here on a sunny afternoon at the beach.• Songza: (Apple, Android, Kindle Fire. Free.) The app and website plays online music with a twist — it offers curated tunes based on time of day and moods. "So if it's Saturday morning, it will have options, like 'Playing with your kids,' or 'Going to gym,' and you'll pick one, and it will play a playlist," says Kennedy Fields of Pittsburgh, Pa. "So Friday night, my favorite playlist is 'Vodka Escapades,' and it plays party music."
• Shazam: (Apple, Android, Windows, BlackBerry. Free.) Put your phone next to the radio and Shazam figures out what song you're listening to. "It's just really easy to find the artist and title of song," says Grace Goodwin of Los Angeles. "Then I can find other songs by that artist and it's really cool." Adds Jayde Forzetting of Atascadero, Calif.: "If I don't know what the song is, I'll just hold my phone up to the speaker and it's like, 'Oh, got the song, done.' "
• Spotify: (Apple, Android, BlackBerry, Windows Phone.) For $10 monthly, you get on-demand listening to millions of songs on your phone. A free ad-supported version is available for desktop computers. "You can pretty much find anything," says Kari Tuttle of Scottsdale, Ariz.
• Pandora: (Apple, Android, BlackBerry, Windows. Free.) The world's most popular online radio service, with more than 200 million registered users, creates music playlists based on your tastes, has "a variety of music and it's free," says Paul Demo of Kansas City. Angela Dolan, visiting from New Jersey, adds that "I don't have to pick the songs myself." A version without ads is $3.99 a month.
• Slacker. (Apple, Android, BlackBerry, Windows. Free.) Similar to Pandora, Slacker also creates playlists based on your favorites. Ben Christie of Vail, Colo., prefers it to Pandora because he feels there are fewer commercial interruptions. "I drove 19 hours recently, and Pandora (advertising) was non-stop. Slacker is less intrusive." Ad-free versions are available starting at $3.99 a month.
• Shazam: (Apple, Android, Windows, BlackBerry. Free.) Put your phone next to the radio and Shazam figures out what song you're listening to. "It's just really easy to find the artist and title of song," says Grace Goodwin of Los Angeles. "Then I can find other songs by that artist and it's really cool." Adds Jayde Forzetting of Atascadero, Calif.: "If I don't know what the song is, I'll just hold my phone up to the speaker and it's like, 'Oh, got the song, done.' "
• Spotify: (Apple, Android, BlackBerry, Windows Phone.) For $10 monthly, you get on-demand listening to millions of songs on your phone. A free ad-supported version is available for desktop computers. "You can pretty much find anything," says Kari Tuttle of Scottsdale, Ariz.
• Pandora: (Apple, Android, BlackBerry, Windows. Free.) The world's most popular online radio service, with more than 200 million registered users, creates music playlists based on your tastes, has "a variety of music and it's free," says Paul Demo of Kansas City. Angela Dolan, visiting from New Jersey, adds that "I don't have to pick the songs myself." A version without ads is $3.99 a month.
• Slacker. (Apple, Android, BlackBerry, Windows. Free.) Similar to Pandora, Slacker also creates playlists based on your favorites. Ben Christie of Vail, Colo., prefers it to Pandora because he feels there are fewer commercial interruptions. "I drove 19 hours recently, and Pandora (advertising) was non-stop. Slacker is less intrusive." Ad-free versions are available starting at $3.99 a month.