Nowadays, everyone is listening to music on-the-go, at home, at work, etc. As a die-hard music fan and a "betaholic," I would like to share with you my favorite music players for Android that have ongoing beta testing programs of sorts. Divided into two categories, here are the best music apps that you should try out as soon as possible.
Music streaming apps in beta
1. Spotify
Of course, the number one music streaming service, without a doubt, is Spotify. It has a huge music library and a simple to use client for Android. Premium members also enjoy unlimited skips and downloads, no ads and interruption-less music listening experience for just $9.99. Right now, there is an offer for three months of Spotify Premium for only $0.99 in the US, and €0.99 here in Europe. This great deal ends on July 1, so make sure to grab it when it's still valid.
Beware that there are often server-side releases occurring for Spotify, so despite having the latest and greatest beta updates installed on your devices, you may not always have the newest changes and features. More so, to become a registered beta tester, you first have to join the Spotify Android Beta group, and next apply for the Play Store beta from the sign-up form below.
2. Soundcloud
Soundcloud is a source for millions, if not billions of high-quality and royalty-free tunes. The mobile app is certainly not the nicest one ever, though, it has a beautiful seekbar and a superb song recommendation system. Be sure to give it a try because it is the best source for dance music and its more modern form of EDM.
3. Deezer
Deezer is one hell of a worthy rival to Spotify. It offers mostly the same set of functionality and access to a similarly massive music library for equal amount of money.
4. Amazon Music
Amazon's Music platform is a good option as it comes with built-in Alexa support, and especially those having home devices with this voice assistant would be the ones who are going to benefit the most. A monthly subscription costs the same $9.99 as with other on-demand music listening services and, if you prefer, there is an option to buy individual songs and albums as well.
The beta program has been recently reinstated after a suspension mid last year.
Local music players in beta
5. BlackPlayer EX
BlackPlayer is the best local music player for Android ever made. It boasts a beautiful user interface design and a plethora of options and features. It has two release variants - a paid version with the moniker "EX" and an ad-supported one. Apart from a small number of limitations, users of the basic version aren't losing that much. But, you can choose to the developer and stay away from those pesky ads that no one likes. 😉
6. Poweramp Music Player
If all you fancy is great sound quality above everything else, then there is no better option for you other than Poweramp. With its recent version 3 release, in addition to the great audio output and settings in regards to, it also looks much more stylish now.
Note that there is a 14-day trial period that begins immediately upon installing the app and after that, an in-app purchase is required to unlock the full version.
7. Retro Music Player
Featuring an unmatched material design-inspired user interface coupled with countless personalization options, Retro takes the number three spot. Moreover, there is a Pro edition which unlocks a gazillion of more themes, animations, etc., and you can get it with a simple in-app purchase through the Play Store.
8. Eon Player
One of our last contenders in this category is Eon Player. It is another well-designed application made with minimalism in mind. It is crazy simple to use but still offers enough customizability. Perhaps, with a small in-app purchase, you get access to further theming features.
9. AIMP (A new addition)
AIMP has a huge community and more than 10 million installs. The app have old-school playlists and a ton of supported features. If you have a big music library on your phone it could be a nice candidate for you to test.
10. Musicolet Music Player (A new addition)
This music player doesn't have ads and doesn't have permission to use the internet. It is another full-featured local music player with a nice design and a bunch of widgets.
YouTube Music
The app was shut down by Google on October 2020 and all the apps from the list above could become a possible alternative.
YouTube Music by Google is due for a broader rollout and is one of the better streaming platforms that doesn't force you to get a subscription. Besides, it gives you access to all of the same songs that are available on YouTube. One issue with YouTube Music is that it doesn't support background playback out of the gate and a fancy subscription, i.e., YouTube Premium, is needed to get fancy perks such as the former, plus download support. What a joke!
If you have any other suggestions for great music apps that have ongoing beta testing programs, please, let us know, and thanks in advance for your feedback. Also, do follow us on social media and do not forget to visit the site for our daily insights, and more.