There are quite a few options available and we will be taking a look at all of them in this post. By the end of the article, you will have a winner, however, you can go for any as each individual has a unique need and taste. Note that we will be discussing both music players and music streaming apps in the post. Let’s begin. Read: 9 Best Free Music Streaming Apps for Your Smartphone
Best Music App For Windows 10
1. Groove Music
Groove Music is the default music player app that comes pre-installed on all Windows 10 computers. While I am not a fan of the default apps, Groove Music is an exception. The app has a minimalist design that looks good. You can play local songs from your library, create playlists, and shuffle/repeat songs.
The app will look for album art and metadata automatically, which some music lovers like me are obsessed with, and the setting is optional. There is also a built-in equalizer. Finally, there is a dark mode setting which is independent of the system settings. Pros:
Minimalist design Easy to use Equalizer Fetch metadata and album art Radio Free and pre-installed
Cons:
No RSS support Can’t stream
Download Groove Music (Free) Also Read: Instagram Music Isn’t Available in Your Region? Here’s How to Get it
2. Winamp
You knew it was going to be part of this list. Winamp was the most popular and downloaded music player in the 90s and early 2000, and still remains a favorite. The Llama ass whippers lost their innovative edge when they decided to sell Winamp to AOL. Now owned by Radionomy, Winamp has returned, albeit a little late, to reclaim lost glory.
Popular for its customizable skins, hidden Easter eggs, and ability to play a wide variety of music formats, Winamp is still used by music lovers who like retro software. Also available for Mac and Android, Winamp offers a lot features like a built-in browser for surfing music subscription services, subscribe to music blogs, podcasts, radio, and the ability to kick the llama’s ass! Don’t forget the plugins that will further enhance utility like play NES music, MIDI, and Pac-man. Pros:
Customizable skins Podcasts Radio Browser CD support Cross-platform Plugins
Cons:
Can’t stream
Download Winamp (Free)
3. Spotify
Streaming music service providers have changed the way we listen to music, and it all began with Spotify. Available on all platforms and devices including Windows, Spotify can play both local tracks on your hard drive and stream music. What’s more? You also have access to exclusive music and podcasts that are not available anywhere else. Read: How to Pay For Spotify Premium Outside The US
Apart from listening to music, you can view their lyrics, follow the artist or band, watch music/documentary videos, and even follow your friends to see what they have been listening to. A good way to discover new music. Like to attend live concerts? Spotify has a Concert section with details of upcoming events. If you are unsure, Spotify will recommend you music based on your past listening habits. Pros:
Music and video content Exclusive content Radio Podcasts Offline support Follow artist Stream or play local content
Cons:
None
Download Spotify ($9.99/month)
4. Apple Music
Apple Music is a direct competitor of Spotify and in many ways, similar in its offerings. Apple is a tech behemoth and has secured exclusive rights to certain music and bands. A strategy that can lure in fans of the particular musicians. The only issue is that there is no standalone app, rather you will have to download iTunes first and stream music from there.
Like Spotify, Apple comes with millions of songs to stream or download. Other features includes offline access, curated list by genre and artists, lyrics, playlists, and the ability to follow your favorite artists. There is no way to follow your friends on the platform though. Also limiting is the fact that adding local music sitting on your hard disk to iTunes is not exactly user-friendly. On the plus side, Apple Music is available on all other platforms too. Pros:
Music and video content Exclusive content Radio Offline support Follow artist Stream or play local content
Cons:
No dedicated app for Windows 10 No podcasts Adding local music not easy
Download iTunes ($9.99/month) Also Read: 8 Best TuneIn Alternatives for your Music and Radio Needs
5. VLC
Just like Winamp was the default music player for most people, VLC was the default video player back in the day. Not many people realize this but VLC is also a pretty good music player. Known to be able to play pretty much any file format you throw at it, VLC is still widely used by Windows users.
Love Last.fm? Who doesn’t! VLC will now connect with your Last.fm account allowing you to stream music on the go. You can also stream shows and other media if you know the streaming protocol URL. There is an equalizer for those who like to tinker around with their sound settings. As if all this was not enough, VLC is a free and open source. Note that the VLC app available on Windows 10 Store has limited features. So use the below link to download the full version from their official site. Pro:
Open source Equalizer Last.fm support Wide variety of file format Streaming protocols
Cons:
No radio No podcasts Can’t follow anyone directly
Download VLC (free) Also Read: 10 Best Music Composer Apps for Android and iOS
6. SoundCloud
SoundCloud is an excellent music app for all who love to not only listen but also create music. With more than 150 million tracks, both from established and indie artists, SoundCloud is an ideal music streaming app for Windows 10. SoundCloud is free to use and you can listen to most songs, even those that are hard to find elsewhere. Good for discovering new tracks, SoundCloud can suggest music based on your mood, genre, and past listening habits. You can also host your own music if you are a creator. Like other music streaming services, you can create playlists, follow artists, and listen to radio. Where it differs is the feedback mechanism where fans can comment on a musician’s work. Fan interaction is awesome.
Pros:
Indie tracks Large and diverse collection Podcast support Fan interaction Can upload your own mix (Freemium model)
Cons:
No local tracks No equalizer
Download SoundCloud (Free)
7. Clementine
Clementine made the list not because it is open source and free, which it is, but because it supports a number of cloud storage services like Google Drive, Dropbox, OneDrive, and so on. A lot of people have songs stored in the cloud and using a music player like Clementine can really solve this problem. Not only this, you can also use this versatile music player to find audio files in SoundCloud, RadioTunes, and RockRadio among others. This makes Clementine a must have.
Pros:
Better file manager Supports cloud storage sites Supports music streaming sites Equalizer Supports Podcasts Supports RSS Open source
Cons:
No radio
Download Clementine (Free)
8. Pandora
Pandora is only available in the US at the time of writing this article. It is a user-specific radio style music streaming service. As a user, you can tune in to Pandora radio. Users can then give thumbs up or down to each song they listen to. This helps Pandora’s AI to recommend suitable songs in the future. Pandora differs from other music players and streaming services because it operates as a radio. With more than 200 million users in the US, Pandora is a popular way to listen and discover new music. The free plan is ad-supported and you can upgrade for $9.99 with additional features like offline downloads, better music quality, and offline channels. You can also search and play favorites or create a playlist.
Pros:
Personalized radio channels Discover new music Offline support
Cons:
Only in the US
Download Pandora ($9.99/month)
9. foobar2000
Next in the list is foobar2000, which is a simple player with immense customization capabilities. Once you install the app, it shows you the main layout, the color of the UI and the playlist layout. It’s quite customizable and shows you real-time UI changes as you tweak the appearance.
A distinct feature is ReplayGain, which essentially adjusts the volume for all the songs in the playlist to sound the same level so you get a more consistent sound. In case metadata is missing from your tracks, you can add and modify it manually and also add front and back covers. In addition to this, you can modify and add keyboard shortcuts for almost any command you can imagine. Pros:
ReplayGain Very Simple UI Highly Customizable Portable Version as well
Cons:
Steep learning curve
Get foobar2000 here. Also Read: Instagram Music Isn’t Available in Your Region? Here’s How to Get it
10. AIMP Player
Another free music player that packs a lot under its hood. Opening it straight after installation, it asks you the criterion to group tracks not only in terms of artists and albums but also bit rate, BPM, bit-depth, etc.
There are two default themes you can choose from bliss and pandemic (Winamp like), but if you want to be a bit quirky you can choose any skin from a huge catalog. There is also a cloud storage option, so if you’ve music on your Dropbox, Google Drive or any other service that it offers. Another feature that had my stick to it is an inbuilt converter, which I use to convert most of my FLAC files to Mp3. I’ve told you many features that can get you to install it right away, so let me share with you two more. If you’re sleepy or you have to wake up, it has both a sleep timer and an alarm clock. Phew! Pros:
Large catalog of skins Inbuilt converter Alarm clock Sleep Timer EQ
Get AIMP Player here.
Which is the best Music App for Windows 10?
It is difficult to say which one is a better music player or streaming service as each has something unique to offer and when it comes to music, we are united in diversity. My recommendation is to have one music player and one music streaming app. Music streaming services like Spotify can handle offline collection too, music players like Clementine and Winamp can never be replaced. Are you using another music streaming service or player? Let us know in the comments below.
