Best Android Music App?

[scaryjim]

So, my contract finally expires (today, in fact) and for the first time since the LG O2X was the big thing I've jumped contract specifically for a handset: in this case the Blackberry KEYone.

It's been a while since I was last in the Android market, and while I've got a handle on most of the apps I want, I'd love some advice on a decent music player:

Requirements:

Free (I'm happy with ad supported apps if needs be)
Simple interface
Plays my music off my media card

That's about it. A variety of settings to mess with would be OK - an EQ is always nice to have, for instance - but I really only ever play mp3s off my media card, and I can easily see me getting sick of streaming-focused players offering to find me more music I might like. A nice simple media app is my cup of tea.

So, what's the best basic music player for Android? Go!

[MrJim]

I use VLC for Android...it seems to do everything you're after

[jim]

I've been using Mediamonkey for ages now, and never felt the need to look elsewhere.

I did pay to upgrade to the Pro version so that I could wirelessly sync with my desktop, but the standard version is free.

[Millennium]

Poweramp is great, I paid for it when it was cheap, use it every time I'm out more or less. Does a good job of indexing albums for you. Good playback quality (not sure how much of a factor that is on Android).

BTW, if you're using windows for media playback, look into Fidelizer. While I've heard anecdotally that it can make permanent registry changes, the quality improvement is undeniable, both with my main HiFi with discrete USB DAC (Micromega) and my desktop PC with Logitech 5.1 system (z series). It's free to try/use mainly.

[Dashers]

I used to use Poweramp, only the free version. But now I just use the Sony Music app which came on my phone, but it's free.

[scaryjim]

Thanks for the input everyone

Poweramp is great, I paid for it when it was cheap, use it every time I'm out more or less. Does a good job of indexing albums for you. Good playback quality (not sure how much of a factor that is on Android).

I used to use Poweramp, only the free version.

I had a quick look at poweramp, but I was a bit put off by the fact that it describes the fee version as a "trial" but doesn't tell you what features are hobbled when the trial runs out...

I've been using Mediamonkey for ages now, and never felt the need to look elsewhere. ...

Based on some of the reviews (particularly a low-star one that just said "the most boring music player" - which is exactly what I was looking for!) I downloaded MediaMonkey. It was useful in one sense - it helped refine my requirements. It turns out my default way to pick music is to list by album artist and decide who I want to listen to, then pick an album. MediaMonkey was listing track artists and album artists mixed in, and I could find a way to only list album artists, so for me it was totally unusable.

... now I just use the Sony Music app which came on my phone, but it's free.

I'll keep that in mind, if my current choice does anything to upset me!

But the winner so far is:

I use VLC for Android...it seems to do everything you're after

I had considered VLC when I first got the phone (since it's become the default DVD/video player I use on all the Win 10 PCs in the house), but figured I'd get some advice first rather than just jumping on the familiar thing. Should've gone with my first instinct. Lists everything nicely, decent quality playback, and the pre-defined headphone EQ is absolutely spot on for my Sennys.

So VLC is pulling the hard yards for now, and unless it does something to upset me, I can't really see me changing

[jim]

Based on some of the reviews (particularly a low-star one that just said "the most boring music player" - which is exactly what I was looking for!) I downloaded MediaMonkey. It was useful in one sense - it helped refine my requirements. It turns out my default way to pick music is to list by album artist and decide who I want to listen to, then pick an album. MediaMonkey was listing track artists and album artists mixed in, and I could find a way to only list album artists, so for me it was totally unusable.

Yes that's what I do - at least I think we're talking about the same thing.

If you open the menu at top-right (the three dots), then click options, then "customise home screen" you'll get a list of what filters appear on the main screen.

From recollection, album artist isn't a default but you can select it from there. I don't show either artist or 'artists & album artists' because I don't use them.

[virtuo]

Any reason not to use Google's Play Music app? Works well for me (when I'm not using Spotify or TuneIn) - lets you hold tracks in the cloud for free as well as play local media.

MX Player is another one I've not seen mentioned, it's my go-to video player for stuff off a USB stick (way better than VLC IMO) and the "Pro" version is often discounted to pennies. From a quick look at the settings it has an "Audio player" mode, but I don't know if it categorises tracks for you - worth a look anyway.

[scaryjim]

... If you open the menu at top-right (the three dots), then click options, then "customise home screen" you'll get a list of what filters appear on the main screen. ...

Hmmm, I tried that but couldn't find the setting. And I'm sorry, but having done some UX work I flat refuse to use an app if I can't find the setting I want within five minutes. Give me a bad first user experience and I'm out of there

Any reason not to use Google's Play Music app? ...

Hmmm, I know it annoyed me when I first opened it, but can't exactly remember how It probably asked me to sign up for some stupidly expensive premium streaming option, then tried to get me to sync all my music with its cloud service.

Yes, I'm old fashioned and stuck in my ways

,,, MX Player is another one I've not seen mentioned, it's my go-to video player for stuff off a USB stick (way better than VLC IMO) and the "Pro" version is often discounted to pennies. From a quick look at the settings it has an "Audio player" mode, but I don't know if it categorises tracks for you - worth a look anyway.

Hmmm, will keep it in mind. I've been getting odd playback glitches today when paired with one of my bluetooth speakers, so I'll probably try another app soon just to eliminate VLC as a cause of that...

[virtuo]

Hmmm, I know it annoyed me when I first opened it, but can't exactly remember how It probably asked me to sign up for some stupidly expensive premium streaming option, then tried to get me to sync all my music with its cloud service.

Yes, I'm old fashioned and stuck in my ways

Agreed it does try to get you to sign up to Google's Spotify rival when you first launch the app. I sync some of my offline music from the PC desktop app, but that's entirely optional if you only want a local library. I'd say it's certainly worth persevering with.

[Samanta]

I use VLC for Android

[Shehab]

Here are some lists:

Free ones:
Spotify
Google Play Music
Apple Music
TIDAL
Napster

And other some paid ones:
BlackPlayer
MediaMonkey

[Millennium]

I now use Rocket Player as it bypasses the android built in mixer. I am a bit of an audiophile, though.

[KMRdesigns]

I use Musi as it's got everything on YouTube on it!

[ERU]

Another VLC user here. Usually to listen to audio books to and from work. Absolutely no problem with it.

[Bonebreaker777]

I now use Rocket Player as it bypasses the android built in mixer. I am a bit of an audiophile, though.

Second vote for Rocket Player.