A good set of watching and listening apps on Android has to cover different situations, such as series on a commute, music at the gym or old video files stored on the phone. Rather than listing several competing services of the same kind, this list covers five apps that each handle a different part of media on Android.
The differences that matter are what content each app gives you access to, whether it is streamed or stored locally, which features require a subscription, and how well it works offline. How easy the library and search are to navigate on a phone screen also counts, since that affects everyday use more than a long list of features.
Five media apps, one job each
- YouTube — Best for free video on almost any topic
- Netflix — Best for curated series, films and originals
- Spotify — Best for music, podcasts and playlists in one library
- Shazam — Best for identifying songs you hear around you
- VLC — Best for playing your own video and audio files
YouTube for free video on any topic
Best for free video on almost any topic
YouTube is the most varied video source in this list, covering tutorials, music videos, podcasts, reviews and short vertical clips called Shorts. Unlike Netflix, most of it is free with ads, and anyone can upload, so quality varies widely. Opening the app for a single tutorial often turns into a longer session, because Home keeps offering the next video based on your viewing history.
The separate Subscriptions feed is the better tool when you only want channels you deliberately follow. Background play and offline downloads require YouTube Premium in most regions, which is a key difference from VLC and your local files. For music, YouTube overlaps with Spotify, but Spotify is built around listening and playlists rather than watching videos.
Netflix
Best for curated series, films and originals
Netflix is the only subscription-first service in this list, and in return you get a curated catalog of series, films and its own original productions. The Android app now also brings together live events, games and podcasts, with simpler navigation and a feed for upcoming clips, which makes it more than a place to resume the show you are currently watching.
Compared with YouTube, the content is professionally produced and organized, but you cannot upload anything and the catalog differs by country. Downloads for offline viewing are available on supported plans, which helps on flights or long commutes. Plans and prices change over time and by region, so compare what each plan includes, such as video quality and the number of screens, before subscribing.
Spotify
Best for music, podcasts and playlists in one library
Spotify is the listening app of this group, putting songs, podcasts and playlists into one Android library. Search is the quickest route when you already know an artist, while saved playlists work better for a commute that mixes several albums. Its recommendations and generated playlists are a big reason people stay, since they help surface new music without much effort.
A free tier with ads is available, but features such as ad-free listening, unrestricted skipping and offline downloads require Premium. Unlike Shazam, Spotify is meant for ongoing listening rather than identifying a single track, and unlike VLC it streams licensed content instead of playing your own files. The apps complement each other well rather than competing directly.
Shazam
Best for identifying songs you hear around you
Shazam does one job that none of the other apps in this list focus on: it listens for a moment and tells you what song is playing. It is handy in shops, cafes or while watching a video. A recent change lets you choose how it listens when headphones are connected, making it easier to identify songs playing in other apps on the same phone.
Shazam is owned by Apple and is free to use. After a match, it shows the track and artist, often with lyrics, and can send you to a streaming service to play the full song. Since it is not a music player itself, it complements Spotify or YouTube rather than replacing them. Its history lets you come back later to the songs you found.
VLC
Best for playing your own video and audio files
VLC is the only app here built mainly for local files rather than streaming. It opens video and audio stored on the phone in separate libraries, which makes a crowded Downloads folder easier to navigate. You can tap a video to resume playback, or browse by folder when filenames are more useful than thumbnails, and it handles a very wide range of formats.
VLC is free and open source with no ads, which sets it apart from the free tiers of YouTube and Spotify. It also supports subtitles, playback speed and audio track options. The limit is that it gives you no content of its own: you need files you already have, or media on a local network share. For many people it is a dependable backup player rather than a daily destination.
How to choose video and music apps
Start by separating what you stream from what you own. Streaming services like Netflix and Spotify depend on a subscription or ads and a catalog that can change, while VLC plays files you keep on the device. YouTube sits in between as a free, ad-supported source of almost anything. Many people end up with one app from each category rather than several of the same kind.
Then consider offline use and storage. Downloads for offline playback usually need a paid plan on YouTube, Netflix and Spotify, and downloaded media can fill phone storage quickly, so check the download quality settings. Also review data usage options if you often stream on mobile data. Shazam is a small extra worth keeping around, since it links what you hear to the apps where you listen.
Free tiers, downloads and song recognition
Which of these apps can I use for free?
YouTube and Spotify have free tiers with ads, Shazam is free, and VLC is free, open source and ad-free. Netflix needs a paid subscription, with plan options that vary by country.
Which of these apps can download for offline use?
Netflix, Spotify Premium and YouTube Premium let you download inside their apps. VLC works offline anyway, because it plays files already stored on your phone.
Can Shazam recognize songs playing on my own phone?
Yes. Shazam can identify music playing in other apps, and a recent update lets you choose how it listens when headphones are connected, which makes this easier.
