Best Android apps

Video, Music, & Books

SoundCloud (Free)

If you’re looking for an all-you-can-eat buffet of sound with no ads and no subscription fees, you’ve found it. Discover new music and stream it from the cloud. The app has a clean design; it’s easy to use; and it’s integrated with Google+. You can follow bands or singers, create sets, record sounds, and post your tracks via social media. It’s not limited to music either; you’ll find podcasts, comedy, news, and a whole lot more on offer in this music and audio community.

Poweramp ($4)

Anyone seeking something a little more versatile than the default music player in Android should take a look at Poweramp. It supports an incredibly long list of file formats from MP3 to FLAC to AIFF, and a whole lot more. You’ll also find an accessible user interface with some handy customization options. There is a graphic equalizer, support for things like crossfading, and the ability to update missing album art. A full range of widget options rounds off the most powerful music player in the Play Store. If you’re not convinced, try out the free 15 day trial.

Viggle (Free)

Who says that watching TV is a waste of time? With Viggle you can justify all those hours in front of the box because you can earn rewards for checking in while watching TV shows. The app identifies what you’re watching and rewards you with vouchers for brands like Best Buy and Burger King. If you’re feeling generous you can opt to convert them to charitable donations instead. Viggle is also a second screen app with interactive polls, show information, and extra related content.

TuneIn Radio ($1)

 This app is fantastic and it’s well worth splashing out a buck for the pro version. It offers more than 70,000 radio stations and over 2 million on-demand programs. Whether you want to listen to the big game, tune in to a political debate, or dance to some rock music, you’re covered. The pro version even lets you pause, record, and rewind live radio. You can choose presets, use it as an alarm, and search for a specific song or artist to find a radio station that has what you’re craving right now.

 SeriesGuide Show Manager (Free)

Tracking your favorite TV shows couldn’t be easier with SeriesGuide Show Manager. You can check up on full episode guides and get those all-important updates on when your favorite TV shows are next due to air on U.S. channels. There’s even a nifty widget that lets you check up on upcoming episodes and displays the episode number and name alongside the time and channel that it will be on.

Netflix (Free)

If you don’t have a Netflix account, this app won’t pertain to you much, but since that seems to be a minority of folks these days, we’ve added the movie-and-television giant to our list. Users can manage accounts, add items to a queue, or stream shows or movies that are available via Instant Watch. Streaming can be a bit much for the 3G connection we were working with, but if you have a Wi-Fi connection you shouldn’t have any problems. With a good connection and a device with a good-size screen, you’ll have a pretty solid streaming experience.

HBO Go (Free)

If you are an HBO subscriber, the HBO GO app is essential. Not only are you able to watch the latest episodes of your favorite shows, but you can also watch the entire back library of HBO content. You can catch up on your favorite show before the next season premier.

Kindle (Free)

If you don’t have a Kindle, fret not. Amazon would still like to sell you books through your Android device. Download the app and you can browse and buy from over 900,000 books in the store. Perhaps the best feature, however, is that the app will automatically sync your last read page, bookmarks, notes, and highlights across devices. If you do have a Kindle, this means that you can seamlessly transition from your reader to your phone if you want to carry a lighter load that day.

SoundHound (Free)

We’ve all had that moment where a song is stuck on repeat in your head but you have no clue what its title is or who sings it. SoundHound is the cure to those infectious unknown jams. Sing into your Android device or tap out the beat and SoundHound will search its huge database to match up the music that is on your mind. From the tip of your tongue to the tip of your finger tips, SoundHound is the ultimate device for identifying music.

Pandora (Free)

Our favorite streaming music app for every platform delivers customizable radio complete with album art and a rating system that lets you fine tune every station to your liking. Unlike the iPhone version, the Android version also lets you multitask while you listen.

Watch ESPN (Free)

Depending on your TV and/or Internet provider, this handy app will let you stream ESPN networks directly through your phone. This app won’t work for everyone, but those who can get it to work will no doubt love being able to stream ESPN, ESPN2, ESPN3, and ESPNU through their Android devices. For it to work, you must have cable with Brighthouse Networks, Time Warner Cable, or Verizon FiOS TV; Comcast is notably not included. If you don’t have TV with those networks but have Verizon FiOS Internet, you’ll have access to ESPN3 only. With access, users can live stream all the important sports games of the year plus watch live analysis on shows like SportsCenter, Mike & Mike, and SportsNation.

Spotify (Free)

The Spofity Android apps allows premium Spotify users to take their streaming experience on the road. You can stream any music from the service including your own playlists, but if you are worried about using up too much data, you can also make them available offline, allowing you to listen to them without needing an Internet connection.

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