The Top 6 Best Music Streaming Apps to Listen to K-Pop
While there are numerous options for listening to K-pop music, finding a good app for listening to K-pop music on your smartphone can take time and effort.
Fortunately, there are many music streaming apps for listening to K-Pop music. Here’s a list of some of the best music apps to listen to K-pop on your Android or iPhone.
1. Spotify
Spotify is one of the best music streaming services for audiophiles. It has a massive song library and a diverse selection of K-pop music. It has an excellent user interface that makes it simple to navigate.
There is music from BTS, Ateez, Twice, Blackpink, Red Velvet, and many other K-pop groups. Furthermore, K-pop has its own genre, which you can find on the Search page. You can find a playlist you like without creating your own.
If you want to listen to something other than K-pop, Spotify has over 82 million tracks. Spotify allows you to listen to songs for free, but one of the differences between Spotify Free and Spotify Premium is that advertisements frequently interrupt you. To remove the ads, you must purchase the Premium subscription plan, which costs $9.99/month.
Download: Spotify for Android | iOS (Free, subscription available)
2. YouTube Music
YouTube Music is one of the many advantages of having a YouTube Premium subscription. YouTube Music, which has around 80 million songs in its library, offers all major K-pop songs. And the best part is that there’s a way for you to install YouTube Music on your PC, so you can still listen to your favorite tunes without your phone.
YouTube Music’s best feature is its recommendation system, which adapts based on your listening history. Furthermore, if you can’t find a specific song, it has a YouTube video, which you can listen to in the background with YouTube Music.
You won’t have to worry about missing out on your favorite K-pop artists like BTS, Blackpink, ITZY, Twice, and others. YouTube Music allows you to listen to music for free, but it contains advertisements. However, you can get the Premium plan for one month and then pay $9.99/month afterward.
Download: YouTube Music for Android | iOS (Free, subscription available)
3. Apple Music
Apple Music is an excellent music streaming service, even if you don’t own an Apple device. Its library contains over 90 million songs, including the best K-pop songs, albeit some may be unavailable due to regional restrictions. Aside from that, there is a dedicated K-pop genre where you can find your favorite artists and their releases.
There are many great Apple Music features you can try, but the app mainly stands out because of Lossless audio, Hi-Res lossless audio, and Spatial Audio. Furthermore, compared to other services, the user interface is quite appealing. Not to mention that if you own many Apple devices, this app will work flawlessly.
Apple Music is only available on Apple devices and Android smartphones, and a subscription is required. The subscription plan for Apple Music costs $10.99/month for everyone and $5.99/month for students.
Download: Apple Music for Android | iOS (Free, subscription required)
4. Deezer
If you enjoy listening to FLAC music, Deezer is an excellent choice. You can listen to some of your favorite K-pop artists and groups on this platform. Plus, like other services, it has a channel dedicated to K-pop fans, where you can find various playlists and artist specials.
Deezer’s algorithm curates playlists for you based on your listening history, but the recommendations might sometimes not be as good as what platforms like Spotify or YouTube Music offer. Deezer provides various audio-quality streaming options in various tiers. However, its top-tier Hi-Fi plan allows you to stream music in FLAC, equivalent to CD quality.
The user interface is more complex than Spotify or Apple Music, but it’s also easier to navigate. Deezer is a free service with some advertisements and 30-second previews. If you want to use all of its features, you can sign up for one of Deezer’s premium plans, which range from $9.99 to $14.99/month.
Download: Deezer for Android | iOS (Free, subscription available)
5. Tidal
Tidal is another music streaming app that offers high-quality music. Tidal has a K-pop genre where you can find playlists, artist spotlights, and other content. However, you may feel that the playlists aren’t as polished as other platforms.
Tidal presents itself as an artist-owned service. Every musician gets paid more than on other platforms. It has a simple user interface that is easy to navigate. Aside from standard audio streaming quality, you can also stream in FLAC and MQA.
Tidal is free to use but restricts you to certain features and is interrupted by advertisements. If you want to upgrade, there are two options: HiFi and HiFi Plus. The HiFi plan costs $9.99/month, and the HiFi Plus plan costs $19.99/month, with both plans offering a 30-day trial before you pay.
Download: Tidal for Android | iOS (Free, subscription available)
6. Mubeat
Mubeat is ideal for feeling closer to your favorite K-pop idols and groups. At the time of writing, the platform supports three well-known Korean television channels: SBS, KBS, and MBC. There are music videos from artists such as BTS, Blackpink, EXO, Twice, and many more. However, it does not allow you to listen to music without leaving the app.
You can also follow them and vote for your favorite songs on shows like Music Core, Show!, and others. If you want to watch the videos offline, you can download them with a premium subscription.
Mubeat offers free music video streaming but with limited features and advertisements. Mubeat+ is a $3.99/month subscription that removes ads and unlocks features such as video downloads, HD streaming, casting to other devices, and more.
Download: Mubeat for Android | iOS (Free, subscription available)
Enjoy K-Pop Music With These Apps
The Influence of K-Pop Music has been tremendous worldwide, and it has evolved from a music genre to a culture in and of itself over time. K-pop is one of many things Korea is known for, but you can explore more of their culture by reading some Manhwas or webtoons in your leisure time.