Napster Music Review

We’re surrounded with a lot of music and video streaming services nowadays. Everyone would like to watch a movie or hear a song in high-quality, but not waste storage space on his device or a computer. That’s because our generation is progressing fast, opinions change, and it’s very common to lose interest and start watching, reading or listening to a completely different thing the next day. For exactly those reasons, streaming services gained a huge popularity, and our Napster Music review should show you why many people around the world use it on a daily basis. Napster is certainly is among those on the top at the moment, both as a Web service, as well as an app for iOS and Android.

So what exactly does it offer to you? First of all, just like Google Music Play and other similar applications, there’s a free and a paid version, and we’ll delve into the differences in a moment. First, we’ll have to ask ourselves – why choose Napster over Spotify or iTunes? Is it cheaper, or does it have a set of feature others don’t? We’ll determine just that, as we analyze the interface and possibilities that are offered to us as users. Before we start, you should be aware that Napster used to be an app called Rhapsody, with a lot of users before getting a new name.

Napster Music Interface

Just like with many applications in use, the focus was shifted from design to functionality. In other words, it’s important to be able to use this app even on older phones – you shouldn’t have to buy the latest phone to enjoy relaxing music, that’s for sure. With that being said, it’s important to realize that it isn’t as straining to the eyes as Google’s contender, but it still has many white areas when it comes to design. Users keep suggesting a theme to be implemented, with Night or Dark mode, and that’s yet to be realized.

Most of us like to listen to podcasts or music before falling asleep, and a theme to suit our habits will be perfect. Other than that, the interface is pretty simplistic and contains only the necessary text and icons. The cover art is getting updated regularly, which means you’ll have an up-to-date library. We like that it’s extremely easy to navigate through the menus, and design has been thought out very well.

Napster Music Features

Before we continue, let’s discuss the matter of payment. The app is free to install and use, but the trial period will only last up to 30 days. In that time frame, you’ll be served ads, but they’re not too intrusive. However, after the trial period passes, Napster will automatically start charging a monthly fee, which ranges between 10$ and 15$, and the price varies. They promise an instant cancellation if you wish to do so, anytime and anywhere – whether a smartphone or web.

Paid version features

Once you decide to pay a subscription fee, Napster becomes ad-free, and there will be no more interruptions when listening. That’s actually a small price to pay, especially if you’ve been shaken up by an advertisement just when you were about to doze off. Additionally, another possibilities open up – unlimited streaming of music, as well as downloading and listening to music offline, whenever you want. Also, since Napster is a multi-platform app, you can play the same songs over an Apple device or your computer.

What’s best, the app is fully compatible with Sonos, Chromecast, Denon, Wii U, which means it’s extremely easy to stream the song over a TV in your living room, for example. Even though you shouldn’t give your phone to your toddler, some parents report allowing their kids to use Napster to play songs they like, which only goes to show how easy it is to use. It’s true that the kids nowadays grow up with technology all around them, and some don’t find that appropriate, but that’s the way it is.

Playlists and recommendations

Just like with most applications of this type, you’ll be able to group up your favorite songs into playlists, but you shouldn’t keep them to yourself! Make them public, and let followers grow because people recognize a good taste in music. Who knows – you might become famous inside a Napster community. The number of songs, the full playtime, as well as the number of followers, will be present.

However, if you’d like to keep them private, the ability to create separate playlists to use when cooking, working out, or just going to sleep is incredible. You’ll also see the icons to share the playlist if you wish so, or stream the music to another device. Finally, if you’re growing bored of current songs, their recommendations system will be very helpful. Based on the listening history you’ll be presented with artists and albums you just might fall in love next. In addition, a new feature has been added called Playlist Radio – allowing you to play radio stations that fit the music genre you like.

Pros and Cons

Napster Music is one of the best music downloading applications out there. After testing the app for several days and analyzing all its features, we have listed some of the best pros and cons of the app.

Pros

• Free to use for a month
• Both streaming and offline playing features are present
• The unlimited downloaded song play count
• Updated cover art and information
• You can group up your favorite songs into a playlist, then make the playlist Public or Private
• Great recommendations system based on your listening history
• Songs can be set as Favorite for easy access
• Simple, effective and easy-to-use interface and navigation
• Ability to stream to other devices via Chromecast and similar services

Cons

• The trial period lasts 30 days, you’re required to pay for the Premium version after that
• The family plan exists, but it isn’t competitive, other similar apps offer cheaper service
• Doesn’t have the ability to follow artists/bands and see their latest releases

Verdict

Napster Music has a ton of positive reviews, and while some people encounter glitches or bugs, the developers are active and doing regular updates. The Premium version isn’t expensive, but the family plan requires users to access the app from the same IP, and only one additional family member can be added for around 15$. Other apps give you 5 additional members for the same price, and those aren’t bound by IP: However, we’re sure the company behind it is working to resolve the pricing issue. Other than that, the app has all the basic features you’d expect from an app like this and is very user-friendly and easy to use, which makes it viable for elderly family members or new smartphone users.

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