Music is, hands down, one of the best things to have ever come from human beings. It's arguably the purest and most direct expression of the human condition. It comes then as no surprise that music means a tremendous amount to most people.

Even the most casual of listeners would be devastated to wake up in a world without. Could you imagine if music never was? We know we can't. Thanks to the internet, just about anything you want to hear is only a few keystrokes away, and the overwhelming variety of musical genres means that there's something out there for everyone.

Since music is such an impressive force, it's no surprise that there are so many apps devoted to the listening of it.  In fact, new apps like Special Guest App even makes it possible for you to book your favorite musician for your own personal listening pleasure.  

Since hiring a personal musician for listening pleasure isn’t something you can realistically do on a daily basis, we’ve decided to point you in the direction of finding the best apps for streaming music instead.

Here’s our list of the best.

Google Play Music/ YouTube Music

We’ve Included these two in one because Google has announced that the Play Music app and the YouTube Music app will be one and the same. Don't worry, though, the transition won't affect the collections of either app's users.

Google is just consolidating the two. Set to finish in 2019, the apps will slowly merge, allowing you access to the features of both. The app will still offer both a free and paid ($10 a month) subscription, so that's great news for those who have subscriptions to both.

YouTube Music is one of the biggest players in the game and 10 bucks a month is a steal for the features you'll receive such as access to a massive song database, customizable stations, ad-free music, a subscription to YouTube red, and plenty more.

Apple Music

While usually known for being ahead of, or at least current with, the company that revolutionized the music lovers’ world with the iPod was a little late to the game, but that doesn’t mean they didn’t come to play. Apple Music is a music streaming app with a staggering library of 45 million songs.

It's easy to see the allure here, right? With access to more music than you could listen to in one lifetime, it's a little overwhelming. Also offering features like custom playlists, and stations as well as a host of talk shows and the like, it's no surprise that Apple is still one of the top players in the game.

Though they don't offer a free service, their subscriptions range from just $5-$15.  

Soundcloud

Soundcloud was one of the first to offer a place for fans and artists alike devoted solely to music. The social music site allowed artists who didn't have the means, nor exposure, nor the backing of a label to upload their songs for others to hear. And they did it for free, and still, do.

While artists can pay to have their songs promoted, Soundcloud is still entirely free for listeners. There's never any telling what you can find here, be it comedy, music, or talk show, but one thing is for sure, you'll always find something new. That being said it's easy to see why Soundcloud is deserving of its place on this list.

Conclusion

So' there you have it! While there are countless music apps available, most are nowhere close to these three with regards to scope, range, or value. Music is something that every culture on the planet has been making since time immemorial. A commonality in the ancestry of every human on earth. Music is a way to both express individuality and relate to the whole. Music is life. Rock on!