4 essential Android Auto music apps

Everyone enjoys listening to music while commuting to work and back home — unless, of course, you prefer to drive without any background tunes. Personally, I love listening to talk radio, some soccer talk and music from the 70s and 80s. If that doesn’t give you an idea of my age, nothing will.

With that in mind, which should you be using with Android Autowhen you’re bouncing around town, or shifting gears on the freeway? Here are some suggestions to get you started on .

1 YouTube Music

Google’s own tunes

I must say, I was very sad when Google Play Music closed and turned into YouTube Music. Although the replacement keeps the ability to upload all your own music, which is the standout feature of YouTube Music. For that reason alone, it makes it a must-try service. There is a free tier that isn’t overly intrusive either, but it really shines with a paid subscription. It’s easy to see and find your playlists when attached to Android Auto, plus it does a great job working with Google Assistant.

The mobile app is much better, and it’s a good idea to set up your music on it before getting into the car, which is true to varying degrees for all the apps on this list. The UX and UI could do with a bit of work since the items are small and require a second glance to make sure you’re tapping the right thing. However, in Album and Song view, the album/song covers are easily read.

2 SiriusXM

Stern and music

SiriusXM

A satellite radio service that offers nationwide coverage, diverse content, and seamless city-to-city listening experiences, enhancing long drives with a variety of channels and shows.

Paying for radio is an alien concept for me. As a Brit growing up with national coverage of ad-free music via the BBC, it was a gift that kept on giving. Moving to the US really showed me how localized radio isn’t much of a fun experience, especially on longer drives (which is all that I seem to do). So, SiriusXM really plugs that gap of having to find another station to listen to when driving between cities. If you have a car that doesn’t have satellite radio capabilities built in, you can stream from the app.

What makes this app brilliant is that the icons are large and easy to see when driving, something other apps could take note of. Of all music apps, the UX and UI are the best.

The Android Auto version of SiriusXM is really fun to use with Google Assistant. “Hey Google, play Howard Stern on SiriusXM,” and boom, you have your favorite shock jock talking into your ears in no time.

3 Pandora

Everybody’s shuffling

Pandora

An internet radio service known for its personalized music stations based on user preferences, offering both a free, ad-supported version and a premium subscription with enhanced features like ad-free listening and higher audio quality.

Pandora has been around for a long while; SiriusXM bought the company a number of years ago to add to their portfolio. It’s a similar concept to the radio stations already on SiriusXM. However, you can choose an artist, and a playlist is built on the fly.

So, add in Sting, and you will get similar music as well, in a playlist that will go on forever. What’s really cool is, when creating the radio station on the app, you can supply a number of additional artists to select for the station you’re making. Whammo, you have a fresh bunch of music to listen to that’s endless. For me, it’s the best of the bunch if you want a radio experience with very few ads and an endless supply of music.

Again, the free version will slip in an advert that’s really not intrusive at all. To be honest, I hardly noticed. A paid subscription removes that and gives you better audio quality and the ability to skip unlimited songs. Which for driving, you might want the crappy audio as a reduced bandwidth option, saving some of your “unlimited” data. Not that I noticed that at all; the audio is great for the car.

The UI is really simple and easy to use; for randomized music without the pain of making a playlist, Pandora really is a superb option.

4 Deezer

Moody music

Deezer

A music streaming service with unique social features, allowing users to add friends to playlists and offering mood-based music recommendations through its distinctive Flow feature.

Deezer doesn’t have the same library of music as other apps, like Spotify, for example. Saying that, it has most of the music I listen to regularly. However, it has some really cool features like being able to add friends to playlists and listen independently to those lists you build together. Cool. Like Spotify, it has endless playlists you can choose from certain genres.

There are also music quizzes to play if that’s your kind of thing. Sadly, that doesn’t work in Android Auto yet, maybe because it’s too distracting for drivers. One feature I really enjoy is the ability to play music based on your mood, with daily updates to playlists of music you might like. There is also an option called Flow. When tapped, you can choose your moody music. Options include Love, Workout, Chill, Sad, Focus, and Party moods. If Deezer plays a song you don’t like, give it the thumbs down and it won’t play that again.