View all Music Streaming Alternatives
Best Free Alternatives to YouTube Music Premium
Stop paying $10.99/mo. Discover professional-grade tools that won't break your budget.
Category: Music StreamingVerified for 2025
Top Recommended Replacements
RiMusic
FREEBest Overall Client
Why we like it
The actively maintained successor to ViMusic; features a beautiful Material Design 3 interface; supports background play, offline downloads, synchronized lyrics, and Android Auto; completely ad-free.
Keep in mind
Android only; requires side-loading (not on Play Store).
InnerTune
FREEBest Design
Why we like it
A visual clone of the official YouTube Music app but with better themes; supports caching songs for offline playback; blocks all ads natively; automatic volume normalization.
Keep in mind
Development pace can be slower than RiMusic; Android only.
SimpMusic
FREEBest for Spotify Converts
Why we like it
A unique client that combines YouTube Music's backend (for audio) with Spotify's metadata; allows you to use Spotify Canvas and sync lyrics while streaming for free; supports SponsorBlock.
Keep in mind
Newer project, so it may have occasional bugs.
Spotube
FREEBest Cross-Platform
Why we like it
Works on Android, Windows, Linux, and macOS; uses Spotify for discovery/playlists but streams audio from YouTube/JioSaavn to avoid ads; legitimate and safe (no cracked APKs).
Keep in mind
Cannot play 'Spotify Exclusive' podcasts; requires a Spotify account to login.
BlackHole
FREEBest High-Res Audio
Why we like it
Aggregates music from YouTube and JioSaavn; supports 320kbps downloads; clean interface with no tracking; allows importing Spotify playlists.
Keep in mind
Development has slowed down in 2025 compared to RiMusic.
NewPipe
FREEBest Lightweight Tool
Why we like it
Not just for music; plays any YouTube video in the background or Picture-in-Picture; extremely privacy-focused (no Google account needed); fast downloads.
Keep in mind
Interface is utilitarian (list-based) rather than a rich 'Music Player' experience.
YMusic
FREEBest Data Saver
Why we like it
Focuses on loading *only* the audio stream (saving 90% of data vs loading the video); excellent for limited data plans; auto-detects artist and album names.
Keep in mind
Closed source (unlike RiMusic/InnerTune); UI feels dated.
Vimusic (Legacy)
FREEDiscontinued
Why we like it
The original king of open-source music clients.
Keep in mind
No longer maintained as of 2024/2025; users should migrate to RiMusic for security updates and bug fixes.
Harmony Music
FREEBest Flutter App
Why we like it
A modern, fluid music player built with Flutter; supports YouTube Music backend; very smooth animations and theming engine.
Keep in mind
Smaller community than RiMusic.
Grayjay
Best Creator-Focused
Why we like it
Follows creators across YouTube, Twitch, and Patreon in one feed; supports background play and casting; built by Louis Rossmann to fight platform censorship.
Keep in mind
More of a 'Video Feed' than a dedicated 'Music App'.
Need more options?
Explore our full directory of Music Streaming software alternatives.
Browse the Music Streaming Hub