Like Spotify, But Free: A Little-Known Alternative
The world of music streaming has clear market leaders: Spotify, Apple Music, Tidal, and Deezer - all services with huge catalogs, but which require a monthly subscription. Spotify has recently raised its prices significantly, in some cases up to 22 euros per month. A trend that the competition is likely to follow soon. Even the widely advertised "free" feeling usually ends after 30 days, when the trial month turns into a regular subscription. But there is an alternative that many people have missed out on until now - and which delivers on two promises at once: free and ad-free. Millions of songs, available at any time.
Nonoki - The Underrated Spotify Alternative
The insider tip is Nonoki. The streaming service has been on the market since 2022, but it has only had around half a million users so far. By comparison, Spotify has more than 600 million. The principle is surprisingly simple: Nonoki is free, does not advertise, and, according to its own information, offers access to around 80 million songs - a repertoire that can compete with that of the big players. In addition to individual tracks, complete albums, curated playlists, and even music videos are available.
A major difference to the free Spotify offer: Here, users can skip as many tracks as they like. No artificial limits, no commercials between two songs - simply music on demand. Nonoki is available as an app for iOS and Android (as an APK) as well as a desktop version. The interface is clearly structured, modern, and minimalist. The first tests in 2022 were already positive in terms of clarity. However, one point of criticism remained: The user experience does not reach the maturity and stability of the major streaming platforms in all areas.
Radio Instead of Playlists - Basically the Same Thing
There are other free alternatives for those who don't want to listen to music specifically, but would rather discover it. One example is Radio Garden, an app that enables users to map radio stations worldwide. The virtual globe on the smartphone display can be rotated freely, and a different station opens with every tap - from jazz from New Orleans to pop from Tokyo.
Numerous other radio apps for Android and iPhone do not require a subscription or advertising. They are an exciting addition for users seeking variety over a fixed playlist.
Looked into this, but saw this at the end of another article.
There will be a paid subscription in the future, for which no date or price has been set yet, but the free version will still be there and although it will contain some publicity, this will be “unintrusive”, said Zehr.
I gave it a quick try. The playlists section needs significant improvement, and some major tracks could use better search and discovery. Overall, I like that it works.