Spotify and Apple Music are great music apps that support CarPlay, but they cost money (excluding Spotify's mediocre free tier). For some, it’s worth paying that price, but that money can add up. Plus, you might not be using most of the features that you’re paying for.
If you're using Spotify or Apple Music for podcasts, audiobooks, or discovering new music, know that there are plenty of free alternatives that still work with CarPlay, so you can continue jamming without draining your wallet.
iHeart Radio
Sometimes, I want to listen to the classic radio so I don't have to think about what to play. In these cases, I go with iHeart Radio. While most cars still have FM radio, iHeart works with cellular data, so you can listen without the static noise. And like FM radio, iHeart is free.
You can also listen to any radio station in any city without having to be there. That way, I can keep up with my favorite station in my hometown while living 800 miles away. It's also great if you're listening to a station with commercials, as you can switch to one actively playing music. With CarPlay, iHeart Radio allows you to save your favorite stations so you can quickly navigate between them.
Aside from the traditional radio stations, iHeart also has curated playlists similar to those on Spotify. You can listen to newly released songs, a specific genre, or music from any decade with ease. I find the playlists more diverse and exciting than Spotify, making it a great alternative.
Pandora
Pandora is a name that brings nostalgia to many, as it was once the most popular music streaming app. In fact, many are surprised to learn that Pandora still exists and is refreshingly simple.
As the years went by, Spotify and Apple Music took over, while Pandora remained largely unchanged. When Spotify got rid of its radio feature, I re-downloaded Pandora to see if it was as good as I remembered. Thankfully, it was even better. As I continued to use Pandora, I found that many of the stations are, again, better than Spotify.
While Spotify does have artist radio, Pandora Radio does a better job of surfacing new music. For example, Pandora will learn your music taste based off your skips and likes and also give you stations based on decades, sub-genres, and moods. Pandora also hides songs you don't like, so they don't come up again.
Comparatively, Spotify's radio plays songs by the artist you select and closely related artists. There will be a lot of overlap, and likes and skips also do not help tailor the radio to suit you. If you want a sub-genre station or a station based on moods, you have to listen to a user-made playlist, which can be hit or miss.
Pandora is also still free, with limited skips—but I’ve found that I rarely need to skip, as the stations are good, rarely have repeat songs, and even include lesser-known artists. Pandora is also better than Apple Music and Spotify at listening to stand-up comedy, if that’s your thing.
For me, the best feature of Pandora is that you can change the stations with your voice. This makes it a great driving companion. After all, Spotify and Apple Music don’t support that unless you use Siri (or Spotify's AI DJ), and it isn't as well integrated as Pandora's voice control.
TuneIn
Typically, sports fans don’t use Spotify or Apple Music, as there isn’t much for them. However, if you’re ditching one of those apps anyway and want to have something they don’t offer, you should consider TuneIn.
TuneIn is essentially a live sports radio app. It might be the only reliable one that you don't have to pay for. Whether you love the MLB or the NFL, you can listen to sports anytime, anywhere. If you have a favorite team, you can also listen to their live games, as well as pregame and postgame commentary.
TuneIn also features music and podcasts. Although it doesn't have as extensive a library as other apps, you can still enjoy music while listening to sports, and it has a better radio feature than Spotify. TuneIn also features news radio, political commentary, and investigative journalism, which replaces the need for most traditional news podcasts found on Spotify and Apple.
Overcast
Many people use Spotify for listening to podcasts, as it has every major show and even provides video for some. While Spotify allows free users to listen to podcasts, it tacks on extra ads on top of the traditional podcast ads. This is why many podcast fans are switching to Overcast. Overcast launched over a decade ago, and it continues to be user-friendly and free. Many users love how, over the years, the app has just improved without taking away features or making you listen to more advertisements.
When I re-downloaded Overcast, I was surprised at how similar and nostalgic it felt. When you download an app like Overcast, you start to see how apps like Apple Music and Spotify add a lot of unnecessary features. Personally, while driving, I prefer to keep my phone screen clutter-free and easily access podcasts when I'm safely stopped.
If you find yourself not able to ditch Spotify out of fear of missing your favorite podcast episode, consider downloading Overcast. After all, if you're paying for Spotify just for podcasts, you are overpaying. And if you're listening to podcasts for free on Spotify, you're getting unnecessary ads.
Libby
If you like audiobooks, you probably know about Libby. In fact, Libby is a great app to help you read more. It continues to add new titles and improve its interface, and the developers even resolved the app's former CarPlay issues, making it the best free audiobook app.
For those who don’t know, Libby is essentially a free public library app where you can borrow audiobooks. This was a turnoff for some, as Spotify and Audible let you listen to audiobooks without a time limit. They also typically had more titles and no limits on how long you could access the audiobooks. However, the process is more streamlined on Libby than it used to be, making it easier than ever to listen to a free audiobook. With Libby adding more titles and improving its interface, it's worth considering.
Although I have limited time to listen to audiobooks before they need to be returned, I find myself enjoying this feature. Primarily, it helps me finish an audiobook without putting it off. I don't listen to audiobooks often, but when I do, I prefer not to pay $10 for a book. Instead, Libby offers every book I’ve wanted to listen to for free.
For CarPlay users, Spotify and Apple Music are the typical choices, but they don't have everything. Both Apple Music and Spotify are missing essential features, and they are subscription-based. This might be worth it to some, but I think you should give these free apps a try—you'll likely be pleasantly surprised.
Source: https://www.howtogeek.com/best-free-spotify-apple-music-carplay-alternatives
