Tech review: Music apps

High-quality music applications for smartphones and tablet devices have grown. From apps that stream Internet radio stations, to music detection and discovery tools, to concert video services, there is no shortage of apps that rock (and that appeal to other genres as well).

Band of the Day

(iPhone, iPod Touch, iPad; Free)

While there are myriad ways to listen to music from our favorite bands and musicians, it's harder to discover new recording artists. Enter Band of the Day, which showcases songs, videos, discographies and histories of -- you guessed it -- one new band each day. Developer 955 Dreams recently raised more than $3 million in venture capital funding and released a stand-alone iPad app.

Raditaz

(iPhone, iPod Touch, Android; Free)

While services like Pandora and Slacker set the standard for Internet radio websites, their frequent commercials can be distracting. I'm not sure how the folks behind Raditaz make money, but their apps and website have a library of more than 13 million songs that stream without any promotional interruptions. Like most Internet radio services, users can type in the name of the band or artist they want to listen to. From there, songs from that artist and related bands and musicians play continuously. Unlike stations that are programmed by algorithms, Raditaz has a decidedly human touch.

Hound

(iPhone, iPod Touch, Android; Free)

By now you are probably familiar with audio detection apps like SoundHound and Shazam that will recognize what songs are playing in your vicinity. But what if you have a song in your head that you would like to add to your library while on the go? Hound, developed by the makers of SoundHound, locates tracks simply through voice commands. Similar to the iPhone 4S's voice assistant, Siri, Hound reliably responds when prompted with the title of a song and/or the band/artist that recorded it. In addition to clips and purchase opportunities, the app beautifully displays entire videos from YouTube.

Spotify

(iPhone, iPod Touch, Android; Free, with monthly subscription)

If you want access to any particular song at any time, your best bet is to sign up for a music subscription service. Spotify arrived in North America last year with great fanfare, and for good reason. With 15 million tracks in its library, it is the most elegantly designed independent mobile music subscription available. While users of the web-based application can listen to Spotify for free with commercials, the apps for iOS and Android devices will cost you $10 per month but will spare you the promos.

Qello

(Android; Free)

Like concert videos? This app -- currently exclusive to Android phones, tablets and TVs -- offers hundreds of high-definition videos to view with a $5 monthly subscription. The developers are planning to dramatically increase the size of Qello's library and expand to iOS devices in the near future.

-- Appolicious.com,

Tribune Media Services