Music streaming service with offline capability

[dorlow]

I've been using Slacker/LiveXLive for years and it worked great. I got a new phone, and for whatever reason when listening to offline music, it plays one song then pauses. I have to hit play for every song. I've uninstalled the app and rebooted the phone and it didn't help. Same issue.

So now I'm trying to find another similar service. I'm trying Spotify and Pandora premium. Spotify you need to download a playlist. With slacker, it was like a radio station. The DJs picked the songs and changed them regularly. I don't want to listen to just one playlist over and over.

Pandora so far I haven't been impressed. Yesterday for whatever reason, I was listening to offline and it kept playing the same 6 songs over and over.

Any suggestions of maybe another service that works better?
The app has to have offline capability. I listen to music at my work desk all day and I don't have any cell signal at my desk.

 

[dorlow]

Well today listening to Pandora all day at work it worked better. It had more than 5 songs. But I did hear duplicate songs played many times during the day.

 

[Milo Willamson]

Google play music, if you chose to click on download only, it does play them offline

 

[puppykickr]

Can you use Wi-Fi from your work?

 

[dorlow]

Can you use Wi-Fi from your work?

Kind of. My company has a guest wifi, but for some reason, my phone disconnects frequently from it. All my phones in the past also had this issue and I believe my coworkers have the same issue. One of my coworkers says his disconnects a lot unless he's streaming music. Then it stays connected for him. It hasn't worked that way for me.

 

[puppykickr]

Have you tried using the same app as your coworker?

Perhaps a VPN would help you to stay connected. At my doctor's office the internet boots me off often, unless I use a VPN. I use Windscribe, and it tells the internet that I am in France. Everything that their firewall blocks is now open, and I don't get booted anymore.

Or, you might try using MusicPipe (music only) or NewPipe (videos and music) that will allow you to stream music/videos from Youtube.
Both of these allow the use of Youtube while blocking ads and allowing background play.

Another streaming app that I use is called RadioDroid, from F-Droid. It is very stable and allows me to listen to online radio broadcasts from around the world. It also allows me to record if I so choose to. A nice companion EQ is called EQ FX.

Or you can get a great music app (I love BlackPlayer- version 2.15 is ad-free and it has an excellent equalizer.) and load your music onto your phone.

Both Equalizer FX (it is called EQ Ecualizador FX) and BlackPlayer are available on UpToDown.

I am a sound guy by trade, so I know how frustrating it can be when the music stops.
Almost as frustrating as when it repeats.

 

[dorlow]

I just signed up for Nord VPN. Well see how that works. Thanks.

 

[dorlow]

So I tried the VPN on the guest wifi today and it did stay connected way longer. But I was still disconnected from wifi a few times today.

 

[Milo Willamson]

https://www.videolan.org/vlc/index.html Have you give this a go, I had it for many years now, I think around when I got my Chocolate LG touch, it was an amazing experience, even without dropping much on wifi either.

 

[dorlow]

So today I was dropped quite a bit while connected to the VPN. About the comment to try vlc.... not sure why that would help. That's a media playing app.

 

[Milo Willamson]

So today I was dropped quite a bit while connected to the VPN. About the comment to try vlc.... not sure why that would help. That's a media playing app.

Sorry . Just too busy nearly half of the time.

 

[puppykickr]

So today I was dropped quite a bit while connected to the VPN. About the comment to try vlc.... not sure why that would help. That's a media playing app.

I think that it (VLC) can stream as well.

Did you try RadioDroid? It is stable even with my ol'lady's crappy Wi-Fi.

Also, you might try using different locations through your VPN.
Some connections may be better than others.

 

[dontpanicbobby]

You cannot use offline unless you pay for the stream. Those days are well over.