Upgrade Your Smartphone’s Music and Podcast Abilities This Weekend

Smartphones are the go-to music player for most of us nowadays, but the built-in options aren't necessarily the best. This weekend, upgrade your listening experience with some new apps, tricks, and audio gear.

Get a Better Music Player

The default music player on your Android or iPhone only does so much. Fortunately, there are plenty of alternatives. On Android we prefer PowerAMP for its powerful equalizer, handy tag editor, broad file compatibility, and many customization options. On iOS, our top pick is the default player but many of us prefer alternatives likePanamp for its amazing playlist support andTrack 8 for its elegant Zune-like interface. In fact, if you prefer the Zune look but have an Android, Noozy offers the same style and plenty of great features.

Supplement Your Music Collection with Streaming Apps

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We've had plenty to say about streaming music, with several services just starting to grow out of infancy and into real, usable solutions. While some of us believe these streaming services have a long way to go before they can replace our music libraries, that doesn't mean streaming services don't work wonderfully as secondary collections.

Google Music is a great, free way to create a secondary online library. The web-based player works extremely well, and the Android app makes it a great option for your smartphone. While iOS users can download an unofficial app known as Gmusic, the experience isn't nearly as good as it is on Android. That said, Amazon Cloud Player works wonderfully on both mobile operating systems. While it costs $25 per year, it'll match your music collection with Amazon's so you don't have to upload every single file. Additionally, the cloud-based app also has access to your local library in addition to your cloud library so you can access everything without switching around. Of course, these services are best utilized for streaming the music you can't fit on your phone. If you want music you don't even own, you'll have to sign up for Spotify or Rdio. Neither service is perfect, and both cost a monthly fee to enable mobile streaming, but broaden your listening options significantly.

Customize Your Podcasts

Music isn't the only great thing to listen to on your smartphone. Podcasts are awesome, too (like ours). Listening to podcasts on your phone is so much better when you have a great app like Doggcatcher for Android orDowncast for iOS. Both apps allow you tocreate custom topic-based playlists so you essentially have on-demand talk radio stations at your fingertips. If you listen to a lot of podcasts, this is a great way to organize them and hear the lastest on any topic that you choose.

Get a Great Pair of Headphones (or Upgrade Your Old Ones)

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You generally listen to music and audio content on your smartphone when you're on the go, and its built-in speaker isn't going to cut it. Neither are the earbuds it came with, in most cases. You need a better pair. Fortunately we have our top picks as well asfive great suggestions in our latest Hive Five, but full over-the-ear style headphones might feel a little bulky for some. We like theMonoprice 8320s for a cheap pair of earbuds. Personally, I'm fond of the Bose MIE2i (though the bass leaves a little something to be desired and they're kind of expensive). If you need a pair for running, Gizmodo has several good suggestions. Regardless of what you pick, an external amplifier can improve the sound even more. If you don't want to buy new headphones but want to upgrade a pair you already own, there are many headphones hacks to help you out, too. Sometimes a good DIY upgrade can get you a lot more than spending a bunch of money on a new pair.

Happy Friday! Have a great weekend everybody!