Three Apps to Improve Your Music Listening Experience

It’s fair to say that over the past two decades technology has changed the way we listen to music far more than any band or record label. Starting with MP3s, digital music gave us access to more music than ever before. Then, with iPods, iPhones, iTunes, and eventually streaming services, music became available on an unprecedented level. Nowadays, you can listen to just about anything at any time.

But for metal lovers, our experience of listening to music is a little bit different to that of the average music fan. While pop fans may be okay with listening to a high quantity of random music, we’re more focused on the quality. We listen to the lyrics, as well as the musicianship of each member of the band.

There are several apps available which will greatly improve your metal listening experience. Start with this free VPN download to keep yourself secure online, then download the following apps.

VOX

The quality of music available on streaming services is not bad. It has certainly improved over the past few years, and with a good pair of headphones you will hear most of what the musicians wanted you to hear. However, there is a lot that is still lost when music is converted into MP4 or AAC formats. If you want to hear exactly every nuance the band and producers included, you need to listen to lossless or FLAC music.

TIDAL offers lossless music on its $20 per month tier, but you can get lossless music from other sources. If you’re using a VPN, you may consider torrenting it. But the best way to go about it is to buy directly from artists on sites like Bandcamp and use an app like VOX to play the files on your phone.

Genius

What was once known as Rap Genius has become the internet’s go-to for accurate lyrics and the meanings behind them. And as we all know, lyrics in metal songs are a lot deeper and more sophisticated than poppy songs about love and heartbreak.

Download the Genius app and you can follow along with the lyrics when listening so you don’t miss a thing. Genius users can comment with information from interviews and artist spotlights, along with any tidbits from a band’s lore that are relevant. You get a much greater appreciation for the lyrics this way, noticing every reference the lyricist intended for you to hear.

Ultimate Guitar

The Ultimate Guitar app exists specifically for guitarists to learn their favorite songs. It provides tabs for just about every song you can think of. But its best feature is “interactive tabs.” In interactive tabs, you can actually press play and hear a digital version of the music. You can silence the other instruments and listen specifically to the guitar or bass or drums. You can slow it down or speed it up.

Even if you don’t play guitar, or don’t intend on learning a particular song, this can be an enjoyable way to get to know a piece of music better. Find your favorite song and listen to the guitar part, for example, in isolation. You’ll get an understanding of the intricacies of the riffs, progressions, and solos that until now you’ve only appreciated on a subconscious level. Then, when you listen to the actual song again, your experience will be that much more satisfying.

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