Music and Video
Audiogalaxy
Free
This music app, still in beta, streams all the music stored on your local home computer, for as long as the latter is turned on. Other functions include the usual shuffle, skip, delete, and create playlists. Get it while it's still in beta—and free!
DeaDBeef Player
This audiofile-approved music player supports numerous file formats, last.fm scrobbling, gapless playback, Internet radio, and an equalizer with 10 bands. Download the free plugin to get ALAC and WP4 playback.
Netflix
free but requires subscription from $7.99 per month
With the free Netflix app for Android phones, Netflix subscribers can watch any movie or television show from the instant streaming catalogue anywhere over a WiFi signal, as well as a 3G and 4G connections. This ability to watch movies and TV shows anywhere makes the $7.99 per month cost of a streaming-only Netflix subscription a little more worthwhile. The app requires Android 2.2 or later.
Movies
Free
Movies, by Flixster (some people know the app better by the developer's name), puts theater times, release dates for movies and DVDs, film reviews, and trailers in the palm of your hand. If, for example, you need to know the exact date that A Very Harold & Kumar Christmas will be hitting theaters, Movies can confirm the November 4, 2011 release. By default, the app pulls movie ratings from Rotten Tomatoes, although you can override this feature if perhaps you don't think The 400 Blows deserves a 100% critics' approval rating. You'd be wrong, but you can do it.
Pandora internet radio
Free
Of the music streaming apps available to Android phone owners, Pandora steals hearts for having very good quality streaming even over a 3G signal. Newcomers to the Android arena, including Slacker Radio and Spotify are earning more and more marketshare every day, but Pandora tends to be the most reliable, likely because it has a longer history running on Android.
Slacker Radio
Free
When we in the PCMag lab talk about music streaming services, Editors' Choice Slacker Radio always gets an extra nod. It serves up excellent audio quality, a well-designed interface, tight lyrics implementation, and load of customization options. Slacker doesn't have niche stations or deep social networking features, but it's still the music streaming service to beat.
Free with $9.99/month Spotify Premium
I don't even download music anymore. I pay $9.99/month for Spotify Premium, which instantly streams music from a 15+ million catalogue, create playlists, integrate local libraries, and check out other members' playlists. With Premium you can sync playlists to your Android device and play music offline, on the go. The app's interface is a minimalist adaptation of its desktop client.
Stitcher Radio - News & Talk
Free
For those of us who prefer podcasts and talk radio to music, Stitcher is an excellent app. You can listen to the news from a wide variety of channels and stations, as well as get all your favorite podcasts.
Ted Talks
Free
This unofficial TED app lets you search a video database containing over 1,200 TED presentations even if your device is not connected to the Internet. Alternatively, you can listen to the TedTalks radio-style audio stream, and bookmark and share videos on Facebook.
Uberhype for Hype Machine
Free
Uberhype is the mobile version of Hype Machine, beautifully designed by Dirty Water Labs. For the uninitiated, Hype Machine is a fantastic Web-based music streaming service that aggregates trending music from music blogs. Most of the songs are genre mash-ups. It combines a Twitter-like social sharing element as well.—Next: Best Apps: Best Apps 70-81: Games >
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