The Music Never Dies: The Best, Coolest and Weirdest iPhone Music Apps

Pandora iPhone App Screenshot

One of the biggest selling points of the iPhone for me was that I didn't have to take my phone, a giant brick Treo, and my iPod video on every trip I went on. Having the functionality of them both combined was enough for me to be one of those nerds, I mean Apple fans, in line to get the first iPhones. Since then the app world has exploded more than I ever thought possible and there seems to be no end to what's coming next.

Whether you're looking to track your finances, plan a trip, find something to eat or listen to some tunes Apple has you covered when it comes to apps. Since its set up to deliver music the iPhone is great when it comes to tune related apps. It's no wonder they are some of the most popular amongst the tens of thousands out there.

Using my extensive expertise and devoting weeks of my existence to the task, I have complied what me, people around me and the iPhone community in general think are the best music related apps out there. They are in no particular order and there is no accounting for taste. I make no guarantees and offer no assurances. If you don't like it you can leave a comment telling me how stupid I am but I have a blog and you don't so you're going read every damn word I have written about it!

Pandora: Pandora is a website that learns from your musical likes and dislikes and streams music it thinks you will dig right to your desktop. You can organize music into channels and vote on new songs they throw your way to help refine their future selections. Most of the time it's dead on; except for that time it try to add Luther Vandross to my Foo Fighters channel. Seriously, Pandora? But I digress; Pandora's app is a must have for the music lover as you can stream music wherever you go. Even on the Edge network it's pretty responsive. Now you can waste time away from work listening t music also.
Cleartune: I have zero, let me repeat that with emphasis zero, musical talent. For those that do and need to tune their guitars, woodwinds, brass or string instruments Cleartune allows you to knock out some notes and see what you need to do to get that music maker in tune. Pretty cool app if you're into that kind of stuff; I'm not.
Voice Memo: I downloaded Voice Memo to, wait for it, record voice memos but I guess people use it to record themselves singing. Please see the above and note that I would never punish myself or the world by recording me singing but I can see how people would like this. You can also email or share your creations over MMS. Next stop, American Idol.
Shazam: This was the first app my wife downloaded and she loves it. Shazam lets you hold your iPhone up to any music source and the app will identify the music. In a classic capitalistic move you will also be given the chance to buy that song from iTunes but this app is extremely helpful. Sometimes not knowing what the song is called or who it is by drives you up the wall. If you're stuck in the middle of a radio block the DJ might not mention it. I've had days of flirting with lunacy because I could not figure a song out. Shazam is a life saver and something fun to play with.
Ocarina: You might be shocked by this, but I spent a lot time playing Zelda when I was younger. I know, I know I just don't fit the bill right? Well my favorite version of the Zelda saga was "Ocarina of Time." Our elf hero, Link, had to play different songs on his Ocarina, a flute like instrument, to warp through time and solve puzzles. So when I saw this app I had to give it a run. It's pretty cool and mildly entertaining even after owning it for a few days. You take your iPhone and blow into the microphone like it's a real instrument. You then move your fingers on the screen to make different notes. You can play set songs or come up with your own jams.
Sirius XM Premium Online: If you have a paid subscription to Sirius or XM then this app is worth it. You can get your favorite music and talk radio shows beamed right to your iPhone with this app. This way you make sure to listen to the Oparah channel all day; yeah, that's right I don't buy that you got Sirius just for Howard Stern!
Shoutcast: Why pay for satellite radio when you can get free radio stations streamed from around the world with the Shoutcast app. This radio-streaming app brings music and talk of every kind right to your iPhone. It's pretty cool and has a lot of imitators in the app store. While I can't intelligently say anything about the others I have always used Shoutcast and dig it the most. Rock on.
I am T-Pain: Do you ever wonder how no talent ass clowns become pop music icons? It's not because of talent; I will guarantee you that. It's technology stupid. A decent producer can find a pretty face or train wreck of the month, have some songs written for them, slap some professional musicians and back up singers behind them and smooth it all over with computers. If Paris Hilton can cut a track I'm pretty sure anyone can. I can't say I know a lot about T-Pain or his music but just like me you will be able to pick out that synthesized voice he has become "famous" for. Basically, it's the voice Stephen Hawking would pick if he wanted to sound cooler. Personally I would shoot for a Barry White computer voice. Oh yeah. Well with this app you can record your voice and manipulate it to sound just like this dude. You can then send it to your friends and they too can marvel how this guy is a millionaire.
Guitar Toolkit: If you're looking to learn one of the over 500,000 guitar chord variations out there then this app will help you along the way. Just make sure to thank Apple and the app maker when you accept your Grammy for best heavy metal album of the year.

Oh, the seemingly endless music apps out there just go to show that we can never get enough of music, ourselves and the combination of the two. Check these out if you haven't already!

Photo Credits: David Berkowitz