There's no doubt that Apple's sold a lot of iPhones in part because of the cachet of the iPod name itself. OK, so it plays music. And Apple's terms and conditions essentially forbid App developers from creating applications that compete with the iPhone's core functions, including music playback and sales.
You might think that this would leave the "music" category of the iTunes store a one-note wasteland. You'd be wrong, though.
Midomi & Shazam
Ever heard a song and not quite known what it was, or wished you owned a copy but couldn't quite name it when you were out and about? Try either Midomi ($5.99) or Shazam (Free). The price you pay for Midomi does give you a slightly faster music recognition engine in our tests, as well as the ability to identify songs by singing them yourself, although results can vary a bit depending on your mimicry skills.
Midomi Caption: Point Midomi in the direction of the music and watch it go to work
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| Shazam's interface is a little more basic than Midomi -- but it is free. |
Nova & Vega
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| We pity the Foo. |
The most recent iPod Nano might have brought radio to the iPod after far too long a wait, but if you're hankering after a little radio-style listening, there's no shortage of applications. On the Aussie home front, DMG's Nova and Vega (Free) apps give you streaming Australian radio, albeit with the warning that they use up to 30MB of data per hour. On 3G, that could quickly negate the whole "free" tag. However it's not worth having both, as they give you access to the same stations, just with different coloured backdrops.
Internet Radio Box
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| Even on Albanian radio, there's no escaping Nelly Furtado. Damn. |
If your musical tastes travel a little further, try Internet Radio Box ($1.19), with access to a claimed 30,000 stations across SHOUTcast, Icecast and RadioBOX.
Drum Kits, Pianos, Ukeleles, Bagpipes, Tombones, Theremins
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| Haven't you always wanted to be a Ukelele maestro? No? |
What if your musical tastes extend more to creation? There's no shortage of possibilities, although you will be mildly limited by the touchscreen interface's lack of real feedback. Whether you want Drum Kits of various types and prices, Pianos including some less serious than others or even Ukeleles, Bagpipes, Trombones or Theremins there's an instrument to suit.
Also in this series, Amazing apps for your phone:
Part 9: 6 of the best augmented reality apps
Part 8: Tick Tock, Tick Tock - Ten Time Telling Apps
Part 7: Score a shopping bargain
Part 6: Photography apps
Part 5: Get from A to B on public transport
Part 4: What's the weather like out there?
Part 3: Top 3 twitter clients for iPhone
Part 2: Here's how to get cheap iPhone apps
Part 1: How to make the most out of your iPhone's GPS
Buying an iPhone? Compare up to date plans from all major carriers with our mobile phone plan finder, and if you're after an iPhone, then check out the iPhone buyers guide.