More than the sound of music

Mention the words "music" and "apps" and most people will think that you are talking about either those apps that let you play music on your device (like VLC player), apps that let you stream music on to your device (like Saavn) or still those that identify music that is playing in your vicinity (think Shazam).

But there is much more to the world of musical apps than these varieties. There are apps that serve up lyrics in perfect sync with the song being played, those that pick songs out for you based on your mood, and some that even convert your normal chit-chat into something that sounds right off a music chart. Here are six that just excel in going beyond the routine.

Nokia Music with Mix Radio
We know there are a lot of "radio" station apps out there that stream music on to your handset from the Web, but calling Nokia Mix Radio just a music radio would be a bit like calling the Taj Mahal a very nifty tomb. The app lets you not only listen to streaming music, but also lets you download songs you like and play them later, free of cost. You have lots of channels to choose from and can create your own channels based on artistes you like. And if you want sheer automated magic, then sit back and use the personalise feature to let the app create lists of songs based on your tastes and preferences. The catch is that it's available only for those who use Nokia Lumia phones. We are just hoping that it will come to other Windows Phone devices too.
Works on: Nokia Lumia
Available from: Windows Marketplace
For: Free

Musicovery Player
Want music to suit your mood and are not feeling upto trawling through the songs stored on your handset? Musicovery lets you listen to music based on the kind of mood you are in - all you have to do is plot your mood between the co-ordinates of Energetic, Positive, Calm and Dark, (you can place it between two of them too) and the app will then play the tracks that it thinks fits your mood the best. The app can also stream "recommended" music from the Web on to your device, if you sign up for a Premium Account (you can use it for 30 days free of cost anyway). We would have liked a few more mood options (and maybe even the choice to create one) but the idea of having coordinates between extreme moods is kind of neat.
Works on: iOS, Android
Available from: iTunes App Store, Google Play
For: Free

Disocvr Music
"I like so-and-so artiste. Now please suggest someone who sounds very similar" - if that is the system by which you go about listening to and exploring music, just grab this app. Discovr Music shows you artistes who are similar to the one you name. And it does so in a very interesting manner - similar artistes will be grouped around the one you have chosen like electrons around a nucleus, giving the whole thing a very "atomic" look. Tap on any of the other artistes shown and they in turn will become the centre of yet another small network, keep tapping and you will end up with a family tree like structure of artistes that you can explore. And you can also view profiles, videos and even reviews of the artistes' works as well as tweets about them from within the app itself. Perfect for those who know what they want and are hunting for something similar!
Works on: iOS
Available from: iTunes App Store
For: Rs 110

Songify
Yes, we know the app world is crawling with apps that let you make your own music by tapping the touchscreen, but you often have to spend both time and money to really get a hang of them. Which is why we love Songify - it just takes a few words you have uttered and converts it into something that a pop star would not mind composing. Songify does do its best to add musical effects to make even a normal conversation sound musical - and it is such a rage that many people used the app to even make music out of the recent US Presidential debates. All you need to do is speak into the app, choose the kind of effect you want and sit back and listen to the results. You can also purchase extra effects if you wish, but we think that you will have a load of fun with those that come with the app - just be ready to hear your voice being given the electronic treatment.
Works on: iOS, Android
Available from: iTunes App Store, Google Play
For: Rs 170 (iOS), Free (Android)

TuneWiki Lyrics
Play a song on your device and then within seconds get the lyrics of it rolling across the screen perfectly in time with the song, with words getting highlighted as they are sung. Not enough? Well, get them translated into another language (there are 40 options available at the moment for Android), get information about the artiste who composed them, find their leading fans, and share lyrics on Facebook and Twitter. Given the number of accents and the speed at which some of the songs are sung these days, we treasure TuneWiki's lyric-rendering quality above others. Perfect for those who think that words matter as much as melody.
Works on: iOS, Android
available from: iTunes App Store, Google Play
For: Free

Aweditorium
Just want to wildly explore new music? Aweditorium is the right app. Launching it shows you a wall of thumbnail images of new artistes. Tap on one of them and you go to a page with a large image of the artiste and the option to hear a number by them, read their profile, watch a video of the song, as well as their profile and the number of people who have liked them. You can also view videos of their numbers, and share links about on Facebook and Twitter. This is one spectacular app for those looking to discover new music. Our only major quibble is that it is available right now only on the iPad. And a word of advice - please use headphones.
Works on: iPad
Available from: iTunes App Store
For: Freeu00a0