Do you constantly find yourself not being able to make a decision because of too many choices?

This dilemma is actually preferable than having no choice at all. But this is still a clear example of paralysis by analysis. And this happens frequently to music lovers trying to find the best music streaming app—there are just too many choices out there.

Where to begin?

To answer the question of how to find the best media streaming app, you have to look at the range of choices. Of course, we know you’re the busy sort. So we’re doing it for you. Right down below, we will discuss, in some detail, some criteria in choosing which music streaming app works for you.

Consider These

• For Free or For a Fee

This all depends on the kind of budget you have (and whether you’re a spendthrift or cheap). There are apps that are free to download but need you to pay a subscription for you to start listening. There are also free apps that deliver free content. A good example is Pandora (http://www.pandoraapp.org/).

We’re not advocating one over the other. Both types of apps have their pros and cons. The subscription apps offer more features and no ads. It’s perfect for those who have complicated musical requirements and for those who are impatient. Otherwise, the free apps with ads (and other such annoyances) are par for course.

• Customization and Personalization Features

Music streaming apps vary in the degree in which the user can customize and personalize both the content and functionality. All the big players offer their users and subscribers with a degree of control to choose and customize what music they want played and when they want it played. As a result, users can create their own playlists and music stations.

Again, each app offers varying degrees of customization features. It’s up to the user to determine which works best for him. As an example, Grooveshark lets you pick and choose the music you want free. This lets you customize your playlist to your heart’s content. In other music streaming apps (like Spotify), this feature is for a fee.

• Sharing Capabilities

Not all apps allow users to share their playlist to other users. Before you decide on downloading an app, you can check whether they have sharing capabilities. The music streaming experience is made more dynamic when one can share playlists and can access other user’s playlists.

Through these sharing capabilities, the music streaming app takes on a social media component. People start connecting with each other through music when sharing is allowed in the app you chose.

• Content

An app’s breadth of choices is another criterion one looks for in finding the best music streaming app. A majority of the apps have most of the mainstream fare on offer. But there are a few out there who feature underground acts who have yet to hit mainstream recognition. If you’re the type to listen to the offbeat and obscure, then look for apps like SoundCloud.

Some apps go the extra mile and offer World Music choices to appeal to a broader audience. And some make it even easier for users by categorizing music into genre, artist, record label, etc.·

• Geographic Availability

Be sure to check whether the streaming service is available in your area or country. Some apps, like MOG, are only available in the US. Most apps offer their streaming service to Europe, South America, Oceania and some parts of Asia (aside from the US).

If you’re living outside the US, it’s important to consider the availability of the app’s services in the area where you live. But with the way technology progresses, these apps will no doubt serve all parts of the globe in the near future.

You don’t have to experience paralysis by analysis if you know how to go about making the right choice. Sure, there are probably hundreds of music streaming apps by now. But you can easily weed out the mediocre ones from the truly good ones. Again, to each his own. There’s no “best” app because one’s preferences should always be considered.

Author Bio:

Jimmy R. loves listening to music so much that he can’t help write about it. He is an advocate of music streaming apps, especially the free ones. 

The ubiquity of smartphones with cameras nowadays is already making it easier for everyone to try to become photographers. 

The advancement in the technologies used in cameras for smartphones and other mobile devices already allows everyone to take photos with great quality, sharpness, vividness, color reproduction, and dynamic range. Some are even capable low light shooters.

However, smartphone cameras are still not as capable as dedicated digital cameras. There are things you need to do to make use of their full potential. While smartphone cameras now are indeed already significantly better, you can’t expect them to match DSLRs or even decent point and shoots. It will be helpful to follow the smartphone photography tips below to achieve better results. 

1. Be familiar or properly acquainted with the camera application of your smartphone. 

Not every camera app is the same. You need to familiarize them to know what settings work best and how you can take the best photos using them. It’s not enough that you know how to press the shutter button, switch between photo and video modes, and view the photos you took in your gallery. You have to understand how the features work and learn the quirks of your smartphone’s camera hardware and software. 

Smartphone camera applications usually include “scenes” or “modes” that can help you take better snaps. If you are shooting a landscape with a great contrast difference between the two sides, you can benefit from using the HDR mode. If you are shooting kids playing or some event where a lot of motion takes space, using the sports mode will be advisable. On the other hand, if you are trying to get macro shots of flowers under bright sunlight, you may want to adjust the exposure settings to avoid blown out highlights. 

2. Clean your lens. 

This is a very basic step but not many are even bothered to do it.  Dirty camera lenses lead to blurry and less clear photos. You can’t snap vivid and sharp photos with dirty lenses. Be careful in cleaning the camera lens, though. You might scratch the lenses and cause a permanent defect on your smartphone’s camera. 

Avoid damaging your smartphone camera lens it by using a soft fabric to wipe it. In most cases, you don’t have to use any special cleaning agent. Simply wiping the lens with something clean and soft like a cotton cloth usually works. 

3. Know how to compose your photos. 

Ever heard of the “rule of thirds?” This is a basic in photo composition. With the “rule of thirds,” you will be imagining grid lines on your smartphone’s display. Many smartphone camera apps actually provide the option to show these grid lines so try using them if your imagination isn’t that great. 

Basically, with the rule of thirds, your goal is to take photos of people, flowers, landscapes, and other subjects wherein the horizon does not cut through the center grid line. The horizon can be described as the line where the prominent top (example: sky) and bottom (example: land) background elements meet. This rule is intended to guide the balance of a photo. 

4. Understand the role of light in photography. 

As mentioned, smartphone cameras are still not as excellent as dedicated digital cameras. If you want to take great photos, you have to find the right lighting conditions. It’s close to impossible being able to snap good photos without the right levels of light. You can try editing the lighting levels later on but you are unlikely to address the problem of noise on photos. 

5. Shoot something interesting. 

Many say even the most ordinary objects or scenes look great when captured by an outstanding photographer. This is true but if you are reading this article, you are unlikely to be an outstanding photographer who already knows a lot about photography. That’s why it’s still advisable to find interesting subjects to shoot, to come up with photos that are indeed interesting. 

6. Don’t hesitate to use camera filters or effects. 

Sometimes, the choice of a good filter or effect on your photo creates a big world of difference. This is particularly applicable to those who are using smartphones with inferior camera optics. If you can’t work on clarity and vividness, you can resort to filters and effects to come up with artsy-looking images that are not necessarily bright and sharp. 

You can make use of Instagram filters, for example. If you know the best ways to use Instagram on a computer, there shouldn’t be any reason why you can’t properly use filters and effects to capture interesting and eye-catching photos with your smartphone. 

Try these tips and see how they can improve the quality of the photos you take. They may sound simple but you’ll try them, you’ll see how AWESOME the results can be. 

Author’s Bio:

Jimmy R loves photography and exploring the different features of camera software or applications. He is particularly interested in Instagram’s potential in taking interesting and great everyday photos.