Music Streaming Services

No need for new headphones: Audyssey Amp ($1) is an iOS app that makes music sound better through the magic of technology. The app tailors equalization settings and tonal balance to your specific headphones so that you'll hear crystal-clear, pitch-perfect audio without spending extra cash on expensive ear candy.

From Apple to Urbanears to Beats by Dre, Audyssey Amp has preprogrammed sound-quality settings for over 30 popular headphones. Listeners select the make and model of their headphones, connect their local iTunes music library, and play music through the Audyssey Amp to hear the highest-quality sound your iPhone, iPod Touch, or iPad can produce. But beware: the app won't play older DRM (Digital Rights Management) files purchased on iTunes before 2009.

If you use Songza, then you're in luck: the music-streaming service uses the Audyssey Amp technology right in their app. Download Audyssey Amp, give it a try, and let us know if you hear the difference.

When we say Internet radio, the first thing that comes to mind is probably Pandora, or maybe even 8tracks. But today, we're talking about radio — real radio, with stations run by live DJs and broadcasted using crazy tall towers and antennas, that just . . . happens to be on the Internet. TuneIn (free) gives listeners access to all that publicly available audio goodness via iPhone, Android, Windows Phone, and most recently, Windows 8 devices.

TuneIn isn't your grandmother's dial-in radio — the app has a search function that finds stations playing the song, artist, or sports game of your choice right then and there. With over 70,000 stations and two million on-demand programs, nearly every music, sports, and news program from around the world is listed on the app. Add stations, songs, and shows to Favorites for quick access to your most loved programming. Then set an alarm to wake up to those stations, or a timer to fall asleep to your favorite stream.

For hardcore listeners, TuneIn Radio Pro ($1) is well worth the upgrade. The paid version of the app works like a DVR for radio. Record any station as you listen or set timed recordings for your favorite programs.

Let us know what you think about TuneIn Radio and, as always, happy listening.

Since online music services are popping up left and right these days, there may be an industry veteran you've overlooked: 8tracks, an internet radio platform that streams playlists based on mood, genre, or both. The company, founded in 2006, unveiled a brand-new iOS app (free) this week with a completely new user interface and, for a limited time, no ads.

The app works beautifully, with full-screen album artwork and a bold new look. Playlists can be accessed through mobile devices or the web and are curated by real people, not algorithms. 8tracks takes the original mode of music discovery — personal, handcrafted mix tapes — into the digital age. Users create an online playlist with eight or more tracks (hence the name), and add tags so that listeners can search by different moods like "Summer," "chill," "party," or "working out."

And with 8tracks' freshly remodeled mobile app, listeners can stream "electro chill" mix tapes on the go to discover a wider range of music than any cassette could have ever handled.