Play Ode vs JAM98
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Play Ode
Stream music and discover audio content celebrating Black culture. Access radio stations, podcasts, and a diverse music library including R&B, Hip Hop, and Gospel. Connect with a community and find the perfect soundtrack for your life.
- Music streaming
- Radio stations
- Popular podcasts
- Black Information Network (BIN)
- Diverse music genres (R&B, Hip Hop, Gospel, Jazz)
- Community connection
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Play Ode is the premiere music streaming app that celebrates and amplifies Black culture featuring radio stations, the Black Information Network (BIN), popular podcasts, and the music of some of the greatest artists ever! Connect with community, and discover new exciting audio content and music that serves as the soundtrack for your life. R&B, Hip Hop, Gospel, Smooth Jazz, Old School or Talk… it’s all easily accessed on the Play Ode app.
JAM98
Stream a diverse collection of music genres from the 70s, 80s, 90s, and today. Enjoy R&B, Soul, House, Disco, Classic Hip Hop, Jazz, Inspirational, and Steppers all in one convenient application.
- Music from the 70s, 80s, 90s, and today
- R&B, Soul, House, Disco
- Classic Hip Hop, Jazz
- Inspirational and Steppers music
- All genres in one app
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All your favorites from the 70's, 80's 90's & Today. R&B, Soul, House, Disco, Classic Hip Hop, Jazz, Inspirational & Steppers...All in one place...This is the last music app you will ever need...JAM98...Music For Your Soul.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is review sentiment: JAM98 at 100% against Play Ode's 50%. JAM98 also leads on rating (4.9 vs 4.6) and ratings volume (132 vs 17). Play Ode's advantage is ads (none vs shown) and update cadence (every 3 weeks vs every 5 months). On price, in-app purchases, device support and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.
Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS
Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
JAM98 holds the better App Store score, 4.9 against 4.6. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: JAM98 has 132 ratings behind it against 17, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 50% of Play Ode's written reviews are positive against 100% of JAM98's.
Play Ode ships an update every 3 weeks, JAM98 every 5 months. The most recent releases landed on September 17, 2026 and September 20, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Play Ode | JAM98 |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.6 (17 ratings) | 4.9 (132 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 50.0% of reviews | 100.0% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 17 | 132 — better |
| Update frequency | Every 3 weeks — better | Every 5 months |
| Ads | No — better | Yes |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free — better | Ad-supported |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 — better | 16.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 36 MB | 25 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 12+ |
| Developer | ODE AUDIO, LLC | Livingherstory LLC |
Customer experience
Play Ode
JAM98
In-app purchases
Play Ode
No in-app purchases
JAM98
No in-app purchases
