shelf.fm vs BlockBeats
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
shelf.fm
Explore music by label and release year, offering a clean interface without promotional content. It syncs with your Apple Music account without altering it, requiring an Apple Music subscription to use.
- Full-featured alternative to stock music app
- Explore music by label and release year
- Simple, helpful interface
- No promoted top-40 music or hype
- Syncs with Apple Music account
- Does not alter Apple Music account
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A full-featured alternative to the stock Apple Music app. ¶ While you listen, check out other stuff that came out on the same label that year. ¶ Simple, helpful interface free of promoted top-40 music and hype ¶ Syncs with, but will not mess with, your Apple Music account ¶ An Apple Music account is required (free 90-day trial available)
BlockBeats
Stream millions of tracks from independent artists worldwide for free. Discover new music across diverse genres, support creators directly, and enjoy a premium listening experience with advanced playback features. No subscription or credit card required.
- Unlimited free music streaming
- Discover new and underground artists
- Direct artist support with $AUDIO tokens
- Background playback
- Queue management
- 5-band equalizer
- Sleep timer
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BlockBeats – Free Music Streaming Powered by Audius Discover a new way to experience music. BlockBeats connects you to Audius, the world's largest decentralized music platform with millions of tracks from independent artists worldwide. STREAM FOR FREE • Unlimited music streaming • No ads interrupting your listening • High-quality audio from verified artists • Access trending tracks, new releases, and hidden gems DISCOVER NEW MUSIC • Browse 30+ genres from Electronic to Hip-Hop • Explore curated playlists and albums • Find underground artists before they blow up • Get personalized recommendations based on your taste SUPPORT ARTISTS DIRECTLY • Artists keep 90%+ of earnings (vs 12% on traditional platforms) • Tip your favorite artists with $AUDIO tokens • Build real connections with creators • No middlemen taking your money PREMIUM LISTENING EXPERIENCE • Background playback - listen while using other apps • Queue management - play next, add to queue, reorder • Sleep timer with end-of-track option • 5-band equalizer with presets • Playback speed control (0.5x - 2.0x) • Crossfade between tracks • Lock screen controls PERSONALIZED FOR YOU • Radio mode for endless discovery • Recently played history • Like tracks and follow artists • Create and manage playlists • Dynamic album art color themes Built on Audius – the blockchain-powered platform where artists own their music and fans have direct access. No subscription required. No credit card needed. Just press play. Download BlockBeats and start streaming today. WHAT'S NEW (for version 1.0.0) ------------------------------ Initial release featuring: • Stream millions of tracks for free • 30+ music genres to explore • Background playback with lock screen controls • 5-band equalizer with presets • Queue management and playlists • Artist profiles and tipping support • Sleep timer and playback speed control
Screenshots
Verdict
shelf.fm and BlockBeats are too close to call on the numbers: across 8 compared parameters — price, rating, ratings volume and ads among them — neither pulls far enough ahead to decide it. What separates them is feature set and interface, not measurable difference.
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.
On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 5.0 for shelf.fm against 5.0 for BlockBeats. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 2 and 5 respectively.
| Parameter | shelf.fm | BlockBeats |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 5.0 (2 ratings) | 5.0 (5 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | — | 100.0% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 2 | 5 — better |
| Update frequency | — | Every 3 days |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 13.0 | 13.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 1 MB | 26 MB |
| Age rating | 12+ | 9+ |
| Developer | Chris Marstall | Rocky Ocean, LLC |
Customer experience
shelf.fm
BlockBeats
In-app purchases
shelf.fm
No in-app purchases
BlockBeats
No in-app purchases









