# DS audio vs ListenNow+

The clearest difference is review sentiment: ListenNow+ at 82% against DS audio's 29%. ListenNow+ also leads on rating (4.0 vs 2.8). DS audio's advantage is ratings volume (206 vs 53) and iOS requirement (13.0 vs 17.0). On price, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

ListenNow+ holds the better App Store score, 4.0 against 2.8. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 206 and 53 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 29% of DS audio's written reviews are positive against 82% of ListenNow+'s.

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly every 3 months. The most recent releases landed on October 8, 2026 and October 14, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | DS audio | ListenNow+ |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [2.8 (206 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ds-audio/id321495303/reviews) | **[4.0 (53 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/listennow-plus/id6477358667/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **206** | 53 |
| Positive reviews | 29.1% of reviews | **81.5% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 3 months | Every 3 months |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Size | 39 MB | 74 MB |
| Requires iOS | **13.0** | 17.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple Watch** | iPhone, iPad, Apple TV |
| Age rating | 4+ | 12+ |
| Developer | [Synology Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/321493109) | [Shanghai Yanghe Culture Media Co., Ltd.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1548192867) |

## What reviewers say

### DS audio

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ds-audio/id321495303)

Stream your music library from your Synology NAS to your iPhone or iPad. Enjoy offline playback, organize music by various criteria, create and share playlists, and even rate your tracks. It can also function as a remote control for streaming to home stereo speakers.

**Highlights:** Stream music from Synology NAS, Offline music playback, Browse by albums, artists, genres, Create and share playlists, Rate music tracks, Remote control for home speakers

**Features:** Apple Watch app, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Streaming music from NAS
- 👍 Allows offline playback
- 💡 Integrates with home audio systems
- 👍 Provides access to entire music library

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Frequent crashes and bugs
- 🐛 Unreliable connectivity and login issues
- 🐛 Inconsistent performance and skipping songs
- 🐛 Outdated and cluttered user interface

**Reported bugs**

- App randomly closes or stops playing
- Fails to remember playback position
- Incompatible with latest iOS versions
- Issues with downloading and caching music

**Requested features**

- Add support for Dolby Atmos and surround sound
- Implement gapless playback
- Improve playlist management and editing
- Add search and sorting functionality
- Provide better integration with CarPlay and Chromecast


### ListenNow+

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/listennow-plus/id6477358667)

Stream music from Apple Music and access your personal media library via Subsonic or Navidrome. Enjoy features like crossfading, Siri integration, HomeKit lighting control, and lyrics display. Play music in your car with CarPlay and identify songs easily.

**Highlights:** Stream Apple Music library, Connect to Subsonic/Navidrome servers, Crossfading playback, Siri integration, HomeKit lighting control, Singing lyrics display, CarPlay support

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Siri integration

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- ✨ Beautiful UI design
- 🌟 Smooth and fluid experience
- 🎵 Excellent Apple Music companion
- 🆓 Free to use
- 🎶 Great for self-hosted servers (Navidrome, Subsonic)

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Frequent crashing issues
- 🐛 Songs not playing or skipping
- 🐛 Slow response times
- 🐛 Difficult to connect to Navidrome/Subsonic
- 🐛 Certificate invalid error

**Reported bugs**

- App crashes on opening
- Cannot add content to library
- Songs don't play or skip
- Playback issues on Mac
- App not working on macOS 13

**Requested features**

- Add content to library
- Fix crashing issues
- Support KTV/karaoke function
- Add YouTube Music integration
- Add Plex support


## Frequently asked questions

### Is DS audio free?

DS audio is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is ListenNow+ free?

ListenNow+ is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, DS audio or ListenNow+?

ListenNow+ is rated higher. DS audio averages 2.8 out of 5 from 206 ratings, while ListenNow+ averages 4.0 from 53 ratings.

### Do DS audio or ListenNow+ have ads?

Neither DS audio nor ListenNow+ shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, DS audio or ListenNow+?

DS audio ships an update every 3 months, and ListenNow+ every 3 months. Most recently, DS audio was updated on October 8, 2026 and ListenNow+ on October 14, 2026.

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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*