OpenMusic Is the New Name for SimpMusic

A music app becomes much less useful when pressing the lock button stops playback, switching to another app interrupts a video, or lyrics are nowhere near the song. People who want music, video, playlists, and lyrics in one place often end up managing several separate tools.

OpenMusic is aimed at that problem. It is the continuation of SimpMusic under a new name, offering an Android music and video player with background playback, synced lyrics, playlists, podcasts, and Android Auto support. The important detail is that this is not a general-purpose offline MP3 player. Its main catalogue and account connection are tied to YouTube Music, with some support for YouTube content.

OpenMusic is SimpMusic under a new name

The product’s central message is the transition itself: SimpMusic has become OpenMusic, rather than being replaced by an unrelated app. The landing page describes a refreshed version of the original project, with changes to performance and additional playback features. For someone searching for the SimpMusic successor or the SimpMusic new name, that is the clearest reason to install it.

The app is free to use. The developer says its core player and community playlists have no advertisements. That makes the value proposition straightforward: keep the basic listening experience in one Android app without paying for access to the core features.

OpenMusic supports Android, with the landing page specifying Android 7 or later. There is no desktop or iOS version in the supplied platform list, so this is a choice for Android users rather than a service that follows you across devices.

The problem it tries to solve

OpenMusic puts music and video playback into the same interface. The stated feature set includes artists, albums, podcasts, curated playlists, mixes, and background playback. That last part is practical rather than decorative. You can continue listening while using another application or with the screen locked, according to the product page.

The app also targets people who want more control over how they listen. Its focus mode is described as a cleaner playback view, while adaptive themes can use album artwork or a black display. These are interface decisions, but they matter when the app is used for long listening sessions rather than occasional song searches.

Android Auto support extends the intended use beyond a phone held in your hand. The developer lists it among the app’s capabilities, although the supplied material does not explain which controls or vehicle displays are supported. That is worth treating as a claimed compatibility point, not a detailed account of the driving experience.

Lyrics are a substantial part of the app

OpenMusic gives synced lyrics more attention than a typical playback add-on. Lines are meant to highlight in time with the music, and the reading view can be adjusted for size, contrast, and scrolling style. The page also describes full-screen theatre mode, a karaoke overlay, and exportable lyric cards.

The sourcing model is per track, with community validation mentioned by the developer. That suggests lyrics may vary from song to song rather than coming from one consistently controlled catalogue. It also means the quality of a particular lyric display may depend on whether that track has been sourced and checked. The feature should appeal to listeners who actively follow lyrics, but it is not a guarantee that every song will have a complete or accurate result.

Accounts and network access shape the experience

Existing YouTube Music and YouTube playlists can be synchronised by signing in to those accounts. The landing page says this uses Google account services and that OpenMusic cannot access the account information. The practical consequence is that playlist continuity depends on an external account and service. Someone looking for a self-contained music player, or an MP3 music player for files already stored on a phone, should not assume OpenMusic is designed for that job.

The FAQ also acknowledges a few failure cases. Playback problems may require changing networks, and a session that produces a network error may need the user to log out and back in. YouTube playlists can contain unavailable songs because OpenMusic is mainly designed for YouTube Music, not ordinary YouTube content. The page directs users seeking that latter content to another app from the same project, NewTuber.

Those dependencies are the app’s clearest limitation. OpenMusic is not simply a local music library with optional online features. It expects a working connection, a suitable YouTube Music source, and, for playlist syncing, a Google account. Content availability can therefore be outside the app’s control.

OpenMusic makes sense for Android listeners who want background playback, synced lyrics, playlists, podcasts, and music videos in one free app, especially former SimpMusic users. It is a poor fit for iPhone or desktop users, people who mainly play local audio files, and anyone who wants a service independent of YouTube Music and its network or catalogue constraints.