The arrival of an official Songza app on Windows Phone means that consumers in the US and Canada have another option for streaming free music content to their smartphone. Songza provides an experience that is similar to Nokia Music in that it is based around the concept of consuming music via a library of hand crafted playlists. The service is free to use, with no listening limit, although it is ad supported.

The stand out feature of Songza is the Music Concierge feature which aims to deliver personalised playlist recommendations based on the time of day and mood of the user. For example, in the morning you'll see playlists based around "waking up" or "singing in the shower". You can also browse music playlists through a more traditional genre, moods, and decades based directory.

Once you have selected a playlist the standard music controls let you play, pause, and skip tracks. There's also an option to thumbs up, or thumbs down, a track, which helps Songza improved playlists for future users. The Songza service is available across multiple platforms (iOS, Android, Windows) and all the app includes the option to sync your recent and favourite playlists via the cloud. That means Songza is a good choice for those who listen to music across multiple devices (PC, tablet, smartphone).

The Songza service had previously been available on Windows Phone, thanks to the third party Songza app from Andrew Ovens, but the arrival of an official app is always to be welcomed given the inevitably difficulties that an unofficial app can face. There's an ever increasing amount of competition in this space, with the likes of Spotify, Xbox Music, Deezer, and more all available on Windows Phone. 

Your preferred music service will likely depend on your location (most apps support only a limited number of countries), your listening behaviour (streaming radio versus specific tracks), and your music tastes, but the plentiful options should mean it is possible to find something that meets your requirements. In terms of streaming radio type services Nokia Music continues to be the best choice for Lumia device owners thanks to its ease of use, support for offline playback, and price (free, with no ads). In terms of streaming tracks (i.e. premium services) the choice is less clear cut, although the Xbox Music does make a lot of sense if you are committed to the Microsoft ecosystem in other areas.

Windows Phone Store description:

Working? Relaxing? At the gym? Songza plays you the right music at the right time.

- Free, with no listening limit.
- Let Songza's 'Music Concierge' find the right music for your moments.
- Browse a curated playlist library organized by activity, genre, decade, & mood.
- Stream thousands of original playlists handmade by music experts.
- Save your favorite playlists & share them via Facebook, Twitter or email.

Songza is a free download from the Windows Phone Store.