Verithiathe honest score on any app
Updated July 2026 · real, multi-region App Store reviews
Head-to-head

nugs vs Relisten

nugs 4.8★ · Free + IAP 65
Winner Tie
Relisten 4.9★ · Free to download 60

Relisten offers a free, extensive library of live music, making it ideal for budget-conscious users despite recent stability issues, while nugs provides a more polished, albeit paid, experience with better sound quality and exclusive content, but is plagued by aggressive review prompts and some functionality gaps.

Full reviews: nugs · Relisten

nugs and Relisten both cater to live music fans, but with different approaches. nugs offers a paid subscription for high-quality audio and video, but users complain about persistent review prompts and some app functionality issues. Relisten is free and provides access to a vast archive, though recent updates have introduced significant bugs and stability problems.

Head to head

Features & Content edge: nugsR11R14R44R46
nugs nugs is praised for its extensive range of music, quick uploads, and high sound quality, with users appreciating the ability to listen to shows from years ago and access livestreams R11R14R44R46. However, some users note a lack of variety in livestreams, particularly an abundance of 'Goose' content . There are also complaints about advertised shows not being available and the inability to download purchased shows for offline play without a subscription .
Relisten Relisten is lauded as a 'holy grail' for live music, offering access to every show on archive.org, including the ability to download shows for offline listening . Users appreciate the vast library, with some specifically mentioning the inclusion of Phish and Dead shows . However, recent updates have led to issues like missing venue and location info , a broken 'Today in History' feature , and some shows becoming unavailable due to filters .
Ease of Use & Interface edge: nugsR29R3R32R1
nugs nugs is described as 'easy to navigate' R29 and having a 'crisp, clean, refreshing' interface R3, with some users noting improvements to the app R32. However, there are significant complaints about the lack of sorting options for playlists, requiring manual dragging of songs R1. Search functionality is also criticized as limited, especially on the Apple TV app R21. A recent update also broke CarPlay functionality, preventing manual song selection and starting albums from the beginning .
Relisten Relisten's UI is generally appreciated, with some users calling it 'elegant' and 'beautiful' after updates . However, recent updates have introduced major usability issues. The new search is described as 'awful', requiring users to scroll through the entire catalog R67. Many users report that the app is 'not intuitive' R70 and that CarPlay functionality has been lost or is not working R63R72R73R78. The ability to skip to specific parts of a song is also broken .
Reliability & Performance edge: nugsR6R58R7R16
nugs The nugs mobile app generally 'works well' R6, with users praising its stability R58. However, playback through the web has been 'finicky for years' R6. More critically, some users report the app 'drops 12 times a day' R7, 'hangs, buffers, doesn’t resume properly' R16, and videos 'constantly skip' . Recent updates have also caused login issues, leading to blank screens .
Relisten Relisten is currently suffering from severe reliability issues following recent updates. Users report the app 'constantly freezes and crashes' R67R70, 'frequently fails in its most basic function as a music player' R64, and stops playing after a couple of songs . A common bug is playing two different parts of the same song simultaneously R71. Some users also experience 'no internet' errors even on downloaded tracks .
Price & Value edge: RelistenR15R21R14R17
nugs nugs is a paid subscription service, with users mentioning prices around $14.99 a month R15 or $25 a month for video R21. Many users find the subscription 'worth it' R14R17R44, especially for the range of music and recordings R44. However, some question the value, comparing the price to video streaming services while only getting audio R15. There are complaints about prices constantly rising and being forced to upgrade for video-only shows R15.
Relisten Relisten is a free app . Users highly value this, calling it a 'gift' and appreciating that there's 'no cost, no personal data mining' . Some users, frustrated with the app's current bugs, suggest they would pay for a version that 'actually works' R70.
Support & Communication tieR2R4R10R13
nugs nugs users are overwhelmingly frustrated by constant, intrusive prompts to review the app, sometimes every time they open it, even after giving high ratings multiple times R2R4R10R13. This issue is so prevalent it significantly lowers ratings R13. There's also a serious complaint about being unable to cancel a subscription after a trial, with no in-app option or customer support connection, leading users to contact their bank . Some users also report being 'brushed off' or 'completely ignored' when requesting refunds .
Relisten Relisten's app support is reported as not working . Users mention that the 'shake to report an issue' feature no longer works . There are also reports of losing entire libraries of saved shows after updates, despite selecting options to keep them .
Pick nugs if

You prioritize high-quality audio and video streams, are willing to pay for a subscription, and want access to exclusive content and livestreams R14R15R44. You are less concerned about minor interface quirks or the occasional app drop, and you value a generally stable mobile app experience R6R29R58.

Pick Relisten if

You are a dedicated live music fan, especially of jam bands like the Grateful Dead and Phish, and want free access to a vast archive of shows . You are comfortable with potential bugs and instability, or you prefer to download shows for offline listening to mitigate streaming issues .

Evidence note: Many recent negative reviews for nugs are related to persistent review prompts, which significantly skew its recent rating despite users generally liking the app. Relisten's recent negative reviews are heavily focused on critical bugs introduced in recent updates, impacting core functionality.

Frequently asked

Is nugs free to use?
nugs is a paid subscription service, with users mentioning prices around $14.99 a month for audio or $25 a month for video, though it is free to download R15R21.
Does Relisten support CarPlay?
Relisten previously worked with CarPlay, but recent updates have eliminated its ability to work with CarPlay, with many users reporting it no longer shows up or functions correctly R63R72R73R78.
Why are nugs users giving low ratings?
Many nugs users are giving low ratings primarily due to constant, intrusive prompts to review the app, which appear every time they open it, even after they have already rated it highly multiple times R2R4R10R13.
Are there issues with Relisten after recent updates?
Yes, Relisten has significant issues after recent updates, including constant crashing, freezing, songs stopping playback, playing two songs simultaneously, and the loss of saved show libraries R64R67R70R71.

What reviewers actually said

Built only from these 120 real reviews (foreign ones translated). Superscripts jump to the quote here. Apple has no per-review links, so [ref] opens that app's reviews on the App Store.

  1. [R11] nugs 5/5 · US Nugs: Definitely spot on for all your favorite bands you can’t see or travel too. Scratches my itch
  2. [R14] nugs 5/5 · US Worth it: This is the best idea ever! I’m so much happier just listening to all the shows I want to go to instead of feeling like I can’t afford the tickets and travel
  3. [R44] nugs 5/5 · US So worth the subscription price: Nugs has really blown me away with how the range of music & recordings offered. I can listen to shows I went to in my little college town from 10 YEARS AGO. Love the modern world of music apps & nugs is tops
  4. [R46] nugs 5/5 · US Excellent: Finally pulled the trigger on this app and I can’t believe I didn’t do it sooner- so good! So much music on here I didn’t even expect! Thank
  5. [R29] nugs 5/5 · US Great App: All my favorite live music, easy to navigate.
  6. [R3] nugs 3/5 · US Obsessed Hobbyist: Crisp,Clean, Refreshing
  7. [R32] nugs 5/5 · US New and improved: Such a great improvement to the app in every way.
  8. [R1] nugs 2/5 · US No “Sort” option for Playlists: The only way to sort/arrange songs in a playlist is by manually dragging each song, one-by-one, from the very bottom of the playlist where they’re added up to wherever you want it. If you want to sort alphabetically (Artist, Song Title, Album/Show/Venue), Recently Added to Playlist, or most importantly: Date of Show; you’re out of luck. Given the live music angle of
  9. [R6] nugs 3/5 · US Web Play Broken: Playback through the web has been finicky for years. Mobile app works well. Sad that ReListen is free and works better. Reconsidering the purchase of nugs
  10. [R58] nugs 5/5 · US Great music: Quick to upload and great sound quality.
  11. [R7] nugs 2/5 · US Ugh: App drops 12 times a day.
  12. [R16] nugs 1/5 · US Poor developer choices: The developers decided to implement widevine DRM, so it can’t be used on most daps. On my iPhone, app doesn’t do gapless consistently, hangs, buffers, doesn’t resume properly. Really poor design.
  13. [R15] nugs 3/5 · US Video Only Shows?: $14.99 a month is similar to Netflix, Disney+, etc streaming services that provide video… The fact that there are shows that are only video is unacceptable. Makes me wonder why I pay what I do when I can get most of the same shows on archive for free. Yes Nugs has better sound, but come on! This is a forced upgrade to an unreasonable price range. I am such a fan of the service a
  14. [R21] nugs 3/5 · US No search option for Apple TV: The app is really awesome on the IPhone, but what gives with the lack of functionality using Apple TV? You can’t search and there’s no choice between watching and listening. Pretty lame as I was excited to pay $25 / month to watch a lot of great concerts. However, I’m not interested in watching everything on my Iphone. I guess I could airplay, but why should I have
  15. [R17] nugs 5/5 · US Worth: It
  16. [R2] nugs 5/5 · US Great app: Please stop asking me to read it
  17. [R4] nugs 1/5 · US Stop making me review you every day it's obnoxious: Good
  18. [R10] nugs 1/5 · US Stop asking me for a review: Stop pestering me for a review
  19. [R13] nugs 1/5 · US Should’ve been 5 stars: Great great app. Cant believe all of the great music on this app. Definitely would’ve been a 5 star review but Nugs keeps asking me to rate it and apparently rating it 50 times is not enough to stop the never ending prompt.
  20. [R63] Relisten 3/5 · US When will CarPlay be available: Still missing CarPlay
  21. [R72] Relisten 3/5 · US Why no Carplay??: So, kudos for making the huge effort to revitalize this app, and enable migration of legacy files. However, the lack of real Carplay functionality limits its usefulness. Where does this stand on your priority list for implementing?
  22. [R73] Relisten 1/5 · US No CarPlay = 1 Star: Subject says it all. Please bring it back.
  23. [R78] Relisten 3/5 · US CarPlay doesn’t work.: Love your app! It’s great for listening to Phish, Dead etc. It used to work on CarPlay, but now it doesn’t show up. Are you planning on configuring it for CarPlay?
  24. [R64] Relisten 1/5 · US Frequently fails in its most basic function as a music player: Crashing, pausing, skipping, not saving your place. Been going on several years. Time to bail to another app.
  25. [R67] Relisten 1/5 · US terrible: app constantly freezes and crashes. the new search is awful ~ why not list by year like it used to do? now you have to scroll thru the ENTIRE CATALOG to find what you want!! waste of time ... your app is now shlt
  26. [R70] Relisten 1/5 · US Jammus Interruptus: Possibly the worst app I’ve ever used. Or st least on my phone. Right up there with Ace Hardware app (a noted joke). Just abysmal. Not intuitive. Constantly crashes. Plays double audio of the same track at different points. Randomly disconnects from server with zero actual wifi/cell service issues. Has mislsbeled Is it money you need? Just make a paid version that *actually
  27. [R71] Relisten 4/5 · US Perfection… except…: This app is great, but it still has its problems (as everything does). One big problem I have seen is that sometimes I will wanna Relisten to a transition from song to song or something of such. Sometimes it doesn’t fast forward to the point requested, other times it will play where it was fast forwarded to but also continue playing the other version, it plays the song 2 times

Synthesized from 120 recent App Store reviews · updated July 2026 · View on the App Store