Alright, so what @voyageurdubois said has some merit. Let’s unpack this a bit more.
Spotify’s free tier is alright for online streaming but it’s garbage if you’re strictly looking to go offline. The offline playlists are pretty limited and honestly, they almost feel like they’re there to bait you into paying for premium. So, I’d probably steer clear if ur main thing is no data usage.
Evermusic is intriguing, especially if you already have a stash of music on cloud storage. Uploading your tracks to the cloud and pulling them into Evermusic can actually be gold. Not second coming maybe, but close. But be prepared to spend some time managing your library.
VLC Media Player though… yeesh. Unless you have a nostalgic love for transferring MP3s like it’s 2006, it feels like a clunky workaround. It’s reliable, sure, but man, it’s no fun.
Now, if you’re looking for something a bit more user-friendly, Musi is a decent bet. Sure, it’s primarily for streaming, but it does allow you to download tracks for offline use if you dive into the settings. Another app is Audiomack - now we’re getting somewhere. It’s free, and you can download songs for offline listening. Plus, it’s got some good stuff if you’re into discovering new music.
There’s also the more DIY route: the Files app on iPhone. It’s not a designated music player, but you can store and play basic audio files. A bit vanilla, but works in a pinch.
Anyway, bottom line? Free options are slim pickings in the offline department, but with some workarounds, you can muscle your way through it. Happy hunting.