Updated

Listening to music is probably one of the most common uses for smartphones and tablets. Yet the experience just isn't all that great -- not out of the box, anyway. Enhance your listening experience with a few apps and gadgets and really get the music flowing.

Songza
You're most likely also performing a task of some sort while listening to music, whether it's taking a stroll, hosting an event or just waiting for that mochachino at Starbucks. A free app called Songza has a playlist regardless of what you're up to, or it lets you create one all your own.

The Songza music streaming app lets you pick a music theme based on mood, genre, and atmosphere and share your music roundups with others.

The app works like Urban Daddy, a handy tool that suggests restaurants, bars and more based on the time of day, scene, and mood you are in. Songza does the same for music: Taking a mid afternoon walk to get coffee, for example? You clearly need energetic indie rock.

Download Songza: Apple iTunes
Download Songza: Android Marketplace

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Seedio
Pump up the volume across your iOS devices with Seedio. The $2.99 app uses Wi-Fi to sync all of your devices into one giant loud speaker for your music files, YouTube songs and more.

Seedio also gives you the ability to blast other user’s playlists across your mobile device and tablet platforms.

Download Seedio: Apple iTunes

Samson’s Carbon 49
Learn and create music with Samson’s Carbon 49 for iPad. This full size MIDI keyboard can be used with your favorite music apps to produce and record performances.

Simply set your iPad into the designated slot, then connect using Apple’s iPad Camera Connection Kit. The $89 gadget can actually be powered by the iPad.

In addition, the Carbon 49 comes with Native Instruments’ Komplete Elements software, offering studio-quality sounds, effects and tools for modern music production. It works both with Mac OS X or a Windows desktop.

Here’s how it works:

Follow Meg Baker on Twitter @BakerMe