Originally published at: https://tidbits.com/2022/05/04/apple-music-now-available-on-roku/
Apple Music is now available as a channel on Roku, but it doesn’t support the Apple Music Voice Plan.
Timely news! I’d set aside May to compare Apple Music with Spotify, and I was keenly missing the Roku client (since that’s attached to my room-size speakers).
The sound quality seems to be identical (although it’s hard to set up an instantaneous A/B comparison.) Apple Music’s lyrics display is excellent – takes up more than half of the screen in great big letters I can read.
Two issues I’ve noticed already:
- I can’t throw the Music connection from an Apple device to the Roku, unlike the easy Spotify Connect.
- Roku remote control fast-forward button makes the current song play faster. For Apple Music I need to press left/right arrows to move between songs.
More details:
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Spotify on iPhone/iPad/Mac shows a “Connect to a device” icon to the left of the volume control. Click, select the Roku streamer as my destination, and the Roku’s Spotify client is totally in control. If my Roku is off, that one click turns on the Roku (as well as TV and speakers). I can close Spotify on my Apple device. I can use the Roku remote to pause and skip between songs with fast-forward.
But when I’m playing Music on my Apple devices, I can only connect to Roku with Airplay. The Apple device is still connected to Music and controls what’s playing. To control Music on the Roku, I have to launch Music in the Roku interface. I have to use the Roku mobile app to get a keyboard interface to Roku’s Music. -
Once the Roku’s Apple Music client is playing, the Roku remote acts differently than many other Roku clients. Use the left and right arrows to skip between songs. Up and down arrows scroll the lyrics. The fast forward and fast reverse buttons accelerate within the current song.
The Spotify Connect seems to be a subtle difference, but it bridges an important accessibility barrier for my old eyes. I need to switch glasses to see Apple devices under my fingers and the Roku device across the room.
I’d love to know where I should send my request for improving Apple Music client on Roku.
Interesting. I’ll take a look. I’ve been using the Roku as an AirPlay receiver to get my computer to play through my sound system. I’m guessing that will still be a superior interface for playing albums. I almost never use playlists.
Incidentally, AirPlay on the Roku never worked reliably with my 2015 iMac, especially attempting to play video. I assumed it was a flaky implementation on Roku’s part. But it works great with the new Mac Studio. So the final need for my 3rd-generation Apple TV is gone. All my streaming channels (Apple TV+, Disney, Amazon, MST3K, MLB.tv, Kanopy, occasionally Paramount) are on Roku.