Roku streaming devices have seamlessly worked with mainstream media platforms like YouTube, Netflix, Hulu, and Tubi for years. Since May 2, 2022, Apple Music has been available on Roku, further expanding its reach. The two companies have finally teamed up, bringing a new level of cooperation and excitement to their users.
This post covers some tips on what Apple Music offers on Roku, how to get and play Apple Music on Roku, and even how to enjoy offline playback on your Roku streaming devices like Roku TV. Check it out now!
Note: Roku doesn't allow you to listen to downloaded Apple Music offline. So if you want to listen to Apple Music even without a network, TuneFab Apple Music Converter will be your right hand to download Apple Music as local files and use USB tools to play them on multiple devices.
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Part 1. Apple Music on Roku: What You Need to Know
Apple Music is now available on Roku, one of the most popular smart TV platforms on the market. Roku users can access over 100 million tracks and 30,000 expert-curated playlists, along with full support for live lyrics, 4K music video streaming, and Apple Music Radio. When using Apple Music on Roku, you can also enjoy the following features:
- Featured Shows: Listen to featured shows covering new music releases, album reviews, interviews, and more.
- Personalized Recommendations: Apple Music will recommend new songs, albums, and playlists based on your listening history, preferences, and favorites.
- Daily Picks: Apple Music offers daily curated playlists and songs to help you discover new music.
- Shared Subscriptions: If you have an Apple Music Family plan, your family members can share the subscription through Roku and personalize their own playlists and recommendations.
- Cross-Device Sync: You can start listening to music on your iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple TV, or other Apple Music-supported devices, then seamlessly switch to your Roku device to continue playing.
- Listening History: Apple Music on Roku displays your listening history, making it easy to find songs or playlists you've listened to before.
- Favorites and Library: You can easily add your favorite songs, albums, and playlists to your Apple Music library for quick access anytime.
- Playback Control via Roku: You can control playback directly on your Roku device, such as pausing, skipping, and adjusting the volume.
- Voice Control (on supported devices): If you have a Roku device with voice assistant support, you can control Apple Music playback using voice commands.
- Compatibility with Different Roku Devices: Apple Music is compatible with various Roku devices, including Roku Streaming Stick, Roku Box, and Roku TV, allowing you to enjoy the same experience across different devices.
However, some excellent Apple Music features are currently missing on Roku, including Lossless support (Apple Music Lossless and Hi-Res Lossless), Spatial Audio, and offline listening. It’s still unclear whether these features will be available in the future.
Missing features of Apple Music on Roku:
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- No Music Downloads: Apple Music on Roku does not support downloading music, so users cannot download songs for offline listening.
- Lossless Audio: Apple Music on Roku currently does not support Apple Music Lossless or Hi-Res Lossless, meaning you can’t enjoy high-quality audio.
- Spatial Audio: Roku does not support Apple Music's Spatial Audio feature, so users can't experience surround sound or 3D audio.
Part 2. How to Get and Play Apple Music on Roku via Apple Music App
Apple Music is now available for free download from the Roku Channel Store on any Roku streaming device. However, keep in mind that, just like with other devices, you’ll need an Apple Music subscription to access over 100 million tracks with ad-free listening. The steps to activate your Apple Music plan are almost identical on Roku and the web. Alternatively, you can start a free trial for one month.
How to Add Apple Music on Roku
The process for getting Apple Music on Roku is essentially the same as installing other apps from the Roku Channel Store. Alternatively, you can follow the steps below to walk you through the process.
Note that you should update Roku OS to the latest version so as to support Apple Music.
STEP 1. Press the Home button and then the Left button on Roku Remote to launch the menu.
STEP 2. Go down to the Streaming Channel option.
STEP 3. Scroll down to select the Search Channel option.
STEP 4. Type in Apple Music with the virtual keyboard or use Voice button to speak out Apple Music to quickly locate the app.
STEP 5. On the info page, press the Add Channel button and confirm it by OK.
How to Play Apple Music on Roku
Now, you already have Apple Music on your Roku TV after the previous part. Let's see how to play Apple Music with your Apple ID to enjoy your favorite music on a big screen.
STEP 1. Open the Apple Music channel you just added to Roku TV.
STEP 2. There are two sign-in options.
● Directly scan the code in the screen by the Apple Music app on your iPhone or Android.
● Sign in your Apple ID manually with Roku Remote.
STEP 3. You need to verify yourself for the first time using Apple ID on Roku and authorize the device to access and utilize your account.
Part 3. How to Play Apple Music on Roku TV via AirPlay
Installing apps will take up memory on your TV. If you don't want to install Apple Music or if your TV doesn't have enough memory, you can try using AirPlay to stream music and videos from your iPhone, iPad, or Mac to your Roku TV, as long as your Roku device supports AirPlay 2.
Step 1: Make sure your phone and Roku device are connected to the same Wi-Fi network.
Step 2: Open your Roku device, go to Settings, select Apple AirPlay and HomeKit, and ensure AirPlay is enabled.
Step 3: Open Apple Music on your iPhone or iPad, and start playing the song, album, or playlist you want to listen to. Swipe down the toolbar, tap the AirPlay icon to connect to Roku, and the song will start playing on your TV.
Part 4. How to Listen to Apple Music on Roku Without Internet Connection
With a stable internet connection, you can enjoy Apple Music on Roku without any issues. However, if your network is unstable, you may experience buffering, or worse, if there's no internet connection at all, you won’t be able to stream music. Since Apple Music on Roku doesn’t currently offer a download feature, you’ll need to use other tools to listen to Apple Music offline on Roku. One solution is to download Apple Music to a USB drive on your computer, and then plug it into your TV to listen.
You may already know that Apple Music is DRM-protected, so even if you download music to your computer or phone, those files can’t be played on other devices. That’s where a third-party tool called TuneFab Apple Music Converter comes in handy. Check its features below.
● DRM Removal and Various Output Formats TuneFab defies the barriers of Apple Lossless Audio Codec to fetch and decode Apple Music songs to CD sound quality in MP3, M4A, WAV, AIFF and FLAC.
● Instant Download Service TubeFab Apple Music Converter builds into Apple Music Web Player making it easy for users to download tracks in a direct and fast way.
● Batch Download Available Users are able to download the entire playlist or album to Windows and Mac computers with a button.
● Ultra-Fast Download Speed The software enables hardware acceleration to boost the downloading process up to 35X faster.
● Smart Personalized Output Settings You can preset the output quality, format, file naming, and file archive rules to get Apple Music downloaded according to your preferences.
Here's how to use TuneFab Apple Music Converter to download Apple Music to common audio files and play them on your Roku TV:
Step 1. First, download and install TuneFab Apple Music Converter on your desktop. Then, launch the program, open the Apple Music service, and log in using your Apple ID, which should be linked to an active Apple Music subscription.
Step 2. Navigate to the music playlist or album you want to download and drag it to the conversion list on the right side.
Step 3. Click the arrow on the left of the conversion list to expand it. Here you can adjust the output format and quality. Moreover, if you want this tool to download and archive songs by artist/album you can adjust the settings via "Settings > Preferences > General Settings".
Note: Considering compatibility and memory, MP3 at 256kbps and 44100Hz is the most recommended setting.
You can now also connect your USB to your computer and change the output folder to it.
Step 4. Click the Convert All button. When the downloads are completed, your selected Apple Music should be stored on the USB stick.
Step 5. Unplug the USB, insert it into your Roku TV, and select "Don't launch". Launch the Roku Media Player and hit the "Audio" option. Then you can see all audio in your USB drive and play them.
TuneFab Apple Music Converter
One click to remove DRM from Apple Music and convert songs to MP3
