The HomePod is a great little speaker (especially if we’re talking pure sound quality), but it’s taken a while for it to get proper software support. Even though itcame to the market with a lot of fanfare, Apple seems to have lost focus and forgotten about the HomePod a bit.
However, from time to time,even HomePods get a bit of loveand a new feature or two. This is a perfect example, as Apple’s smart speakers finally open up for music lovers a little bit, enabling them to listen to their favorite tunes fromYouTube Music.
So, what’s changed?
Apple’s ecosystem is notoriously closed off, so it’s no surprise that HomePods at first were only able to play music from one streaming service - Apple Music. Over the years, this changed, and some services - namely Deezer and Pandora - were allowed into Apple’s walled garden, as you could both play your music using them and even set them as your default music streaming service. Lately,even Spotify got on that train. However, the biggest music streaming service had some limitations, as you could ask Siri to play your music from Spotify, but you couldn’t set it as the default music streaming service.
Now, the situation is changing, and a new contender is entering the fray. HomePods can finally play your music from YouTube Music, but that’s not all. You can also set this service as your default music streaming service, replacing Apple Music. YouTube Music may not be as popular as Spotify, but it is included withYouTube Premium, so quite a lot of people already have access to it. Therefore, it might be quite a significant change for all the HomePod and YouTube Music enjoyers out there.
What is the default music streaming platform on HomePod?
Every time you ask your smart speaker - be it yourHomePod, your Google Nest, or your Amazon Echo - to play some music, it has to stream it from the internet. If you just ask it to play a song without specifying what service it should use, the device will play it with the streaming service that is set as the default music streaming service.
Manufacturers of smart speakers often set the default to the streaming service that they own (in the case of the biggest players) or just the one that they have a contract with; however, that does not mean that you have to have an account there, so using it might be a bit of a pain if you have to deal with all the ads or your playlists being shuffled.
That’s why many people choose to set the default music streaming service to the one that they normally use on their PCs and mobile devices. That way, you already have access to all the premium features, but you also get your familiar playlists, as well as all the algorithm magic that recommends the best songs and albums for you.
How to set YouTube Music as the default music streaming service on HomePod
Changing your preferred music streaming service on a HomePod was impossible for the longest time, and users were stuck with Apple Music. Fortunately, Apple’s smart speakers have opened up to other services, and now you can do that quite easily. Here’s what to do if you want to set YouTube Music as your default streaming platform on your HomePod.
First, you’ll want to connect your YouTube Music app to your HomePod:
If you follow these steps, your setup should be completed, and YouTube Music set as your default music streaming service on your HomePod. However, the process seems to be a bit temperamental and does not always register YouTube Music as the default service. So, if you’re having problems with that step, you can also do it manually from your HomePod settings:
Should I use YouTube Music?
The question of the best music streaming service is quite a difficult one, as it cannot be answered definitively. For different users, the answer varies based on what they value and what they like. Often, Spotify is the way to go - it’s the most accessible, with the biggest library of songs. However, some artists are absent from Spotify, so if your favorite is one of them, you’ll probably want to choose something else.
YouTube Music has two main strengths. Probably the biggest one is the package that it comes with - that is YouTube Premium. If you buy YouTube Premium, the music streaming service is included, but you also get all the other - and, for many people, more important - benefits. You’ll be able to watch YouTube ad-free, and you’ll also be able to download videos and watch them in the background. So, if you’re a music lover and a YouTube aficionado, this might be your streaming service.
The other big benefit is the access to the whole library of music on YouTube; while Spotify holds the record for the biggest official music library, there is another world of creator-made music straight from Google’s video streaming platform. If you’re into that or just want to support your favorite creators, YouTube Music is the best way to stream their content and give them all the sweet, sweet views.
Apple HomePod 2
Apple HomePod 2nd-gen offers superb sound, a great design, and Siri to respond to your voice commands.
However, there is one important footnote to all that. Switching to YouTube Music (or any other streaming platform) will be much more difficult than starting from scratch if you’re already using a music streaming service. Switching music streaming services might mean abandoning your custom-created playlists and leaving behind the algorithm that already knows what you like and what kinds of music to offer you. Of course, you might be able to migrate your playlists via third-party software, but the algorithm will have to learn your preferences again, so keep that in mind if you decide to swap your streaming platform of choice.
Is YouTube Music free?
YouTube Music is a part of a YouTube Premium service. That’s why quite a lot of people are saying that it is free - you do not need to pay anything extra to have access to this streaming service; you just get it while paying for YouTube Premium.
Most people do not buy YouTube Premium for Google’s music streaming service. They choose to pay the subscription to watch YouTube ad-free, to be able to watch their favorite videos in the background with the screen off or to be able to download them and watch them offline.
However, with all these benefits, you also get the music streaming service, so for many people, it feels like a free addition - it is included with the features that most people focus on. But, to be technical, it is not free - it is just a part of the package, with the rest of the package being what most people want.
Keep in mind that you may also buy YouTube Music as a standalone service without the added benefits of YouTube Premium. This choice will cost you less, As YouTube Premium costs $13.99 and YouTube Music Premium is only $10.99, but you will also lose access to all the features that YouTube Premium offers. However, you’ll still be able to stream all the music you want, along with the creations of your favorite YouTubers. So, if you’re a music aficionado with a favorite YouTube creator but not a big YouTube watcher, this might be the choice for you.
