I’ve been playing music on my wrist since the day I unboxed the Apple Watch Series 8. And so far, the watch has been a convenient piece of tech that lets me listen to my favorite songs (albums and playlists) no matter where I go.
It’s actually easy to play to music on your Apple Watch.
- Download music on Apple Music.
- Create a playlist.
- Synchronize the playlist or album to your Apple Watch.
- Pair your Apple Watch to Bluetooth earbuds.
- Listen on your Apple Watch.
Alternatively, use music-streaming apps such as Shazam, Pandora, TuneIn Pro, SoundHound, MusixMatch, Deezer, and Spotify.
Download Songs from Apple Music
The first step is to download songs from Apple Music on your iPhone. You’ll need these songs to create playlists later.
Open Apple Music app on your iPhone. Find the songs that interest you. Tap the download next to the song.
Create a Playlist
Add the songs you’ve downloaded on your iPhone to a playlist for easy access later on your Apple Watch.
To create the playlist:
- Open Apple Music on your iPhone.
- Tap Library, then Playlist.
- Select New Playlist and give it a name.
- Tap Add Music.
- Select the Music from your Downloads.
- Tap “Done” to save the playlist.
Add the Playlist to Your Apple Watch
Now sync the playlist you just created to your Apple Watch, so you can play every song offline – even without your iPhone nearby.
Connect your Apple Watch its charger and confirm that it’s charging. Open Watch app on your iPhone. Tap Music under My Watch tab. Tap Add Music under Playlists & Albums. Find the playlist you created recently and tap the plus (+) icon and allow your playlist to sync.
Pair Your Apple Watch to Bluetooth Earbuds
Every Apple Watch has built-in speakers, but they aren’t for listening to music. You have to connect the watch to wireless headsets first to get a solid and truly immersive music listening experience.
- Go to Settings on your Apple Watch.
- Tap Bluetooth.
- Let your watch scan for available Bluetooth devices.
- Choose your wireless earbuds or headphones from the list of discovered devices.
- Tap the device to pair with your Apple Watch.
The Apple AirPods are the best earbuds to use. However, feel free to use any compatible wireless earbuds or Bluetooth headphones because Apple doesn’t put any restrictions on the type of headsets to use with your Apple Watch.
Listen on Your Apple Watch
Now it’s time to play the songs you synchronized to your Apple Watch.
Press the Digital Crown and open Apple Music. Find the Playlist you synchronized to your Apple Watch from your iPhone. Tap the play icon to listen to your music.
Your songs will continue to play even if you exit the Apple Music app as long you have the Bluetooth headset connected with the watch.
Alternative Ways to Play Music on Apple Watch
There are at least three alternative ways to play music on your Apple Watch. Listen on a third-party music app, play from iCloud, or use the smartwatch as a music controller.
Listen on Third Party Music Apps
You have the option to download and use one of the watchOS 11 music apps instead of Apple Music. The best music-streaming platforms for iOS and watchOS in my experience are Spotify, Shazam, Pandora, TuneIn Pro, MusixMatch, Deezer, and SoundHound.
These music apps have different features, subscription levels, and layouts. So try a few or all of them to find a streaming platform that works best for you.
Play iCloud Music
There’s an option to sync songs from Apple Music to your iCloud account if you have an active Apple Music subscription. Then you can listen play the music directly on your Apple Watch without having to download them to the smartwatch’s local storage.
- Open Settings on your iPhone.
- Tap Music.
- Toggle iCloud Music Library on.
- Select the “Keep Music” option.
- Open the Music app on your Apple Watch.
- Select one of the categories to access the synchronized music.
Music Control With Now Playing App
Use the Now Playing app on your Apple Watch to control the music playing on your iPhone.
- Open Apple Music or Spotify on your iPhone.
- Tap a song to play.
- Go to apps on your Apple Watch.
- Tap “Now Playing”.
The Now Playing app lets you play, pause, and skip between different songs. You can also use it to adjust the volume of the audio on your iPhone.
