Music Services: add Apple Music?

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223 comments

  • Official comment
    Tony W.
    Product Support Manager

    Hi Danny

    Apple's third-party integration model is AirPlay 2. They have no plans to develop an API for products such as Bluesound.

  • Erwin Lötscher

    Hi Tony
    In the meantime, however, something has changed at Apple in this matter. Maybe there is still hope that Apple Music "Music Service" for my NAD 368 with NAD MDC BluOS (not 2i) ?
    https://developer.apple.com/documentation/applemusicapi

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  • Tony W.
    Product Support Manager

    Hi Erwin

    Nothing has changed. The documentation you are reviewing is not for playback. Apple is only moving forward with an endpoint solution at this time. Thanks for your patience.

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  • Jean-Baptiste TERPREAU

    Hello Bluesound!

    I am considering replacing my old Sonos Connect with a Node 2i. Seems to have plenty to love with the Node. 

    However, I don't understand why you state that it is not possible to support Apple Music Playback directly on the Node. It is possible on the Sonos. I find it practical to search for music and have the results of my Library and from apple music directly in the app.

    Thank you for your feedback

     

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  • Tony W.
    Product Support Manager

    Hi Jean-Baptiste

    Apple has chosen to use the Apple AirPlay model for supporting their service. If you have a NODE 2i, you have Apple Music using their App on their device but AirPlaying to your player.

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  • marc.garcia.marti

    Tony, echoing what Jean-Baptiste said, I own a Heos compatible device and I can use Apple Music without the need of my Apple gear airplaying into the Marantz.
    Was that possible maybe in the past when these two services launched, and now is no longer allowed by Apple?

    Thanks

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  • Tony W.
    Product Support Manager

    I cannot speak for other companies and other organisations other than to suggest your receiver may already have contained the necessary hardware authorisation requirements of Apple which we had to include in the 2i line up.

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  • Johan Coppieters

    Tony, I understand that you can't speak for other companies, but Sonos is just streaming Apple Music directly into their speakers. I don't suppose they do this via an illegal way, they are way too big for that, moreover, Apple explains it even on their support website how to add Apple Music to a Sonos device... So why not BlueSound?  For me this is a real deal breaker. I don't want an iPad streaming music via AirPlay to each speaker.

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  • David Toone

    When using AirPlay 2 to stream Apple Music through the Node 2i, is the iOS device already converting to analog and sending that signal through AirPlay 2? When using AirPlay 2, do we get the full benefit of the Node 2i and its DAC?

    Judging by the signal chain, and disregarding the playback gear (amp and speakers), how would you compare the audio quality of listening to Apple Music through an Apple TV, which doesn't rely on AirPlay, versus listening to Apple Music that is sent to the Node 2i by AirPlay? Would I lose something by going the AirPlay > Node 2i route?

    I am evaluating whether to rely on using AirPlay 2 with the Node 2i to listen to streaming music through an NAD amp and would appreciate it if you might explain a little how this works. I hope you can answer my questions. Thanks in advance.

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  • Tony W.
    Product Support Manager

    Hi David

    AirPlay support is no different on a 2i BluOS Player as it is on other AirPlay Speakers with regards to this as it is designed by Apple. Any sound quality changes you hear would be through the DAC.

    In all honesty, if sound quality matters that much to you, consider switching to a Hi-Res Lossless service such as TIDAL.com or Amazon HD.

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  • Alex H.

    Well, now Apple does offer music in hi-res lossless format. I would like to echo the op's request for a built-in solution that does not require routing the stream through the phone as it does with Airplay. If it's possible for others, it should be possible for Bluesound, too...

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  • Tony W.
    Product Support Manager

    Whatever changes Apple makes - the end model would still be AirPlay as that is their official integration solution

    -1
  • Danny Groeneveld

    ...still it is strange that Sonos can use the Apple Music as a service in their equipment...

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  • David LeBlanc

    I wonder if AirPlay will be able to carry hifi data at some point?

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  • Tony W.
    Product Support Manager

    It already does as it supports Apple's propritary ALAC, as do we... 

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  • Werner De Bijl

    So I just checked the Sonos device of my son. I both added Apple Music and Spotify as Music Services. When selecting an album to play I have a similar experience on both services: I can start playing the album and completely shutdown my iPhone. When I connect to both services from another device on the Sonos speaker I can fast forward or skip to the next song. In the meantime the music is playing on the Sonos speaker.
    As last step I stopped the WiFi on both devices and still the Sonos (which is still connected to WiFi) remains playing. When I skip a song on the buttons on the Sonos (IKEA) I can skip to the next song and it keeps playing. So it appears it is doing the exact same as Spotify Connect. The Apple Music service is playing through the local Wifi connection on the device itself.

    Exact the same behavior as I have with my Node2i and Spotify... but not when adding Apple Music. My phone or whatever device playing and streaming the music to Node2i needs to be in range or connected to the WiFi. This is not the case with Sonos.

    Or am I missing something here?

    I will move over to Apple Music but I will surely use a player which provides a similar experience as Spotify Connect. So Sonos is an option. Not sure if there are others?

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  • Sebastiaan Hols

    Airplay is definitely not the only way.

    Here is the Sonos Support on Apple Music as a service: https://support.sonos.com/s/article/3282?language=en_US

    Reddit thread on Apple Music as a Service on Sonos: https://www.reddit.com/r/sonos/comments/j0b854/apple_music_on_sonos/

    I also can't find how they do it, maybe they are doing something hacky with Music Kit for Web and using it on the Sonos device, but it's definitely possible to add Apple Music as a Service! 

    https://developer.apple.com/documentation/musickitjs

    If Sonos can do it I'm sure the Dev Gods at BlueSound can do it. 😄

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  • Tony W.
    Product Support Manager

    Thanks for the praise to our Engineering Team, I will pass it along but it is in fact not that easy based on my conversations with them.


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  • Ken

    Given the recent development, Tidal may be on a bit of shaky ground.  It becomes increasingly important to have direct Apple Music support.  Hope this can be done or the other guy will have a big edge.

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  • Tony W.
    Product Support Manager

    TIDAL is in fact doing quite well and not going anywhere any time soon.

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  • Ken

    Surely hope that you are right.  But unless they slash their price, there may soon be an exodus.  Amazon acted right away already.

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  • Jason Kaplan

    Could you please comment on why my question regarding Airplay and your comment regarding how your devices work no longer appear on this thread?

     

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  • Tony W.
    Product Support Manager

    Hi Jason 

    My apologies - we are still investigating and can not share details at this time. What we do know is up to 24/48 should work immediately when Apple enables it.  Please visit apple.com/airplay for full details. 

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  • Jason Kaplan

    With respect, Apple obviously doesn't comment with any specific relevance to the questions being raised in this thread. We're asking the company you represent how Apple's technology will be implemented within their products. Directing us to Apple for information, and you deleting my question and your comment, is rather dismissive.

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  • Tony W.
    Product Support Manager

    I appreciate that Jason but as you mentioned, it is Apple's Technology... meaning it is their product we are implementing in ours but is still just as much theirs. Thanks for understanding.

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  • Brian
    Lossless

    I think Tony is being as clear as he can and appreciate that he is likely constrained by what he's able to divulge. It's Apple's ball and they call the shots. Reading the tea leaves and speculating about what we'd like to happen is fun. 

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  • Tony W.
    Product Support Manager

    "...Reading the tea leaves and speculating about what we'd like to happen is fun."

    but also important for us to know both internally and working with other partners.

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  • Jason Kaplan

    Brian Yeah, I understand he is probably constrained by Apple about what he can divulge. I surmise he prematurely gave information unintended to be released by him. Reddit, however, already has the information deleted. We shall know the truth/reality eventually...

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  • S

    Folks - lemme help, I am not constrained by anyone.  Sonos signed a deal with Apple and with Spotify - then they changed their approach and are unable to nullify this agreement.  Their new approach took away the choice from the consumer, you will interact with your device the way they want you to, not the way you prefer.  If this is something you wish to change - best write to Apple and inform them how you wish to interact with your device while using their service.  Bluesound will not be able to change this situation, but consumers, if they speak loud enough, can.

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  • David Toone

    Tony, I'm curious to know whether this Apple development means hardware and/or software changes for Bluesound. Can you help with that? Thanks.

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