Skip to main content

Amazon Music now has an app for Apple TV. Here’s how to use it

Image used with permission by copyright holder

Listening to music on your TV? Why not? According to a recent survey by YouGov, more than 40% of people who own a smart TV want to use it to listen to music. Perhaps that’s in part why Amazon chose to launch its first music app for Apple TV.

Starting Thursday, October 10, you can download the Amazon Music app from the App Store for Apple TV — it’s compatible with Apple TV 4K and Apple TV HD running tvOS 12.0 and later. If you live in the United States, United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, Brazil, Canada, France, Italy, Spain, Germany, Mexico, Japan, or India, all you need is a Prime Music or an Amazon Music Unlimited account to start streaming.

Recommended Videos

Once the app is downloaded, you need to activate your Apple TV as a recognized device with Amazon. On launching the app, it will display a six-letter pairing code. Using a browser on another device, go to https://amazon.com/code and enter that code when asked. You’re all done.

The Amazon Music app will give you access to the full library of millions of songs, plus albums, artists, and playlists. You can also play content from your My Music personal library. But perhaps the best feature, given that this on a TV, of course, is the scrolling lyrics option — perfect for an impromptu karaoke session, or just practicing for the next time your friends come over.

Unfortunately, subscribers to Amazon’s new Amazon Music HD tier of service won’t be able to stream the CD and hi-res versions that they’re entitled to. At the moment, the Apple TV app doesn’t support either of these higher-quality formats. Instead, you’ll be offered the same catalog as Amazon Music Unlimited subscribers.

The pairing of Amazon Music and Apple TV seems a bit odd, especially when you consider that there’s no Alexa option on Apple’s media streamer. Apple is beginning to open up Siri to third-party music services like Spotify, but even then, it hasn’t rolled out that feature on its HomePod speaker — just iPhones and iPads for now.

Will Siri eventually be able to start Amazon Music playback on the Apple TV? We’re guessing that will happen eventually. In the meantime, Amazon seems content to just make its music service available on more devices. “We believe that listeners should be able to stream music simply and easily on any device they choose,” Karolina Joynathsing, director of business development for Amazon Music, said in a press release.

Simon Cohen
Simon Cohen is a contributing editor to Digital Trends' Audio/Video section, where he obsesses over the latest wireless…
What is Apple Music? Music, pricing, and features explained
Person touching phone with Apple Music app opened.

In an era where music streaming services reign supreme, Apple Music stands out as a premier platform for music lovers seeking a rich, immersive listening experience. Though it stands behind Spotify in total users, Apple Music has become a powerful player in the digital music landscape, offering access to over 100 million songs, curated playlists, and exclusive content. Whether you're a die-hard music enthusiast or enjoy tunes on the go, Apple Music  offers an all-encompassing solution that promises to cater to your every auditory whim.

In this post, we'll explore what makes Apple Music a unique service, outlining its features and benefits and how it compares to other streaming giants in the industry.
The basics
Like Spotify, Apple Music offers millions of streaming songs on demand. It also blends your personal music catalog with on-demand streaming and live radio, all in one place. At the moment, Apple offers a one-month free trial (or more if you buy eligible audio devices). After the trial period, the service will cost you $11 per month for the Individual plan or $17 per month for a Family plan that accommodates up to six members. Students will pay just $6 per month.

Read more
How much is Apple TV Plus?
Apple TV Plus home screen with Lessons in Chemistry.

It's been more than five years since the mighty Apple threw its hat in the video streaming service arena, and it's pretty safe to say that things are going pretty well. With its award-winning movies and series, Apple TV Plus has proven that it has a place on your streaming device among the Netflixes, Hulus, and Maxes of the world, with films like Martin Scorsese's Killers of the Flower Moon and compelling original series like Severance, Dark Matter, Silo, and Slow Horses.

But one of the best things about Apple TV+ remains its relatively low price compared to more expensive options like Netflix and Hulu. Just how much is Apple TV+, and how can you save even more on your subscription cost? Read on to find out.
How much is Apple TV+?
Apple TV+costs $10 per month. You can also opt to pay $99 for an entire year of service, saving you 15%. However, customers who purchased an Apple TV, iPad, iPhone, iPod Touch, or Mac can get themselves three months of Apple TV+ for free. So if you buy some new hardware now, you can use Apple TV+ at no charge. Plus, all new customers are entitled to a seven-day free trial to sample the lineup of movies and shows.

Read more
Tidal vs. Spotify: Which music streaming service has the features you need?
Tidal home page on iPhone.

If you in the midst of choosing which music streaming service is best for you, when comparing Spotify and Tidal, price is an important, but not the only, factor to consider. Spotify stands out with its flexible subscription options, offering individual, family, and student plans, each with its own unique benefits. In contrast, Tidal offers various subscription plans, too, but Tidal's calling card is that it includes premium and hi-fi options, with the hi-fi plan providing access to lossless, hi-res audio. Spotify does not offer this ... yet.

Spotify uses the Ogg Vorbis and AAC audio formats for streaming, delivering audio at varying bitrates. At the same time, Tidal's hi-fi subscription offers lossless, CD-quality audio and hi-res audio files in FLAC and HiRes FLAC formats.

Read more