Speakers for Streaming Music | Wirecutter
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Photo: Chris Heinonen
Our audio experts have tested hundreds of speakers capable of playing music directly from the cloud to find the best fit for your home, whether you use Spotify, Apple Music, or any other streaming service. We also have picks for people who prefer to listen to music files they’ve purchased from iTunes, Amazon, or other stores.
For Apple Music
Despite the fact that Apple Music has the second-most subscribers of all the streaming services, very few speakers can directly access its music.
Voice-controlled speaker
1 pick, $300
The HomePod is a great speaker for Apple Music—which is fortunate because it’s the only option. It also works as a voice-control device for HomeKit.
Voice-controlled speaker
1 pick, $300
The HomePod is a great speaker for Apple Music—which is fortunate because it’s the only option. It also works as a voice-control device for HomeKit.
Best for Apple Music and Siri
It’s the best-sounding smart speaker we’ve heard, and it allows for easier Siri control over your HomeKit system, but it still has room to improve.
Best for Apple Music and Siri
Apple HomePod
Read the review
Apple’s HomePod Is a Good Smart Speaker. But the Mini Is Better for Most People.
It’s the best-sounding smart speaker we’ve heard, and it allows for easier Siri control over your HomeKit system, but it still has room to improve.
$300 from Apple
Regular speaker
2 picks, $219–$750
Few speakers support direct streaming from Apple Music, even if you don’t want Siri. Thankfully, the ones that do all sound excellent.
Regular speaker
2 picks, $219–$750
Few speakers support direct streaming from Apple Music, even if you don’t want Siri.
Thankfully, the ones that do all sound excellent.
A bigger and louder Sonos
The Sonos Play:5 easily fills large spaces with full-range, detailed sound comparable to that of nice bookshelf speakers. It also sounds great in a pair.
A bigger and louder Sonos
Sonos Play:5
Read the review
The Best Multiroom Wireless Speaker System
The Sonos Play:5 easily fills large spaces with full-range, detailed sound comparable to that of nice bookshelf speakers. It also sounds great in a pair.
$750 from Amazon
A great-sounding voice-controlled speaker
The Sonos One may be the best-sounding Alexa-enabled speaker around, and it’s a great addition to an existing Sonos system.
A great-sounding voice-controlled speaker
Sonos One
Read the review
Sonos One Review: Is This the Best Smart Speaker?
The Sonos One may be the best-sounding Alexa-enabled speaker around, and it’s a great addition to an existing Sonos system.
$249 from Amazon$219 from Walmart$219 from Sonos
If you already have speakers
2 picks, $179
It’s not cheap, but you can add Apple Music to an existing stereo or surround setup by hooking up an external streaming box.
If you already have speakers
2 picks, $179
It’s not cheap, but you can add Apple Music to an existing stereo or surround setup by hooking up an external streaming box.
Best streaming music system
The Apple TV 4K has the best user experience and support for Dolby Vision, plus the ability to deliver Apple Music to your AV system.
Best streaming music system
Apple TV 4K
Read the review
The Best Media Streaming Devices
The Apple TV 4K has the best user experience and support for Dolby Vision, plus the ability to deliver Apple Music to your AV system.
$179 from Apple
Best streaming music system
Hook the Connect up to any AV or stereo receiver to tap into the whole world of Sonos streaming music.
Best streaming music system
Sonos Connect
Read the review
The Best Multiroom Wireless Speaker System
Hook the Connect up to any AV or stereo receiver to tap into the whole world of Sonos streaming music.
Buy from Amazon
For Spotify and other services
Pretty much every speaker not made by Apple supports Spotify, and Sonos supports almost every streaming service. But be sure to check the fine print.
Voice-controlled speaker
4 picks, $75–$349
Smart speakers not only play whatever music you ask for but also answer questions and control smart-home devices.
Voice-controlled speaker
4 picks, $75–$349
Smart speakers not only play whatever music you ask for but also answer questions and control smart-home devices.
Works with almost everything
The Sonos One may be the best-sounding Alexa-enabled speaker around, and it’s a great addition to an existing Sonos system.
Works with almost everything
Sonos One
Read the review
Sonos One Review: Is This the Best Smart Speaker?
The Sonos One may be the best-sounding Alexa-enabled speaker around, and it’s a great addition to an existing Sonos system.
$249 from Amazon$219 from Walmart$219 from Sonos
Best for Amazon Music
The Echo, always listening via Amazon’s Alexa voice service, lets you play music, order pizza, and get answers to questions, and it can control popular smart-home devices and 1,000-plus other things.
Best for Amazon Music
Amazon Echo
Read the review
The Best Alexa Smart Speakers
The Echo, always listening via Amazon’s Alexa voice service, lets you play music, order pizza, and get answers to questions, and it can control popular smart-home devices and 1,000-plus other things.
$100 from Amazon
Works with YouTube and Google Music
Google’s wireless speaker, digital assistant, and smart-home controller looks better than its biggest competition, reliably responds to most voice queries, offers solid multiroom audio, and sounds pretty good.
Works with YouTube and Google Music
Google Home
Read the review
The Best Google Nest Smart Speakers
Google’s wireless speaker, digital assistant, and smart-home controller looks better than its biggest competition, reliably responds to most voice queries, offers solid multiroom audio, and sounds pretty good.
$75 from Walmart
Upgrade for YouTube and Google Music
This version does all the same things as the Google Home and Home Mini but packs in bigger speakers for much better sound.
Upgrade for YouTube and Google Music
Google Home Max
Read the review
The Best Google Nest Smart Speakers
This version does all the same things as the Google Home and Home Mini but packs in bigger speakers for much better sound.
$349 from Walmart
Regular speaker
3 picks, $180–$750
If you don’t want smart functionality, you can get better sound for a similar price by dropping the microphone. In particular, speakers that use Google’s widely supported Chromecast offer a lot of value in this regard.
Regular speaker
3 picks, $180–$750
If you don’t want smart functionality, you can get better sound for a similar price by dropping the microphone. In particular, speakers that use Google’s widely supported Chromecast offer a lot of value in this regard.
The best Chromecast speaker
The JBL Playlist is a robust-sounding, beautifully styled speaker at an affordable price.
The best Chromecast speaker
JBL Playlist
Read the review
The Best Chromecast Speaker
The JBL Playlist is a robust-sounding, beautifully styled speaker at an affordable price.
$180 from Harman Audio
Upgrade Chromecast
The Riva Festival is much more expensive than our other picks, but delivers fuller, more powerful sound and many additional features.
Upgrade Chromecast
Riva Festival
Read the review
The Best Chromecast Speaker
The Riva Festival is much more expensive than our other picks, but delivers fuller, more powerful sound and many additional features.
$399 from Amazon
Supports more services
The Sonos Play:5 easily fills large spaces with full-range, detailed sound comparable to that of nice bookshelf speakers. It also sounds great in a pair.
Supports more services
Sonos Play:5
Read the review
The Best Multiroom Wireless Speaker System
The Sonos Play:5 easily fills large spaces with full-range, detailed sound comparable to that of nice bookshelf speakers. It also sounds great in a pair.
$750 from Amazon
If you already have speakers
3 picks, $35
You can add streaming capabilities to speakers you already own by connecting a streaming box or dongle.
If you already have speakers
3 picks, $35
You can add streaming capabilities to speakers you already own by connecting a streaming box or dongle.
Most affordable
Offers access to lots of streaming music services, and multiple Chromecast devices can work as a multiroom audio system.
Most affordable
Google Chromecast Audio
Read the review
The Best Multiroom Wireless Speaker System
Offers access to lots of streaming music services, and multiple Chromecast devices can work as a multiroom audio system.
$35 from Google Play$35 from Target
Best for voice control
The Dot connects via Bluetooth or an audio cable and gives you voice control and all of Amazon’s music services through your audio system.
Best for voice control
Amazon Echo Dot
Read the review
Amazon Alexa vs. Google Assistant: Which Voice Assistant Is Best for You?
The Dot connects via Bluetooth or an audio cable and gives you voice control and all of Amazon’s music services through your audio system.
Buy from Amazon
Supports most services
Hook the Connect up to any AV or stereo receiver to tap into the whole world of Sonos streaming music.
Supports most services
Sonos Connect
Read the review
The Best Multiroom Wireless Speaker System
Hook the Connect up to any AV or stereo receiver to tap into the whole world of Sonos streaming music.
Buy from Amazon
For music you own
If you don’t use streaming services, your options for streaming are limited. But you have ways to get around that.
Voice-controlled speaker
3 picks, $75–$300
Since voice control depends on the cloud, the speaker that works for you depends on where you buy your music. For iTunes, you’ll do best with an Apple speaker; for Amazon or Google, go with their respective offerings.
Voice-controlled speaker
3 picks, $75–$300
Since voice control depends on the cloud, the speaker that works for you depends on where you buy your music.
For iTunes, you’ll do best with an Apple speaker; for Amazon or Google, go with their respective offerings.
Best for iTunes
It’s the best-sounding smart speaker we’ve heard, and it allows for easier Siri control over your HomeKit system, but it still has room to improve.
Best for iTunes
Apple HomePod
Read the review
Apple’s HomePod Is a Good Smart Speaker. But the Mini Is Better for Most People.
It’s the best-sounding smart speaker we’ve heard, and it allows for easier Siri control over your HomeKit system, but it still has room to improve.
$300 from Apple
Best for Amazon Music
The Echo, always listening via Amazon’s Alexa voice service, lets you play music, order pizza, and get answers to questions, and it can control popular smart-home devices and 1,000-plus other things.
Best for Amazon Music
Amazon Echo
Read the review
The Best Alexa Smart Speakers
The Echo, always listening via Amazon’s Alexa voice service, lets you play music, order pizza, and get answers to questions, and it can control popular smart-home devices and 1,000-plus other things.
$100 from Amazon
Best for Google Play
Google’s wireless speaker, digital assistant, and smart-home controller looks better than its biggest competition, reliably responds to most voice queries, offers solid multiroom audio, and sounds pretty good.
Best for Google Play
Google Home
Read the review
The Best Google Nest Smart Speakers
Google’s wireless speaker, digital assistant, and smart-home controller looks better than its biggest competition, reliably responds to most voice queries, offers solid multiroom audio, and sounds pretty good.
$75 from Walmart
Regular speaker
1 pick, $750
Sonos’s system is one of the few options that still let you stream files directly from your hard drive to a speaker.
Regular speaker
1 pick, $750
Sonos’s system is one of the few options that still let you stream files directly from your hard drive to a speaker.
Supports more services
The Sonos Play:5 easily fills large spaces with full-range, detailed sound comparable to that of nice bookshelf speakers.
It also sounds great in a pair.
Supports more services
Sonos Play:5
Read the review
The Best Multiroom Wireless Speaker System
The Sonos Play:5 easily fills large spaces with full-range, detailed sound comparable to that of nice bookshelf speakers. It also sounds great in a pair.
$750 from Amazon
Bluetooth speaker
3 picks, $180–$500
The other speakers in this list can directly stream music without relying on a secondary device. With a Bluetooth speaker, the actual streaming happens on your phone or computer, and the Bluetooth connection acts like an invisible headphone cable.
Bluetooth speaker
3 picks, $180–$500
The other speakers in this list can directly stream music without relying on a secondary device. With a Bluetooth speaker, the actual streaming happens on your phone or computer, and the Bluetooth connection acts like an invisible headphone cable.
Easiest to take with you
Like its predecessor, the Roll 2 offers an irresistible combination of sound quality, ruggedness, water resistance, portability, cool features, and a reasonable price.
Easiest to take with you
UE Roll 2
Read the review
The Best Portable Bluetooth Speaker
Like its predecessor, the Roll 2 offers an irresistible combination of sound quality, ruggedness, water resistance, portability, cool features, and a reasonable price.
$500 from Amazon
Good sound for the price
The Acton isn’t as expensive as our other picks. But it isn’t as loud and doesn’t sound as good.
Good sound for the price
Marshall Acton
Read the review
The Best Home Bluetooth Speaker
The Acton isn’t as expensive as our other picks. But it isn’t as loud and doesn’t sound as good.
$280 from MarshallBuy from Amazon
The best Chromecast speaker
The JBL Playlist is a robust-sounding, beautifully styled speaker at an affordable price.
The best Chromecast speaker
JBL Playlist
Read the review
The Best Chromecast Speaker
The JBL Playlist is a robust-sounding, beautifully styled speaker at an affordable price.
$180 from Harman Audio
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Bluetooth Loudspeaker on the App Store
Description
Do you want to boost your voice in the public, or love to sing karaoke? If you have a portable bluetooth speaker, this app is a must have for your iPhone / iPad.
Bluetooth Loudspeaker is an app to amplify your voice output to your wireless connected bluetooth speaker.
That is, your iPhone becomes the microphone and the bluetooth speaker becomes a remote loudspeaker within 10 meters distance. As this app can run at background, user can play mp3 music and sing karaoke at the same time.
What can you do with a microphone and remote loudspeaker? Who needs this mic and remote loudspeaker? Some examples are:
– sing karaoke at home or anywhere,
– teaching in a classroom or lecture room,
– street performance, live show,
– speaker in a large conference room,
– garage sale, outdoor sale, pop-up store sale, or other sales promotion,
– tour guide at the hot spot,
– fan of a sport team, who sing loud to support the favourite sport team in the stadium,
– outdoor activities,
– works as volume booster or megaphone for your speech,
– beach party, birthday party, exhibitions, celebrations and many more cases.
With this app, you have a wireless microphone on your hand!
Read me first:
1. User must connect to a bluetooth speaker when using this app for voice output.
Do NOT choose device internal speaker, as there will be some unwanted echo noise.
2. This app will NOT bluetooth or airplay connect to your remote speaker. User has to manually connect to the speaker first (through Settings > Bluetooth). Then open this app.
3. When using this app to output voice to connected bluetooth speaker, user can put this app as background job and run another music app such as Apple Music (or any music app). To stop, go back to this app and tap the stop button.
4. This app does NOT support wired headset / headphone or bluetooth headset or line-out.
5. This app does not download or play online mp3 music or video.
6. Remember to turn device output volume to about 80-90% maximum (at top right icon), and mic gain to about 40-50% (at bottom slide bar).
7. Some iPad mic is located on top of the device, while most iPhone default mic is at the bottom.
From iOS 14 and on, there will be an ads tracking dialog popup once, which is required for new iOS user privacy purpose.
We do not collect any data from user or device. Feel free to contact our email support.
Version 2.10
performance enhancement
Ratings and Reviews
10 Ratings
Really Great!
Works perfectly, excited to use it for things!
Works well, simple to use.
Works well as a microphone. Won’t be using it for karaoke, but to narrate games, gatherings, etc.
Thanks for rating and comment. Enjoy!
Excellent
Very nice app.
Everything is the best.
Only the appearance should be made looking better.
Thank you for such a good app.
Thanks for your 5 stars rating and comment. We will keep improve the app in the future version. Spare your fun with friends and have a nice day 🙂
The developer, Wimlog, indicated that the app’s privacy practices may include handling of data as described below. For more information, see the developer’s privacy policy.
Data Used to Track You
The following data may be used to track you across apps and websites owned by other companies:
Data Not Linked to You
The following data may be collected but it is not linked to your identity:
Privacy practices may vary, for example, based on the features you use or your age. Learn More
Information
- Seller
- Chi Sing Lee
- Size
- Category
-
Utilities
- Age Rating
- 4+
- Copyright
- © Wimlog
- Price
- Free
8 megabytes”>13.8 MB
-
Developer Website
-
App Support
-
Privacy Policy
More By This Developer
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Connecting Bluetooth headphones or speakers to Apple Watch Ultra
You can play audio from Apple Watch Ultra through Bluetooth headphones or speakers when iPhone is not nearby.
If you have AirPods set up for iPhone, they’re ready to use with your Apple Watch Ultra: just hit the play button.
Pairing with Bluetooth speakers or headphones
Most audio on the Apple Watch Ultra requires Bluetooth headphones or speakers (Siri, phone calls, answering machine messages, and voice memos play through the Apple Watch Ultra speaker). Follow the instructions that came with your headphones or speakers to put them into search mode. When the Bluetooth device is ready, follow the steps below.
-
Open the Settings app on your Apple Watch Ultra and tap Bluetooth.
-
Touch the desired device when it appears.
You can also tap on the playback screens of the Audiobooks, Music, Now Playing, and Podcasts apps to open Bluetooth settings.
Select audio output
-
Touch and hold the bottom edge of the screen, then swipe up to open Control Center.
-
Tap and select the device you want to use.
For important information about preventing hearing loss, see Important Safety Information for Apple Watch Ultra.
Headphone volume control
-
Touch and hold the bottom edge of the screen, then swipe up to open Control Center.
-
When listening to audio through headphones, touch .
The meter indicates the current headphone volume.
Loud Sound Attenuation
Apple Watch Ultra can limit headphone audio to a certain decibel level.
-
Open the Settings app on your Apple Watch Ultra.
-
Choose Sounds & Haptics > Headphone Safety, then tap Mute Loud Sounds.
-
Turn on the parameter and set the level.
View notifications about too loud sound in headphones
If you listen to loud music or other audio through your headphones for so long that it could damage your hearing, Apple Watch Ultra sends a high headphone volume notification and also mutes the volume to moderate volume to protect your hearing.