The Apple Watch allows you to play and control music directly from your wrist, even when you don’t have your iPhone with you. Here is a detailed guide on how to set up your Apple Watch to play music and control playback.
Table of Contents
Pair Bluetooth Headphones/Speakers
To listen to music from your Apple Watch, you first need to pair Bluetooth headphones or speakers.
On your Apple Watch:
- Open the Settings app
- Tap Bluetooth
- Put your Bluetooth headphones/speakers in pairing mode and select them when they appear in the list on your Apple Watch
Once paired, you will be able to play audio from your Apple Watch to the Bluetooth device.
Add Music to Your Apple Watch
There are a couple ways to get music onto your Apple Watch:
Sync Playlists and Albums from Your iPhone
On your iPhone:
- Open the Watch app
- Go to the My Watch tab
- Tap Music
- Tap Add Music
- Select playlists and/or albums to sync to your Apple Watch
The selected music will sync to your Apple Watch when it is charging and in range of your iPhone.
Use Apple Music on the Apple Watch (Requires Subscription)
If you have an Apple Music subscription, you can also add music directly on your Apple Watch:
On your Apple Watch:
- Open the Music app
- Browse or search for music
- Tap the + icon to add albums/playlists to your on-watch library
The music will download to your Apple Watch so you can listen offline.
Play Music on Your Apple Watch
Once you have music synced or downloaded to your Apple Watch, playing it is easy:
On your Apple Watch:
- Open the Music app
- Browse your library or tap Listen Now
- Tap an album, playlist or other category to start playing music
- Use the onscreen controls to pause, skip tracks, adjust volume etc.
You can now listen to music from your Apple Watch using your paired Bluetooth headphones/speakers, without needing your iPhone.
Remote Control Music Playback on iPhone
You can also use your Apple Watch as a remote to control music playback on your iPhone.
When music is playing on your iPhone, playback controls will automatically appear on your Apple Watch.
On your Apple Watch:
- Swipe up or press the Digital Crown to view the playback controls
- Tap the screen to show/hide the controls
- Use the onscreen buttons to pause, skip tracks, adjust volume etc.
This allows you to control the music playing on your iPhone directly from the Apple Watch.
Customize Music Settings
There are some settings on your Apple Watch that allow you to customize music playback:
On your iPhone:
- Open the Watch app
- Go to the My Watch tab
- Tap Music
- Toggle options like “Automatic Downloads” and “Cellular Data” on/off
On your Apple Watch:
- Open the Settings app
- Tap Music
- Adjust options like “EQ” and “Volume Limit”
Useful Tips
- Add music controls to your watch face as a complication for quick access
- Use Siri to play music hands-free (“Hey Siri, play my workout playlist”)
- Double press the Digital Crown when music is playing to quickly switch apps without stopping playback
Conclusion
The Apple Watch makes listening to music on the go easy and convenient. With just a few taps, you can access your music library and control playback directly from your wrist. Pairing Bluetooth audio devices allows you to listen wirelessly, and syncing music to your Apple Watch means you can leave your iPhone behind. Give it a try next time you head out for a workout!
