How do I stream music on Windows 10?

Streaming music services have become incredibly popular in recent years. On Windows 10, users have access to several streaming platforms like Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon Music, and YouTube Music. These services allow you to access millions of songs online and listen across all your devices. There are many benefits to streaming music on Windows 10:
Access to massive music libraries – Streaming services give you access to catalogs of over 70 million tracks. You can find almost any song you want without having to purchase individual albums or tracks.
Personalized recommendations – Streaming platforms use advanced algorithms to study your listening habits and suggest new artists, albums, and playlists tailored specifically to your musical tastes.
Offline listening – Many streaming services allow you to download songs, playlists or albums to your device for offline listening when you don’t have an internet connection.
High audio quality – Music streams in high fidelity formats like 320kbps mp3s or lossless FLAC that match or exceed the quality of digital music files.
Convenience across devices – Stream music seamlessly across your phone, tablet, PC, smart speaker, and other devices. Your music library follows you anywhere.
Affordability – For $10-$15 a month, you get unlimited, on-demand access to stream music without having to buy individual albums and tracks.
Supported Music Streaming Services
Windows 10 supports most major music streaming services, allowing you to access millions of songs right from your desktop. Some of the most popular streaming services that work on Windows include:
Spotify – With over 80 million tracks, Spotify is one of the largest music libraries available. Spotify offers ad-supported free streaming as well as premium subscriptions.
Apple Music – Apple’s streaming service provides access to over 90 million songs, as well as live radio stations. It seamlessly integrates with other Apple devices and services.
Amazon Music – Amazon Music subscribers can stream over 90 million songs. Amazon Prime members get access to 2 million songs ad-free.
YouTube Music – In addition to official songs and albums, YouTube Music leverages YouTube’s massive catalog of user-generated content.
Tidal – Tidal claims over 70 million tracks and offers high fidelity lossless audio for audiophiles.
System Requirements
To stream music on Windows 10, your system needs to meet some minimum requirements:
- Windows 10 version – You need Windows 10 version 1809 or later. Earlier versions do not include some necessary media components. See Microsoft’s media feature pack if your Windows 10 is not up to date.
- Internet connection speed – Music streaming requires a broadband internet connection. For smooth, uninterrupted streaming, an internet speed of at least 1 Mbps is recommended.
- Audio output device – You’ll need speakers, headphones, or another audio output device to hear the streamed music. Make sure your audio driver is installed and the output device is set as the default in Windows.
Set Default Audio Device
To stream music, you’ll first want to set your preferred audio output device as the default in Windows 10. This ensures that any music streamed will automatically play through that device. Here’s how to set the default audio output device:
Open the Settings app and go to System > Sound.[1]
Under Choose your output device, select the speaker, headphones, or other audio device you want to set as the default output.
You can test that it’s selected by playing a sound in Windows and verifying that it comes through the intended audio device.
Now when you stream music, it will automatically play through that default output without needing to change devices each time. You can always change the default later if needed.
Install Streaming Service App
To start streaming music, you’ll first need to install a streaming app from the Microsoft Store. Some popular options include Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon Music, and Pandora. These streaming services offer apps optimized for Windows 10.
To install a streaming app, open the Microsoft Store on your Windows 10 device. You can search for the app you want or browse selections under Categories > Music. When you find the app you want, select Get to install it.
Installing the app will require signing in with your account for that streaming service. If you don’t already have an account, you’ll need to sign up for the service first before you can use the Windows 10 app. Signing in with an existing account will sync your music libraries, downloads, and account settings.
For example, to install Spotify, search for “Spotify” in the Microsoft Store. Click Get on the Spotify Music app. Then select Sign in and enter your Spotify username and password. This will install Spotify and log you into your account.[1]
Streaming via Web Browser
You can stream music through a web browser on Windows 10 by going directly to a music service’s website. Most major streaming services like Spotify, Pandora, Tunein, and others allow you to listen through their web player without needing to install a dedicated app.
The supported web browsers for streaming music are Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, Microsoft Edge, and Apple Safari. Ensure your web browser is updated to the latest version for the best streaming experience.
To get started, simply open your preferred web browser on your Windows 10 computer and navigate to the music service’s website. Log into your account if required. You’ll find a web player on the site that allows you to search for artists, albums, songs and start streaming music instantly.
Most services have keyboard shortcuts, allow you to create playlists, share songs, and take your music listening experience online. With a good internet connection you can enjoy seamless music streaming directly in the browser.
Offline Listening
To enable offline listening and download songs or playlists for offline use, most streaming services have mobile apps that allow you to download content. For example, Spotify’s mobile app has a setting to enable offline mode and download playlists and podcasts (https://www.getinpulse.com/can-i-listen-to-music-on-my-samsung-galaxy-watch). Downloaded content can then be accessed without an internet connection.
The amount of content you can download for offline use is usually limited. Spotify, for example, lets you download up to 10,000 songs across 5 different devices (https://forums.musicplayer.com/topic/178354-a-rant-about-music-streaming-services-and-cellular-tech/). So while offline listening is possible, you won’t have access to a streaming service’s full library when offline. Playlists and albums typically need to be specifically downloaded for offline access ahead of time.
Keyboard Shortcuts
Windows includes several handy keyboard shortcuts for controlling music playback in your preferred streaming service. These allow you to pause, play, skip tracks, adjust volume, and more without touching your mouse.
For media controls that work across services, use shortcuts like Win + Up/Down to increase/decrease volume and Win + P to play/pause the current track. You can also use Win + Left/Right to skip to the previous or next track in your playlist or queue.
Services like Spotify and YouTube Music have additional custom shortcuts. For example, in Spotify try Ctrl + S to toggle shuffle mode, Ctrl + R to toggle repeat, and Ctrl + L to like a track. YouTube Music uses K and J to skip tracks.
Refer to your streaming service’s help site for a full list of supported shortcuts. With some practice, these can help you quickly control your music playback right from the keyboard.
Troubleshooting
Streaming music on Windows 10 can sometimes run into issues. Here are some common problems and fixes.
Fixes for Common Streaming Issues
If you experience buffering, try adjusting your streaming quality in the app settings to a lower bandwidth option. Check that other devices on your network are not consuming bandwidth during streaming. Restarting your computer and router can also help resolve temporary connection problems.
Some users have reported music streaming issues after Windows 10 updates. Trying rolling back the latest Windows update if problems appeared after an update installed. Instructions can be found on this Microsoft forum post.
Make sure your music streaming service app is up to date. Apps often release bug fix updates that resolve streaming problems.
Audio Troubleshooting
If you cannot hear streamed music, check that your default audio output device is set correctly in Windows Sound settings. Try testing with headphones plugged directly into the audio jack to isolate the problem.
Consult the Windows 10 Anniversary Update troubleshooting guide if streaming was working before that update installed. Reinstalling audio drivers may help.
For persistent audio issues, try reinstalling the streaming app. Audio problems can also indicate a damaged audio jack or hardware problem.
Conclusion
Streaming music on Windows 10 is straightforward once you know the steps. The key things to do are: install a streaming app like Spotify or Pandora, set your default audio device for playback, and log into the streaming service. You can then easily search for and play music, create playlists, and manage your account.
The advantages of streaming music on Windows 10 include:
- Access to vast libraries of songs, albums, and playlists, far more than you could store locally
- Ability to take your music with you and listen on multiple devices
- Personalized recommendations based on your listening history and preferences
- Option for ad-free listening with paid subscriptions
- Syncs across devices so your playlists and queue follow you
With Windows 10’s compatibility with top streaming services, you can enjoy tens of millions of songs, custom stations, and more. Streaming makes music listening easy and affordable.