How do you play music in sync?
Syncing music allows you to access the same music library across multiple devices. Rather than having different sets of music on your phone, computer, tablet, etc., syncing lets you stream or download the same songs on all your devices. This means you can start listening to an album on your phone, and pick up where you left off on your computer without missing a beat.
People sync their music libraries across devices for convenience and seamless access. By keeping one centralized music collection in the cloud, you don’t have to manually manage multiple libraries. Syncing also allows you to save storage space on devices by streaming music rather than downloading it. Additionally, it enables new music, playlists and more to propagate across all linked devices automatically.
Choose a Sync Service
The most popular music sync services for streaming your library across devices are Apple Music, Spotify, and Google Play Music. These platforms allow you to upload your personal music collection to the cloud and stream it on all your devices in sync.
Apple Music has a library limit of 100,000 songs and costs $9.99/month after a free 3-month trial. Spotify caps libraries at 10,000 songs on up to 5 devices and costs $9.99/month after a free 1-month trial. Google Play Music has a 50,000 song limit for uploads and also costs $9.99/month after a free 1-month trial.
All three services use advanced algorithms to match the songs you upload to versions already available in their catalog. This allows you access to extra metadata and their full suite of features like curated playlists. If you have obscure or live tracks, you’ll need to manually upload those.
While the libraries and core features are similar, each service has small differences in usability and device support. Refer to comparison articles to choose the one that best fits your listening habits and device ecosystem.
Set Up Your Accounts
The first step to syncing your music is to create accounts with the sync services you want to use. Popular options include Apple Music, Spotify, YouTube Music, Amazon Music, and Google Play Music.
To set up an Apple Music account, open the Music app on your iPhone or iPad and tap the Account icon. Then tap “Create New Account” and follow the onscreen instructions to sign up (Apple Support). You’ll need to provide your Apple ID and payment information.
For Spotify, download the app and tap “Sign up” to create your free account. Or visit spotify.com to register. You can link your Facebook profile for quicker set up. Upgrade to a paid Premium plan if you want features like offline listening (Google Nest Support).
Other services like YouTube Music, Amazon Music, and Google Play Music have similar sign-up processes in their mobile apps or websites. Just look for the option to register a new account and enter your details.
The key is to use the same login credentials across the services you want to sync. This allows you to link them together for seamless music streaming.
Download the Apps
The key to syncing your music across devices is downloading the official apps for your chosen streaming service. The most popular music syncing platforms are Spotify, Apple Music, and YouTube Music.
To download the Spotify app on your iPhone or iPad, visit the App Store and search for “Spotify.” Tap “Get” to install the app for free. On Android, go to the Google Play Store, search for “Spotify,” and tap “Install.”
For Apple Music, the app comes pre-installed on iOS devices. On Android, download the app from the Google Play Store. YouTube Music also has apps for iOS and Android available on their respective app stores.
Sync Your Music Library
To sync your existing local music files to streaming services like Spotify or Apple Music, you first need to add the local files to the service’s library. This allows you to access your own music alongside the streaming catalog.
For Spotify, go to Settings > Local Files and turn on the folders where your local music is stored. You can add multiple sources. On desktop, Local Files will then appear in Your Library so you can add tracks to playlists. On mobile, go to a playlist containing local tracks, tap the 3 dots next to it, and select Download to sync those local tracks for offline playback [1].
For Apple Music, open Music app Preferences on a Mac and check “Share iTunes Library XML with other applications.” This syncs your Apple Music library with your local iTunes library. Any local-only tracks will upload to iCloud Music Library so you can stream them [2].
This process adds your local music files to these streaming platforms so you can access everything in one place without having to switch between apps. Once synced, streams and downloads will contain both your local files and the streaming catalog.
Stream Music
Once you have synced your music library to a streaming service, you can start listening to your music through their apps. Services like Spotify, Apple Music, and YouTube Music all have apps for smartphones, tablets, computers, and other devices that allow you to stream your synced music libraries.
To stream from Spotify, simply open up the Spotify app on your device and log in to your account. Your synced music library should appear – just tap on a song to start streaming it. You can also search for specific artists, albums or songs. Spotify offers high quality streaming for paid subscribers. Make sure to go into settings to select the highest streaming quality.
For Apple Music, launch the Music app on your iPhone or iPad and sign in. You’ll see your Apple Music library containing the songs and playlists synced from your desktop. Start streaming by tapping on a song. Apple Music can also be streamed through iTunes on a computer. Streaming quality is determined by your subscription level.
YouTube Music works similarly. Open the YouTube Music app, log in, and you’ll have access to stream your uploaded music alongside YouTube’s catalog. You can upgrade to YouTube Music Premium for a full streaming experience without ads. YouTube Music allows offline downloads for listening without an internet connection.
Using the mobile apps to stream your synced music libraries provides seamless access to your music collection from anywhere. Most streaming services offer high quality audio, offline downloads, and work across multiple devices.
Download for Offline Playback
One of the most useful features of music syncing services like Apple Music, Spotify, and Google Play Music is the ability to save songs, albums, and playlists for offline listening when you don’t have an internet connection. Here’s how to download music for offline playback:
On Apple Music, open the app and tap on the song, album, or playlist you want to save for offline listening. Tap the download icon (a downward facing arrow) next to any item to download it. To access your offline music, tap on the My Music tab and select Downloads. You can also download playlists for offline listening by toggling the Available Offline switch on the playlist page. Source
In Spotify, tap the download icon (also a downward arrow) next to any song, album, artist or playlist to save it offline. To see your offline music, tap Your Library and select the Downloads section. Toggle the switch next to Playlist items to make them available offline. On mobile, switch on Offline Mode in Settings to only play downloaded music. Source
For Google Play Music, click the download icon next to songs, albums or playlists. Then select Downloaded Music in the side navigation bar to access your offline content. You can also download Artist, Genres or radio stations by clicking the download button. Turn on Downloaded Only mode to avoid streaming.
Use Playlists
Playlists are a great way to organize and share your favorite music on your chosen sync service. You can create your own custom playlists to suit any mood or activity. For example, you might make workout playlists to listen to at the gym, relaxing playlists for reading or studying, or party playlists for a fun get-together with friends.
To create a playlist, simply open your library and click the “Add Playlist” button. Give your playlist a name and start adding songs, albums or artists you want to include. Most services allow you to drag and drop to rearrange the order of songs. Once your playlist is ready, tap “Save” to add it to your library.
The best part of playlists is being able to share them easily with friends and family. Click on your playlist’s three dots menu and select “Share Playlist” to generate a link. Send this to whoever you want to share the playlist with – they can then listen to that exact selection of songs through your chosen sync service. Some services like Spotify also let you collaborate on shared playlists, so you can all add to and update it over time.
Playlists are more customizable than radio algorithm recommendations, while also being easily shareable social experiences. So take advantage of them to elevate your sync music listening.
Listen on Multiple Devices
One of the key benefits of syncing your music is being able to access it across all your devices. Here are the steps for listening to your synced music library on multiple devices:
First, make sure you are logged into your syncing service on all the devices you want to listen on. For example if you synced with Spotify, be signed into your Spotify account on your phone, computer, speakers etc.
Then, simply play a song, album or playlist on one device and you should be able to access it and listen simultaneously on your other devices. For example, you can start listening to a playlist on your phone, then continue listening on your computer or smart speakers as you move around your house. Most syncing services like Spotify use streaming technology and WiFi to let you seamlessly access your synced library anywhere (Audkit).
Some key points for accessing your music across devices:
- Make sure all your devices are connected to the internet/WiFi for constant access
- You can control playback (play, pause, skip tracks) from any device once the music is streaming
- Be signed into the same syncing service account on all devices
With the steps above, you can enjoy your synced music library on all your devices, whether at home or on the go!
Troubleshooting Tips
If you notice missing songs or issues with syncing your music library across devices, here are some troubleshooting tips:
First, make sure Sync Library is enabled in the Music settings on all your devices. Go to Settings > Music and toggle on Sync Library. All devices should be signed in to Apple Music with the same Apple ID (1).
Check that all your devices are connected to the internet. Syncing requires an internet connection to update changes across devices.
If songs are greyed out, try deleting the downloads from your devices and allowing them to re-download. This will sync the accurate metadata.
As a last resort, you can log out then back into Apple Music on your devices with your Apple ID. This may resolve lingering sync issues by refreshing your music library data.
If problems persist, you can contact Apple support to troubleshoot further or reset syncing on your account (2).