Is there a YouTube Music app for Android TV?

Android TV is Google’s smart TV platform that is optimized for large screens and living room usage like other smart TV interfaces. It features apps from the Google Play Store tailored for the TV experience, as well as streaming, gaming, and home screen widgets to control your smart home devices and access media content.

Android TV comes pre-installed on certain smart TVs and set-top boxes from Sony, NVIDIA, Philips and other manufacturers. Newer versions of Android TV have the Google Assistant built-in for voice commands, Chromecast functionality for casting to the TV screen from your mobile device, and integration with Google services like YouTube, Play Movies & TV, and more. The platform continues to improve with frequent updates from Google and device manufacturers.

What is YouTube Music on Android TV?

YouTube Music on Android TV is not a standalone app. Rather, it is integrated into the main YouTube app that comes pre-installed on most Android TV devices. When you open the YouTube app on an Android TV, there is a “Music” tab that provides access to YouTube Music.

The YouTube Music experience allows you to browse and play music just like the mobile YouTube Music app. You can access your playlists, albums, songs and more. It also provides personalized recommendations and radio stations based on your taste.

However, the experience is more limited compared to the mobile app. Playback controls, queue management and other features are focused on the TV interface rather than mobile. There are also no options for uploading your own music library.

According to Google’s support page, YouTube Music should be available on most Android TV devices from 2019 onwards. This includes smart TVs from Sony, Hisense, Philips and more. Older Android TV devices may not have the integrated YouTube Music experience.

How to Get YouTube Music on Android TV

The YouTube Music app is not available on the Google Play Store for Android TV. However, you can still install YouTube Music by “sideloading” the Android Package Kit (APK) file onto your Android TV device.

Sideloading is the process of manually installing app files that are not available through the Play Store. Though Google does not recommend sideloading, it is safe as long as you download the APK from a reputable source.

Here are step-by-step instructions for sideloading YouTube Music on Android TV:

1. On your Android TV device, enable “Apps from Unknown Sources” in Settings > Security & Restrictions
2. Download the latest YouTube Music APK from APKMirror or another verified source
3. Transfer the downloaded APK to your Android TV device using a USB drive or file sharing app
4. Use a file manager app like ES File Explorer to locate and install the transferred APK
5. Select YouTube Music from your Android TV apps menu to launch!

Sideloading offers a simple workaround to get YouTube Music on your Android TV until Google releases an official app. Just make sure to only download APKs from reputable sites.

Using a Web Browser

One method for accessing YouTube Music on Android TV is through a web browser. By opening the browser app on your Android TV, either Chrome or Firefox, you can navigate to the YouTube Music website and utilize the streaming service that way.

The YouTube Music web app includes full functionality for searching and streaming music, creating playlists, and accessing your uploaded music library. So using the website provides a fairly complete experience. However, browsing via remote versus a keyboard and mouse does have some limitations in terms of ease of use.

To access YouTube Music via an Android TV web browser, simply launch Chrome or Firefox and navigate to music.youtube.com. From there you can browse, search, and play music just as you would in the mobile app or desktop site.

Casting to Android TV

One of the easiest ways to play YouTube Music on your Android TV is to cast it from your smartphone or tablet. The YouTube Music app allows casting so you can send the audio and video from your device to display on your Android TV.

To cast YouTube Music to your Android TV, follow these steps:

1. Connect both your Android TV and your smartphone or tablet to the same Wi-Fi network. This allows them to talk to each other through casting.

2. Open the YouTube Music app on your phone or tablet. Select the content (songs, albums, playlists, etc) that you want to play.

3. Tap the cast button in the app. This is usually a rectangle with wireless signal lines. A list of available devices on your local network will appear.

4. Select your Android TV from the list. The audio and any video will then start playing from your phone or tablet onto your TV.

That’s it! You can now control and play YouTube Music from your phone while enjoying the video and audio on your bigger Android TV screen. This makes it easy to queue up songs and playlists to play without having the official YouTube Music app installed on your Android TV.

Voice Control

You can use the Google Assistant to control YouTube Music on your Android TV with just your voice. To set this up, make sure you have the Google Assistant enabled on your Android TV and a Google Nest speaker, display, or other device set up.

Once connected, you can say voice commands like “Hey Google, play my Discover Mix on YouTube Music on TV” or “Hey Google, play (song/artist/album/playlist) on YouTube Music.” The Google Assistant will follow your instructions and begin playing music from your YouTube Music account on the Android TV.

According to Google’s support documentation, most YouTube and YouTube Music playback controls are supported through voice commands via the Google Assistant. This includes play/pause, skip, previous, queue, turn up/down volume, and more.

Using voice commands can be a quick and convenient hands-free way to control your YouTube Music listening experience on an Android TV.

Limitations

YouTube Music on Android TV has several limitations compared to the mobile app.

The Android TV version is missing key features like:

• Playlists management – Users cannot create, edit, or delete playlists on Android TV. They can only play existing playlists (Source).
• Library management – Features to add songs, albums, or artists to your library are not available on Android TV (Source).
• Offline downloads – There is no way to save songs or playlists for offline listening on Android TV (Source).

These limitations significantly reduce the usefulness of YouTube Music on Android TV compared to mobile.

Tips for Improving Experience

As the YouTube Music app is still in development for Android TV, there are some limitations and frustrations with using it. However, there are tips you can try to improve the experience in the meantime.

One tip from Android Police is to adjust the audio settings like quality, equalizer settings, and play history options to suit your preferences. You can find these options in the YouTube Music settings on your Android TV.

Another suggestion is to try an alternate app like BubbleUPnP which allows casting music from your phone or tablet to your Android TV. This provides more functionality than the basic YouTube Music experience.

Lastly, consider connecting external speakers to your Android TV rather than relying on the built-in TV speakers. This can greatly enhance the listening experience for music.

While native YouTube Music support is still lacking, hopefully these tips can help deliver an improved experience until more official support arrives.

Summary

In summary, there are a few main ways to get access to YouTube Music on your Android TV:

• Use the built-in YouTube Music app, available on many newer Android TV models
• Cast YouTube Music from your phone or tablet to your Android TV via Google Cast
• Sideload the YouTube Music APK onto your Android TV
• Use a web browser like Chrome or Firefox to access YouTube Music through your Android TV’s web browser

While the experience may not be as seamless as having a native app, with some tips and tricks you can enjoy your YouTube Music library on an Android TV through various methods. Key options include casting, sideloading the Android app, or using a web browser.

References

This article was researched and written using the following sources:

• The official YouTube Music app website and documentation
• The Android TV operating system website
• Community forums discussing YouTube Music on Android TV such as Reddit
• Video tutorials on sideloading the YouTube Music app
• News articles announcing YouTube Music’s launch on Android TV
• Reviews of YouTube Music’s Android TV experience

The information compiled here is based on official sources, community experiences, and expert analysis. All efforts were made to ensure the instructions and descriptions are accurate and up-to-date.