Streaming Music on Apple Watch 4 --- DOESN'T WORK as advertised

Who has figured out how to stream a particular song on Apple Watch 4, because I cannot?


I am:

A subscriber to Apple Music

All my cellular functionality is turned on


I was told by Apple Technical Support: You in fact CANNOT play any song on your phone without first setting it up on your iPhone.


Here is an excerpt from their website:


"Listen to Apple Music

If you're an Apple Music subscriber, your Apple Watch Series 3 and later can automatically access your music library. Open the Music app on your Apple Watch and scroll up, then tap Library. You can also use Siri to play any song in the Apple Music catalog and listen to custom stations in the Radio app."


The statement "play any song in the Apple Music catalog". You can't use Siri on your watch to play any song in the Apple Music catalog. Instead, you have to first set it up on your iPhone.


Maybe I am wrong, but all of their marketing: "Siri, play something I can dance to" is said into the watch and it plays from the watch. Mine will not play from the watch and cant because there is not a playlist set up.


Any help anybody can provide would be awesome. Otherwise, very disappointed in Apple.



Apple Watch Series 4, watchOS 5

Posted on May 10, 2019 11:47 AM

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Posted on May 14, 2019 12:50 PM

SO.. After a few individuals from the Verizon store and I realized their AirPods and Beats ear phones work on their watches for the Siri Apple Music streaming service, we paired one of theirs with mine... It worked seamlessly!!!


Long story short, the Streaming option will ONLY work with H1 or M1 chipsets; in other words, only an Apple product speaker or earphone set will work with this option. Nice work Apple... Next time disclose it so people like me wont have to spend almost 8 hours trying to figure it out then have an Apple Tech tell me he is sorry because it doesn't do what I THOUGHT it would do...

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May 14, 2019 12:50 PM in response to lahtim76

SO.. After a few individuals from the Verizon store and I realized their AirPods and Beats ear phones work on their watches for the Siri Apple Music streaming service, we paired one of theirs with mine... It worked seamlessly!!!


Long story short, the Streaming option will ONLY work with H1 or M1 chipsets; in other words, only an Apple product speaker or earphone set will work with this option. Nice work Apple... Next time disclose it so people like me wont have to spend almost 8 hours trying to figure it out then have an Apple Tech tell me he is sorry because it doesn't do what I THOUGHT it would do...

May 14, 2019 3:56 PM in response to lahtim76

I did a web search for "music on the Apple Watch." This was first hit;

Listen to music and podcasts on your Apple watch, an Apple Support document.


The instruction for listening -

Before you start listening, pair your watch with Bluetooth headphones.


I'm sorry that you got the runaround from folks who didn't know their product, including the guy from Apple. I found this in 2 minutes. It does work as advertised.


ASC - Late 2012 Mac mini, macOS 10.14.5; Watch, series 3 cellular, watchOS 5.2.1; iPad Air 2 & iPhone 8+, iOS 12.3; TV 4th Gen, tvOS 12.3;  HomePods, audioOS 12.3 and Airport Express w/ Airplay 2


May 10, 2019 5:30 PM in response to seanfromllanelli

Everything is updated, reset, repaired, at least twice today. 3 guys from the Verizon store, 2 from CityMac, and 2 from the Apple Tech Support number could not figure out what is wrong. In fact, the Apple tech, directly from Apple and after almost an hour of trying, said he was sorry the watch did not do what I thought it would do. Your marketing is quite clear that it does in fact do what I expected it to do. Any additional thoughts?

May 15, 2019 7:41 AM in response to Dah•veed

Thanks Dah*veed... But...

Believe it or not, the folks at the Verizon store and the Apple store were initially using that exact document to try and troubleshoot the problem. Everything looks good in the document and it makes total sense. But what it eludes to is the fact that the following option will ONLY work with Apple branded/manufactured earphones or speakers:


"Listen to Apple Music

If you're an Apple Music subscriber, your Apple Watch Series 3 and later can automatically access your music library. Open the Music app on your Apple Watch and scroll up, then tap Library. You can also use Siri to play any song in the Apple Music catalog and listen to custom stations in the Radio app."


To me, the way it is advertised, is not how it actually works. There needs to be a disclosure of the need for Apple earphones or an Apple speaker.



May 15, 2019 6:42 PM in response to BobHarris

Bob, does it work with Apple Music? I have a brand new pair of JBL Reflect Contour2. They will pair with the watch and play radio or music synced from my iTunes library. But will not allow Apple Music to stream through the JBLs, it defaults to the iPhone or states there is “no available player”. Try asking your watch to play Taylor Swift. “Look what you made me do.” That is what Apple uses in their marketing. I am very interested to see if it works.




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Streaming Music on Apple Watch 4 --- DOESN'T WORK as advertised

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