macOS 11.3 Music and AirPort Express AirPlay Problem (Cannot play more than 7 seconds)

Monterey didn’t seem to help. I still have the same problem :( A bit disappointing dear Apple.

Thanks a lot Samelot, it works even if it’s not the perfect solution.

Unfortunately, does not help on MacBook Air M1 with MacOS 12.0.1.

It's not perfect, but Monterey seems to have resolved this for me

The downgrade has definitely helped, thanks. But do you get a lot of "Could not connect to [Airport Express name]" pop-ups?

No, works fine for me.

Thanks! This is the first solution that actually works for me. Very glad to have a working Airplay solution now! (I'm on a MacBook Air M1 with macOS Monterey.)

Genius! This fixed my issue also (MacBook Air M1 running Monterey 12.1). Thank you so much.

Same here: MacBook AIR M1, Music app 1.1.5.74. The only way to have music streamed from MBA to airport express (7.8.1) is to also select another airplay device (my AppleTV) and turn sound down to minimal if I don't want to have music streamed where my AT is. So far, streaming won't cut as long at it is also streamed on Apple TV...

NO issues with our 3 iPhones, our 2 iPads.

unfortunately, there is no control for that energy saver on the M1 MBP. The "Battery" control panel doesn't have a switch for hard drive.

However, I read that "App Nap" is a feature that messes with background bluetooth and wireless after a while but I can't find a control method for that either.

We all seem to be having the same problem. I have gobs of Apple products distributed around my home. So far my iPhones, iPod, iPad, Apple TVs even M1 MacBook Airs all seem to be working fine. The problem happens only with the newest member of the family, my iMac (24-inch, M1, 2021) running Big Sur 11.6. It replaces the checkmarks next to connected speakers with a hash mark and silences them. My two large and one mini HomePods are among the unreachable speakers. Only the built-in speaker system works. A small exclamation point appears on the Airplay icon of the Music app window when this happens.

I purchased the extended Apple care to be ready for problems like this but to no avail, no one with Apple seems to have a clue what is going on or how to fix it. I spend long frustrating hours on phone, performing tasks that did not work, being transferred to various support folks with accents that made them very difficult to understand. I finally got them to give me a prorated refund for my unused Apple Care. Being a decades-long loyal Apple customer I'm surprised and disappointed. It seems the folks in charge of Apple Care really do not Care so much.

I have had similar problems. Using my MacBook Pro with M1 chip.

Since software updates at the beginning of 2021 streaming from Apple Music to any airport unit is buggy and stops working after a few tracks. Only workaround seems to be restarting the computer, which is very impractical and annoying.

I have spent hours and hours with Apple Support, repeatedly going from staff who seem uninformed of the issue and then to Senior Technicians or advisors who eventually tell me Apple are aware of the problem and currently do not offer a solution.

The level of support has been extremely poor - uninformed staff, faulty phone consoles, not calling at times of arranged callbacks and not getting back to me for weeks unless I prompt them with emails.  After years of happily using Apple products I am now at the point of advising people DO NOT buy anything with an M1 chip if they wish to stream music wirelessly.

Apple do not seem to care if they have customers who spend money on  Apple Music plans and Apple computers only to realise they have had their money wasted.

I had been planning to also use my MacBook Pro with Apple Logic but this does not seem possible and I am forced to seek alternatives. 

I am also now at the point that the process has been so frustrating I am going to cancel all my plans with Apple and use alternatives. As a long term customer and user they have totally let me down.

Tossing one more on the pile. _l just upgraded my IPad to a new 2021 iPad Pro. Exactly the same issue as everyone else here. With airport express all over the house and a 7 second connect and then turn off the music. I really don't feel like this is an upgrade. Will cost me thousands to replace everything to have whole house sound. You can be certain it will not be apple if I have to replace everything. Someone from apple reading these?