Using Apple TV to play music without Airplay

To my understanding, if you select the AirPlay Icon from the now playing screen and then control nearby devices instead of selecting the Apple TV via the AirPlay menu, then you can play music from the Apple TV directly. This works for me as well. It will also indicate this by showing Apple TV under the play button instead of iPhone -> Apple TV.

the only issue that i have with this solution, is that the music randomly pauses and I have to press play all the time.

11334moin wrote:

To my understanding, if you select the AirPlay Icon from the now playing screen and then control nearby devices instead of selecting the Apple TV via the AirPlay menu, then you can play music from the Apple TV directly. This works for me as well. It will also indicate this by showing Apple TV under the play button instead of iPhone -> Apple TV.

the only issue that i have with this solution, is that the music randomly pauses and I have to press play all the time.

What you describe is available when various devices in the home are already playing stuff... It's a useful remote control function.

But in this case, the OP/Author wants [wanted] to use his iPhone, presumably with an excellent UI, to browse, select & control what gets played by the ATV4K that's plugged into his AVR. I'm pretty sure that's Google's operational model for the ChromeCast devices.

With my iPhone, I can fire up Pandora and establish a ChromeCast connection with my soundbar, and I'm pretty sure the chromecast device [soundbar] maintains an authenticated connection with Pandora, playing what the iPhone app tells it to. I know Netflix worked this way on ChromeCast, controlled by a Netflix app running on a cheap Android device (or an iPhone), over 10 years ago.

To be honest, the Apple Music / iPhone / HomePod relationship may have obfuscated elements of this - seems I've started Music playing something independently on the HomePods, then found the Music app on iPhone providing some remote-like function?

Apple TV is meant to work with a screen. Then you can use the Music app on the Apple TV itself. Playing from your iPhone will be AirPlay, unless you connect your iPhone wired directly to your audio system. Apple TV is not a device that is designed to be controlled from other devices, except for AirPlay. The Home app can make the Apple TV box do one action (afaik): Resume audio (without selecting anything). It is not meant for remote operation.

Radoslav111 wrote:

Hello, I’m using my Apple TV 4K for playing Apple music - it is connected with HDMI cable directly to my WIFI system. There is no TV connected. I’m controlling it with my iPhone - I see this Apple TV on my Home Centre. If I choose a song, it always plays via Airplay, which is not good quality (not lossless). I just need to control this Apple TV with my iPhone, but it should play without using Airplay. Could you help me how to set it without Airplay?

I'll always bow to @Urquhart1244's knowledge of Apple TV devices, but I'm curious... Have you tried setting your iPhone down and using the Siri Remote's mic to verbally tell the ATV4K box "play [music selection] on Apple Music"? I do that when I want to hear various stuff in Atmos/spatial. Note that unlike using Siri commands on an iphone or homepod to play music, you need to click the remote to execute your spoken command.

If it were me, I'd find a tiny sleek monitor to place discreetly near the hifi setup.

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