How to Send Audio From Mac to apple TV via AirPlay and then listen to HomePod

I'm not at home to check, but I suspect if it works at all you need to be able to AirPlay to both the AppleTV and the HomePod as multiple output devices from your Mac. This may be something that will only work when AirPlay 2 is properly rolled out.

Assuming you cannot make it work yet use Feedback - HomePod - Apple to let Apple know it is something that you want to be able to do.

tt2

Hi,

I am having this same issue.

***Here's some info about the products I am using***

I use ATV4 model A1625 running tvOS 11.3 (15L5186e), iMac (Retina 5K, 27-inch, 2017) running macOS 10.13.4 Beta (17E160e), HomePod model MQHW2LL/A running 11.2.5 (15D61).

The tvOS and macOS are both Beta versions while the HomePod is a commercial release. My home network uses a roaming network structure. My ISP's modem goes to my TimeCapsule which is my router and then there's an AirPort Express which extends the network originally created by the TimeCapsule. AirPort Express is 802.11n (2nd gen) running firmware 7.6.9 and the TimeCapsule 802.11ac is running firmware 7.7.9.

***Here's the situation and description of issue***

I turn on my ATV and go to Settings to select my HomePod as the Audio Output and the audio from ATV goes through HomePod. Then I mirror my iMac to ATV and whatever audio that's suppose to be coming from my iMac, whether it's Apple Music in iTunes or streaming video in Safari, there's no audio coming out of HomePod. ATV still shows that HomePod is the Audio Output because if I try to change the volume on ATV, it shows the name of the HomePod to indicate that's whose volume it's trying to control.

***Similar situations***

1) If I select HomePod as Audio Output and watch Netflix or listen to Apple Music through ATV/tvOS without mirroring, the audio works as expected.

2) If I AirPlay just audio to ATV from iMac, it works on HomePod.

3) If I mirror one of my iOS devices to ATV, HomePod does NOT work (just like mirroring from iMac which is my main concern).

4) If I have a bluetooth speaker (i.e. not a HomePod) as the selected Audio Output for ATV and I mirror from my iMac, the audio comes through but so distorted it's nearly unintelligible.

***Some disclaimers***

I realize this COULD be a symptom of Beta, but my friend has the exact same issue with the audio on ATV when an external speaker is being used. He has almost the same setup, without Betas. He doesn't have an ATV. But his issue with distorted audio on bluetooth speaker when mirroring to his ATV is the same.

this would be a good workaround. but the simplest thing should be that if your HomePod is already connected to your ATV then you shouldn't have to specify on the computer a different audio and video output.

but alas we cannot try this because when you try to switch the audio output while mirroring, the mirroring stops.

I've just tried it this way successfully. On Apple TV use Settings > Video and Audio > Audio Output > Homepod, then on the Mac start a video playing and enable AirPlay to the Apple TV. Result: audio plays out of HomePod and video plays on Apple TV.

tt2

There is certainly a delay when using the Mac for the video but sending the audio to the HomePod. For this I just made sure it worked and can't say that I noticed. Synchronization between audio and video ought to improve with AirPlay 2.

tt2

I had a related issue that was driving me nuts, where Apple TV couldn't AirPlay audio to the HomePod at seemingly random times. When selecting the HomePod as my audio source on the Apple TV, I would get an "un-tick" back to the Apple TV for audio. The only app that this didn't happen for was Pandora, but in that case, I would see the "+" and "-" signs lit up on top of the HomePod as if music were playing, but no sound would come through as the Pandora music streamed. I would switch back to Apple TV for audio and it would pick up the Pandora music mid-stream without missing a beat. It's clearly a bug, as the HomePod is receiving some sort of data that indicates that music should be playing through it, hence the lit "+" and "-".

After some experimentation, I think it is a HomeKit issue. Go to the Home app on your iPhone (or whatever device you used to set up your HomePod), and select the location/arrow icon in the top left corner. There should be a listing of "HOME HUBS" there. For me, when the HomePod is listed as "Connected" and my Apple TV as "Standby" (I guess only one can be "Connected" at a time?), audio somehow does not flow through AirPlay from the Apple TV to the HomePod. But when the Apple TV is listed as "Connected" and the HomePod as "Standby", the audio from the Apple TV *does* flow through AirPlay to the HomePod.

I just discovered this bug, so I'm not sure if "Connected" home hubs switch back and forth between the Apple TV and the HomePod at random, or according to some pre-defined signal metric. But in order for me to get the Apple TV back to "Connected" status, I have to unplug my HomePod, wait long enough for the Apple TV to show as "Connected", and then plug the HomePod back in. Usually that takes more than a few seconds, maybe even a minute or two.

Did you try this, from my post above?

After some experimentation, I think it is a HomeKit issue. Go to the Home app on your iPhone (or whatever device you used to set up your HomePod), and select the location/arrow icon in the top left corner. There should be a listing of "HOME HUBS" there. For me, when the HomePod is listed as "Connected" and my Apple TV as "Standby" (I guess only one can be "Connected" at a time?), audio somehow does not flow through AirPlay from the Apple TV to the HomePod. But when the Apple TV is listed as "Connected" and the HomePod as "Standby", the audio from the Apple TV *does* flow through AirPlay to the HomePod.

...In order for me to get the Apple TV back to "Connected" status, I have to unplug my HomePod, wait long enough for the Apple TV to show as "Connected", and then plug the HomePod back in. Usually that takes more than a few seconds, maybe even a minute or two.

Have you passed this observation on to Feedback - HomePod - Apple?

tt2

iTunes supports multiple output devices. I can play music through my computer's speakers, Apple TV and HomePod all at the same time.

tt2

have you ever noticed a delay? (ever as in not just in this situation)

Just did.