HomePod unable to play iTunes Match content

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Level 1

8 points

HomePod unable to play iTunes Match content

Sometimes my HomePod is unable to play iTunes Match content.

I usually just ask Siri to play music, which works perfectly, but sometimes I put on a song using my iPhone. On iPhone, I have two options. 1) I can play music on the iPhone and use HomePod as a speaker, or 2) I can use iPhone as a remote to control playback on HomePod.

1) always works, but 2) doesn't always work, and I've noticed that the issue occurs when the music I try to play is from my iCloud Music Library (I guess what was previously called iTunes Match?).

HomePod is about to start playing, but then it just stops. Reminds me of the early days of Apple Music with all the skipping issues which plagued me and many other users back then.

Does anyone else have this issue?

Posted on Mar 8, 2018 12:44 PM

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Answer 1

Martin SL Author

Level 1

8 points

Mar 10, 2018 9:20 AM in response to turingtest2

This is not a one-song issue. When this issue occurs, it affects all iTunes Match songs.

As you can see here, the song is properly matched. And as I've mentioned before, playback works fine on all other devices. Just not on the HomePod.

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Answer 2

Martin SL Author

Level 1

8 points

Mar 10, 2018 6:10 AM in response to turingtest2

The track is on Apple Music, so I assume the HomePod played that version of the song when it played the personalised radio station. But something changes when I try to play the iTunes Match version, which is the one I have in my library. https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/race-you-album-version/128199952?i=128199402

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Answer 3

turingtest2

Level 10

275,260 points

Mar 8, 2018 1:13 PM in response to Martin SL

iTunes Match and Apple Music both make use of iCloud Music library. Are you sure that the track you're trying to play has been successfully matched or uploaded. Only today I was noticing how new content added to the iCloud Music library can be replicated to other devices before it is ready to be streamed or downloaded to them. In primary source library check for tracks with an iCloud status of Waiting.

tt2

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Answer 4

Martin SL Author

Level 1

8 points

Mar 8, 2018 1:21 PM in response to turingtest2

To be honest, I find the terminology a tad confusing. I never really understood the difference between iTunes Match and iCloud Music Library. But I guess that's another story.

I'm pretty sure that the songs in question are successfully matched/uploaded considering the fact that I can play them on any other device (iPad, iMac, iPhone, Apple TV). Just not on the HomePod. Also, sometimes my HomePod can't find/play my playlists. That's another issue I'm having, but usually it's working after some time. But perhaps the two issues are related?

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Answer 5

turingtest2

Level 10

275,260 points

Mar 8, 2018 1:39 PM in response to Martin SL

Yes, if they play on the Apple TV for example then that isn't the issue. You're not alone in finding that Siri doesn't always follow through with playback requests although I don't have that problem myself. I believe Apple are aware and looking to improve reliability here.

As for playlists I find I have had to change some of the names for clarity. Last night Siri insisted my requests for PSB (tracks by Public Service Broadcasting in my library) should be understood as PSV, something it finds in Apple Music and with which I am unfamiliar. 😕

tt2

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Answer 6

Martin SL Author

Level 1

8 points

Mar 10, 2018 5:32 AM in response to turingtest2

Thanks for your suggestions! I am almost 100% confident that it doesn't have to do with the names of my playlists. When this issue occurs, it's like my HomePod is only connected to Apple Music and not my iTunes Music Library. For the most part, it will play my playlist called "Stay here forever", and other times it doesn't know it exists.

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Answer 7

Martin SL Author

Level 1

8 points

Mar 10, 2018 5:36 AM in response to turingtest2

It happened again yesterday. I had asked Siri to play some music and it played a personalised radio station for me. The song 'Race You' by Figurines came on. Once it was over, I wanted to hear it again, so I asked Siri to play it, but she couldn't. So I went into the music app, chose HomePod using the remote control feature and tried to play it. Again, no luck. Finally, I set HomePod as the speaker output using AirPlay - and then it worked.

Pretty frustrating 😟

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Answer 8

turingtest2

Level 10

275,260 points

Mar 10, 2018 6:08 AM in response to Martin SL

Is your iTunes library connected to iCloud Music Library? FWIW I've just searched for that track in Apple Music and it isn't there, nor the album it comes from. I've got subscriptions to both iTunes Match and Apple Music (iTunes Match renewed before I decided to try Apple Music again) and I can get Siri to play content that has been uploaded from my personal collection that hasn't ever been released, let alone on iTunes.

Assuming this is something in your personal collection you could try removing it from the iCloud Music Library using an iOS device, or a second library, then going back to the primary library where its iCloud status will be Removed and add it back into your iCloud library.

tt2

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Answer 9

turingtest2

Level 10

275,260 points

Mar 10, 2018 6:38 AM in response to Martin SL

If it is in your iCloud Music Library then that is the version that should play when you ask for it. I can only assume there is an issue with your upload, so that HomePod cannot play it, and doesn't have the smarts to go fetch the original in the store. In iTunes does it show as matched or uploaded?

tt2

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Answer 10

turingtest2

Level 10

275,260 points

Mar 10, 2018 9:58 AM in response to Martin SL

Martin SL wrote:

This is not a one-song issue.

That's understood, but if often helps to try troubleshooting with a single example, and if possible find out what if anything is different from other tracks that don't have the same issue, or if it possible to make changes that fix it. If you haven't already tried it then it might be worth trying to remove the track from your iCloud Music Library, then add it back again. Unfortunately so far I cannot find an example from own library or I would try such an experiment myself.

tt2

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Answer 11

Martin SL Author

Level 1

8 points

Mar 12, 2018 7:13 AM in response to turingtest2

The reason why I'm so insistent that it doesn't have to do with any particular songs, is that it's working for the most part. Also, I forgot to mention that I can get it all working again by signing out of my Apple ID in the Home app (within the HomePod settings), restarting the HomePod and signing in again. But after some time (maybe a week or something like that), the issue occurs again.

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