Did you forget your iPhone and headphones at home while heading out for your morning walk? Fortunately, you can use your Apple Watch for music or podcasts, but Apple doesn’t support direct audio playback. However, we’ve found some fantastic apps enabling you to play audio directly through your Apple Watch. So let’s jump in and explore these apps so you can enjoy your music and podcasts on Apple Watch even without your iPhone or headphones!
Table of Contents
Use WatchTube to Play Music or Podcasts on Apple Watch
WatchTube app allows you to enjoy music and watch videos on your Apple Watch. With this app, you can listen to your favorite tunes through your Apple Watch’s speakers. WatchTube takes it a step further – it lets you enjoy complete YouTube videos on the Watch.
When you open the app, you’ll see a collection of suggested videos on the first page. To watch a video, tap on it to select it. After that, tap the Play icon to play the video and double-tap on the video to zoom it.
If you want to explore additional features, tap on the gear icon in the bottom-right corner. That lets you select information, read comments, and easily share the video. However, you can’t type a comment on videos from this app.
Access the search page by swiping left from the home page. On the search page, you’ll find your recent searches on YouTube which you can scroll and continue looking for the same.
Swipe further to view your app history and easily navigate through your past activities. Keep swiping left to land in Settings and customize your app preferences effortlessly.
In Settings, you can easily change the server if the app is not functioning properly. This will help you troubleshoot any issues and get the app back up and running smoothly.
You can also customize the content on the app’s home page by scrolling down and selecting Default under Home Page Content. Curated will suggest the videos curated for you based on your use.
The option to clear searches, history, and the library is also available here.
If the app is acting weird or having some issues, you can go through the FAQ section and look for the solution to the issues provided by the app developer.
WatchTube is an entirely distinct application from YouTube. It does not allow you to utilize your YouTube account, and there is no option to log in to it either. Therefore, your YouTube playlist or any benefits of being a YouTube premium user are completely unrelated to WatchTube.
Pros
- The app is completely free to use.
- A complete library of YouTube.
- Option to view the videos from the watch.
- Complications are available for adding to the watch face.
- Don’t require login for the app.
Cons
- The app sometimes gives errors while using it.
- A video may not play for some time.
- No option to download the video and use it offline.
Pro Tip: Can’t find Safari on your Apple Watch to browse the internet? No worries! Just install this third-party web browser app that functions similarly to Safari on Apple Watch.
Use Streamlets to Stream Radio on Apple Watch Speaker
The app is beautifully simplistic and serves its purpose seamlessly. You can play any radio channel from the watch speaker. This is useful to listen to news or podcasts. To begin, tap the search icon and input the name of the radio station you wish to listen to.
Once you’ve entered the name of the station, hit the Search button and you’ll be presented with a list of all the stations that share the same name. Now choose a station, and it will begin playing the radio.
Not only can you adjust the volume with the crown on your watch, but you can also pause the station whenever you need to. To add the station to your favorites list, tap on the heart icon.
To access all the stations you’ve marked as favorites, simply choose the Favorites option on the home screen. This will allow you to easily find and listen to your preferred stations without any hassle.
The app also has a Genre section. You can discover new radio stations with the help of tags.
Pros
- Easy to use.
- Available wide range of radio stations.
- Ad free.
- Can be added as a complication for quick access.
- No login is required.
Cons
- Paid app.
- Only streams radio stations.
Must Read: Adding complications to the Apple Watch face makes it much smarter. But what are complications and how to add or remove them from the watch face?
Use Shazam to Play Music on Apple Watch Speaker
Although Shazam can’t play a full song for you, imagine this scenario: you’re at the gym, fully immersed in your workout routine, when suddenly a catchy tune starts playing in the background. And now you want to know what song is this? You want to use Shazam, but your iPhone is nowhere to be found.
However, with Shazam on your Apple Watch, this problem is easily solved. The app quickly analyzes the audio, and within seconds, it presents you with the name of the song. You can even listen to it right away on your Apple Watch.
Pros
- Free to use.
- Plays music from the Apple Watch Speaker.
Cons
- Only play a phase of a song track.
- Only play recognized songs.
Pro Tip: Learn how to disable Siri’s message announcements on your Apple Watch causing interruptions while listening to music or podcasts.
Music on Wrist
Now you can groove to your favorite beats or dive into a captivating podcast right from your wrist without needing your iPhone as the sidekick. Whether you’re breaking a sweat or just strolling around, let your Apple Watch be your musical companion.
