Roku (/roUku/ ROHKoo) is a hardware brand of digital media players that are manufactured by the American company Roku, Inc. They allow you to access streaming media content through online services. Three years after launching on Fire TV units, Apple Music today will be available for Roku customers. Apple Music subscribers can download the Apple Music App starting today on all Roku devices, including Roku TV models.
Apple Music users will have access to Apple Music’s over 90 million songs catalog and its 30,000 curated playlists. They can also listen without ads in the Apple Music app. It will allow customers to stream Apple Music Radio, view music videos in 4K, and play songs with time-sync lyrics. Customers can also listen or download songs, albums, and playlists from their library. Apple Music’s exclusive shows, concerts, and personal recommendations are also available.
Roku will allow new customers to sign-up for the service via the Roku channel shop for a free trial of one month. Customers can then choose to subscribe to keep listening at $9.99/month. TechCrunch has been informed that Roku will allow customers to sign up for a paid subscription using its Roku channel store.
It’s not hard to see why Apple Music took so long to launch on one of the biggest streaming platforms. Roku typically takes 20% of the revenue from channels that it hosts, which are monetized through subscriptions and in-app purchases. However, the companies didn’t make public their revenue share agreement. It’s unclear if Apple has negotiated a unique deal or if Roku is sticking to Roku’s general terms to address Roku’s large market of 61.3 million active accounts in Q1 2022.
Apple Music joins other streaming services like Spotify, Pandora, Spotify, TuneIn, and Vevo as Roku support. Roku users will now be able to stream and play Apple Music songs and videos on their Roku soundbars or streaming players. Roku said Monday that the “app will be available for download later today.”
It has taken Apple’s music app a while to reach the top of smart TV’s list. It was transferred to Amazon’s Fire TV in 2019 and has since made its way to at minimum one gaming console: The PS5 (though it does not seem to be compatible with Switch or Xbox). However, streaming music services on TVs makes sense to me. A good set of speakers will connect to a TV. Album art is displayed on a large screen, which is great for people who don’t see much of it.
Lossless audio over your TV’s speakers may make it difficult to hear any benefits
Roku spokesperson Sophia Economou stated that Apple Music on Roku doesn’t support lossless or spatial audio. Although Apple doesn’t restrict these features to its own platforms (they’re on the Android Apple Music app), it seems they aren’t very common on platforms designed to be connected to TVs. I couldn’t find any mention of these features in the PS5 Apple Music App. Although they are supported by the Apple TV 4K, does not allow for the highest resolution lossless files.
This makes sense given the many hardware options that Roku apps have and the fact both of these features would be lost on TV speakers. On the other hand, this could prove to be a major problem for anyone who has a sound system linked up to their Roku.
Roku users can either sign in to the app with an Apple Music subscription or subscribe via the Roku channel store.
The broad channel library is a key reason Roku is the most loved streaming platform in America. Roku Channel Store provides access to virtually every streaming service from Netflix, Hulu, Disney Plus, and HBO Max. Roku continues to add new major services regularly to its platform. Roku made the announcement Monday that Apple Music is now on Roku Channel Store.
Roku owners can now access the Apple Music channel to stream music to their Roku devices. Download the Roku Channel Store to get the channel today if your Roku TV is connected to a Roku streaming device. You will need an active Apple Music subscription in order to use the app. Apple charges $9.99 per person for a monthly subscription. For new customers, you can also sign up to receive a one-month free trial.
If you already have an Apple ID and password, log in. Apple Music, one of the largest music streaming services available, has more than 90 million songs and over 30,000 premade playlists. Roku lets you stream any song on Apple Music completely ad-free. You can also create playlists and watch 4K music videos.
It’s not surprising that Apple took so long before it was able to upload its music streaming service to Roku. The Spotify channel was launched on Roku in December 2012. It was almost two and half years before Apple Music existed. While they were certainly slow to get their music out, Apple Music users now have an alternative way to hear it.
This is only the latest announcement made by the company. Roku recently signed a deal for Lionsgate to allow the streaming of some of the major blockbusters from the studio on The Roku Channel. This includes upcoming movies John Wick, Chapter 4 The Expendables 4 as well as Borderlands.
Roku also shared its May additions on The Roku Channel. The Revenant, Con Air, Drive, Moneyball, Judy, and Black Swan, are some of the highlights. They are all available free to view online or on your TV.
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