How to stream music through Chromecast

Chromecast can stream more than movies and TV, and that includes music. Depending on how you listen to your tunes, there are easy ways to jam out using your Chromecast. That means you can turn your TV or entertainment system with top-notch speakers into a streaming media center with just a few taps.

Editor’s note: this article was updated on October 5, 2022, to update the formatting and to answer a reader-submitted FAQ.

How do you stream music to Chromecast using a third-party app?

Music fans these days, even those with record players, likely rely on apps to stream music. And when you don’t want to listen through headphones, Your TV or soundbar is probably the loudest speaker you own. Happily, many of these devices work with Chromecast. Before listening, ensure your Chromecast and playback device (smartphone, computer, or tablet) are connected to the same Wi-Fi network and already recognize each other.

How do you use Chromecast with Spotify?

Spotify is one of the most popular music streaming apps, and it’s easy to use with Chromecast:

1. Start playing the song you want in the Spotify app on your device.
2. In the Spotify app, select “Devices” and then the name of your Chromecast device.
3. If you’re using Spotify’s web player, click the Cast icon and then pick your Chromecast device.

For more Spotify tips and tricks, read our Spotify guide.

How do you use Chromecast with Pandora?

Pandora also makes it pretty simple to stream music to your Chromecast:

1. Open the Pandora app and start playing a song.
2. Tap the Cast icon in the lower right-hand corner.
3. Select your Chromecast device’s name.

How do you use Chromecast with Amazon Music?

Again, Amazon Music is not too complicated when it comes to streaming music to your Chromecast:

1. Open the Amazon Music app on your device and start playing music.
2. Tap the Cast icon near the app’s upper right-hand corner.
3. Select your Chromecast device’s name from the list.

For more Amazon Music tips and tricks, read our Amazon Music guide.

How do you use Chromecast with YouTube Music?

Google’s own YouTube Music also makes it easy to stream using Chromecast:

1. Open the YouTube Music app and start playing some music.
2. Tap the Cast icon near your profile image.
3. Select the Chromecast device you want to cast to.

How do you use Chromecast with TIDAL?

A few basic steps will get your Chromecast streaming music from TIDAL seamlessly:

1. Open the TIDAL app and start playing some music, then tap the “Now Playing” bar.
2. Tap the Sound Output icon.
3. Select the Chromecast device you wish to cast to from the list.

How do you use Chromecast with Apple Music?

Things get a bit more complicated when you want to stream Apple Music to your Chromecast using iOS devices. For Android devices it’s easy:

1. Open the Apple Music app and start playing a song.
2. Tap the Cast icon near the top right-hand corner of the screen.
3. Select the name of your Chromecast device.

Apple Music does not support Chromecast on its iOS app. That means your iPhone, iPad, or iPod Touch cannot natively connect to your Chromecast to play music. Third-party apps used to help with this, but recent updates rendered them incompatible.

You can theoretically play locally stored files on your Chromecast. That means no live broadcasts or streaming playlists, but you can play albums or individual tracks you’ve downloaded on your Chromecast device. Even then, you still need a third-party app to get the job done, such as CastForHome. While we haven’t tested it, follow the instructions it provides and see. Beware that many apps may claim to stream Apple Music to Chromecast, but lots of them don’t in reality. It may be best to stick to Apple’s AirPlay ecosystem in this case.

However, desktop users still have hope. Apple Music for macOS, Windows, and Chrome OS supports casting to Chromecast. First, make sure you use Google Chrome, then:

1. Log in to your account on the Apple Music website.
2. Click on the ellipsis (…) icon near the top right-hand corner of the page.
3. Select “Cast” from the drop-down menu.
4. Click on the name of your Chromecast device.
5. Your TV should now show the same Apple Music screen as your computer, and you can start playing some tunes.

How do you use Chromecast with Qobuz?

Qobuz offers a pretty simple way to stream your music to Chromecast on both Android and iOS devices:

1. Open the Qobuz app and start playing some music.
2. Tap the Cast icon near the upper right-hand corner of the screen.
3. Select your Chromecast device from the list.

For more Qobuz tips and tricks, read our Qobuz guide.

How do you stream music using a mobile device and Chromecast itself?

Many of your mobile devices can stream music themselves, too, if they have the YouTube app installed. It is basically the same process as casting movies or TV from a playback device:

1. Open the YouTube app on your preferred playback device and start playing a song.
2. Tap the Cast icon near the upper right-hand corner.
3. Select the name of your Chromecast device.

Google used to sell a standalone audio streaming device called Chromecast Audio. It used a 3.5mm jack to connect to the input ports of many kinds of devices including affordable soundbars, but Google discontinued it in 2019. If you have one, Google still offers a help page to assist you in setting it up, however.

Chromecast makes streaming music through a TV or other entertainment system from most mobile devices and desktop computers easy. After you follow a few quick steps, you can experience hours of musical bliss.

Frequently asked questions about Google Chromecast