How to control music playback on Apple TV 4K

When you start playing a song, radio station, or music video in the Apple Music app on Apple TV 4K, it appears in the Now Playing screen. That’s where you can control playback, get more information about what you’re listening to, and view lyrics if they’re available.

You can also favorite a song, which adds it and the artist to your library. And the Now Playing queue shows what’s next, like all the songs in an album or what’s coming up in a station.

Quick tip: To access Now Playing controls from anywhere in Apple TV 4K, press and hold the TV button on the remote to open Control Center, then navigate to the Now Playing tab.

Control music playback in Now Playing

1. Go to the Music app on Apple TV 4K.
2. Start playing a song, or open the sidebar and select Now Playing.
3. Do any of the following:
   • Pause or play: Press the Play/Pause button on your remote, or press the clickpad center or touch surface.

     Siri: Press and hold the Siri/Search button on your remote, then tell Siri to play or pause the music.

   • Start the song from the beginning: Press left on the clickpad ring or touch surface.
   • Skip to the next song: Press right on the clickpad ring or touch surface.
   • Move to a specific point in the song: Show playback controls and then navigate left or right to move backward or forward in the timeline.

     For more precise control, circle your finger counterclockwise or clockwise around the clickpad ring (silver remote only).

   • Get more information about what’s playing: Show playback controls, swipe down on the clickpad or touch surface, and then select Info.
   • Favorite the song: Show playback controls and swipe up on the clickpad or touch surface. Select the Favorite button.

     Favoriting a song adds the song and artist to your library and influences the recommendations you get in the Home screen.

   • View more options: Show playback controls, swipe up on the clickpad or touch surface, then select the More Options button and choose an option.

     You can add the song to your library or a playlist, create a station from the song, tell Apple Music to suggest less like this song, and more.

   • Show or hide the Now Playing queue and controls: Show playback controls, swipe down on the clickpad or touch surface, and select the Queue button. See Use the Now Playing queue.
   • Show or hide lyrics and Apple Music Sing controls: Show playback controls, swipe down on the clickpad or touch surface, and select the Lyrics button. See View a song’s lyrics.
   • Activate SharePlay: Show playback controls, swipe down on the clickpad or touch surface, and select the SharePlay button. See Play music together using SharePlay on Apple TV 4K.

Use the Now Playing queue

Whether it’s what’s next in a station, all the songs in an album, or songs and videos in a playlist, the Now Playing queue shows it. They appear in a row, and the currently playing song sits in the center.

1. Go to the Music app on Apple TV 4K.
2. Start playing a song, or open the sidebar and select Now Playing.
3. Show playback controls, swipe down on the clickpad or touch surface, and then select the Queue button.

   Note: Queue controls are not available when listening to a station, live radio, or radio episodes.

4. Do any of the following:
   • Browse the queue: Navigate up to the current song and then navigate left or right on the clickpad or touch surface.
   • Play a different song in the queue: Go to a song in the queue and select it.
   • Shuffle all songs in the queue: Show playback controls, swipe up on the clickpad or touch surface, and select the Shuffle button. Select it again to turn off Shuffle.
   • Repeat the entire queue or the current song: Show playback controls, swipe up on the clickpad or touch surface, and select the Repeat button to repeat the entire queue. Select it again to repeat just the current song. Select it a third time to turn off Repeat.
   • Turn AutoMix off: Show playback controls, swipe up on the clickpad or touch surface, and then select the AutoPlay button. Select it again to turn AutoMix back on.

     AutoMix (indicated with a dot beneath the AutoPlay button) automatically selects the best transition, based on analysis of the key and tempo of the music. For example, AutoMix might remove silence at the beginning and end of a track, or perform a simple crossfade, rather than a more complex transition, when appropriate.

     To turn on song transitions and choose which music transition you prefer (AutoMix or Crossfade), go to Adjust Music app settings on Apple TV 4K.

     Note: AutoMix isn’t available when Hi-Res Lossless is turned on.

   • Turn Crossfade off: Show playback controls and swipe up on the clickpad or touch surface. Then select the AutoPlay button. Select it again to turn Crossfade back on.

     Crossfade (indicated with a dot beneath the AutoPlay button) creates simple song transitions from one to the next for the duration you set.

     To turn on song transitions and choose which music transition you prefer (AutoMix or Crossfade), go to Adjust Music app settings on Apple TV 4K.

     Note: Crossfade isn’t available when Hi-Res Lossless is turned on.

   • Turn AutoPlay off: Show playback controls, swipe up on the clickpad or touch surface, and then select the AutoPlay button. Select it again to turn AutoPlay back on.

     AutoPlay (indicated with a dot beneath the AutoPlay button) continues to extend the queue with similar songs until you stop playing music. When AutoPlay is on, the queue shows up to ten songs after the end of the playlist or mix you’re listening to.

Quick tip: You can add a song, album, or playlist to the queue from anywhere in the Music app by navigating to it, pressing and holding the clickpad or touch surface, then choosing Play Next (to add it after the current song) or Play Last (to add it to the end of the queue).

View a song’s lyrics

When certain songs are playing, you can see their lyrics. Once lyrics are shown, you’re also able to access Apple Music Sing controls (if available).

1. Go to the Music app on Apple TV 4K.
2. Start playing a song, or open the sidebar and select Now Playing.
3. Show playback controls, swipe down on the clickpad or touch surface, and then select the Lyrics button.

   Note: If lyrics aren’t available for the song, lyrics do not appear when you select the Lyrics button.

   As the song plays, lyrics appear onscreen, scrolling in time with the song.

   

4. To get help pronouncing or translating the lyrics (if available), show playback controls, select Pronunciation and translation button, then choose either or both of the following:
   • Show Pronunciation: A live pronunciation line appears beneath each lyric.
   • Show Translation: A translation line appears beneath each lyric.

     Note: Pronunciation and translation options only appear when a song is available that matches the language settings you’ve chosen for Apple TV 4K. See Change the language or region on Apple TV 4K.

5. To find a lyric you want to hear, press the Back button or the Menu button on the remote to hide playback controls and then navigate up and down in the lyrics.

   As you navigate up and down, an indicator appears onscreen to mark the specific time where each lyric can be heard in the song’s timeline. Use your remote to do either of the following:

   • Start the song from the new point: Press the clickpad center or touch surface.
   • Go back to the current point in the lyrics: Press the Back button or the Menu button.
6. To view full lyrics including credits, show playback controls, select the More Options button, and choose View Full Lyrics.
7. To activate Apple Music Sing controls, show playback controls. Select Apple Music Sing or iPhone Mic Connect. See Use Apple Music Sing on Apple TV 4K.

Control music playback and audio output from Control Center

Playback and audio controls are in Control Center whenever music is playing or paused on Apple TV 4K.

• Press and hold the TV button on the remote to open Control Center, then do either of the following:
  • Control music playback: Select the Now Playing tab. Select the song to open the Now Playing screen, or select a playback control.
  • Change the audio output: Select the Audio Controls tab and select a playback destination or destinations.

    You can listen to audio from Apple TV 4K on compatible AirPods or Beats headphones, AirPlay-enabled speakers, Bluetooth headphones or speakers, HomePod, or speakers you connect through the Home app.

If you leave the Music app, the music keeps playing, but it stops once you begin playing video or audio in another app.

Not all features and content are available in all countries or regions or on all Apple TV hardware models. “Cruel World” written by Benjamin Francis Leftwich, Holly Humberstone, Rob Milton.

See also

• Use Apple Music Sing on Apple TV 4K
• Play music together using SharePlay on Apple TV 4K