Ultimate Guide!! How to Play Apple Music on Roku

Since the start of the new millennium, digital entertainment has seen tremendous growth, especially with the progressive use of internet technology. With modern devices such as smartphones, Smart TVs, and streaming boxes, many people have migrated from mainstream media to internet content.

And while we talk of internet-enabled devices, streaming boxes such as Chromecast, Nvidia Shield TV, Apple TV 4K, Xbox One S, and Roku have long corresponded with smart TV app services. With these devices, you are guaranteed access to any service or media content you can think of. However, we have received lots of questions about Roku, and one of them kept showing repeatedly; Can I play Apple Music on Roku? If yes, how can I do it as I have not had much success doing it?

The answer to these questions is NO! You cannot directly play Apple Music on Roku. The good news, however, is, with the right tool and an excellent tutorial, you can make it happen, and that is the primary intention of this post to furnish you with a working solution to get Apple Music on Roku, but first, let’s see what is Roku is and understand the reason why you cannot play Apple Music on Roku. Read on!

Part 1: What is Roku?

Roku is a digital media player designed and marketed by Roku Inc., an American- based company. The Roku device model was released in 2008 in collaboration with one world’s best movie distributors, Netflix, and was considered a huge breakthrough. Roku has dominated the market launching 10 generation Roku box models with Roku Streaming Stick 4K and Roku Ultra LT being the latest models in the market.

Roku users can access most streaming platforms such as CBS, Hulu, Netflix, YouTube, Spotify, Pandora, iHeart Radio, and over 45,00 channels. Today, Roku has more than 55 million active accounts making it the number most popular digital media box.

Part 2: Why you cannot play Apple Music on Roku

It is undeniable that Roku is one best streaming there in the market today. The device is host to hundreds of music on online streaming platforms. But unfortunately, Apple Music is not among the platforms.

Until today, Apple and Roku Inc. are yet to agree to have Apple Music integrated into the app list on Roku, which is the first reason you cannot play your Apple playlist on Roku. Second, even if you were to use a USB to transfer Apple songs to Roku for offline playback, the song would not play since they are encrypted to only play on Apple devices.

Thirdly, Apple music is encoded in M4P format. However, Roku only supports AAC, MP3, WMA, FLAC, and WAV, which means Apple songs cannot play on Roku unless they are converted to supported formats.

Part 3: Play Apple Music on Roku via Ondesoft Apple Music Converter

Since you cannot directly play Apple Music online, we will explore an alternative way to get and play Apple songs on Roku. But first, you will need to download your Apple playlists, and here comes another obstacle! You cannot download Apple audio files directly to your device, for they are copy-restricted.

To beat the DRM protection imposed on the song, you will require a third-party downloader, and here we confidently recommend that you try out the Ondesoft Apple Music Converter software. It is a top-class, versatile, and dedicated application designed to bypass copy restrictions and facilitate effortless Apple music download and conversion to supported formats.

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Besides downloading, the app has a converter function that allows you to convert M4P Apple Music songs to MP3 and other more supported audio formats such as M4A, AC3, AAC, AIFF, AU, and FLAC, to mention a few. At the same time, the software work to retain the original sound quality of your music and all ID3 tags.

As a bonus, Ondesoft Apple Music Converter comes with an easy audio editing tool that allows users to tweak and customize a few music parameters. For instance, you can adjust the audio codes, channel, sample rate, and bit rate to your preference. Below are some additional Ondesoft Apple Music Converter features worth noting.

Key Features of Apple Music Converter for Windows/Mac:

• Removes DRM- protection and downloads Apple music.
• Converts Apple music to Roku-supported formats (M4A, AC3, AAC, AIFF, AU, FLAC, etc.)
• Retains all ID3 tags.
• Maintain 100% audio sound quality.
• Customize output music parameters.

Guide: Convert Apple Music for Roku using Ondesoft Apple Music Converter

For starters, please makes sure you have downloaded the correct Ondesoft Apple Music Converter software version on your computer. Only then can you proceed with the tutorial guide below?

Step 1: Launch and import Apple Music to the Ondesoft program
After installing, fire the app on your desktop. The new interface will prompt you to add Apple Music songs from the iTunes library. To import, click on the Add button to them to Ondesoft. Alternatively, you can drag and drop the songs onto Ondesoft’s interface for conversion.

Step 2: Adjust the output format for Roku
Go back to the main interface and hit on the Format icon to launch the format panel. On the new window, you will find several output format options to choose from, i.e., M4A, AC3, AAC, AIFF, etc. For Roku purposes, you can select MP3 as your preferred output format.

On the same window, there are additional options to customize output music parameters such as the bit rate, audio codec, sample rate, and channel for improved sound quality. Ensure the presets are set to High-quality and then hit Ok to confirm the changes.

Step 3: Convert Apple Music for Roku
It is now time we download Apple Music for Roku! Click on the Convert option at the far bottom to initiate the simultaneous download and conversion process. This should take a few minutes to complete. Once the process is complete, hit the Converted button to locate the converted Apple Music songs.

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Part 4: Play Apple Music on Roku –3 Ways

Now, we have already downloaded and converted the Apple Music tracks to Roku-supported format. So, find the destination folder for the Apple songs and employ any of the methods outlined below to connect and play the Apple tracks on Roku.

Method 1: Stream Apple Music on Roku via USB Port

You should definitely consider using this method, for it is the easiest and all you need is a flash drive. So, let’s get it done!
Step 1: Insert your flash drive into the USB port on your computer.
Step 2: Open the folder with the Apple songs and copy the songs you want to play on Roku.
Step 3: Open your flash drive and paste the songs.
Step 4: Eject the drive and insert it into the USB port on Roku.
Step 5: Launch Roku media, and you will see the USB drive icon.
Step 6: Head on to select the USB drive, and you can now play Apple Music on Roku from your drive.

Method 2: Play Apple Music on Roku TV with Plex Media Server

Among Roku’s top streaming music applications is Plex. The app is often preinstalled, but you can install it and use it to play Apple music. So, how do you go about using Plex to play Apple Music? It is pretty easy; here are a few steps you can follow.

Step 1: If you have not installed Plex, please install the app first.
Step 2: Upload the Apple Music songs to Plex media servers.
Step 3: Launch Plex Media Server on Roku using a Plex-linked account.
Step 4: Now, you can play Apple Music on Roku via Plex from your computer.

Method 3: AirPlay Apple Music to Roku from Mac

Note, this method is only reserved for Mac users. However, before your AirPlay song to your Roku device, please check to ensure that your Mac computer and Roku device model support AirPlay. If so, go on to connect both devices to the same wireless network. After that, you can now follow the steps below.

Step 1: Find the downloaded Apple Music songs you would like to play.
Step 2: click the AirPlay audio icon.
Step 3: Select your Roku from the AirPlay menu.
Step 4: Play the Apple turns, and they will automatically play on Roku.

Part 5: Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Q1: Is it possible to directly stream Apple Music on Roku?
One can only play Apple Music if they are converted to supported formats. You can refer to part 3 of this article to convert Apple Music to Roku-supported using the Ondesoft Apple Music Converter.
Q2: What Roku devices support Apple Music?
As of now, no Roku device model is compatible with Apple Music. However, recent Roku device models support AirPlay meaning that Mac users can play downloaded Apple Music on Roku via AirPlay.

Q3: Is Ondesoft Apple Music Converter free?
Ondesoft Apple Music Converter has a free trial app. However, the functions are limited. You will need to purchase a 1PC lifetime license for $39.95.

Sum up
Apple Music is only playable on Apple devices such as iPhones, iPads, Apple TVs, and the like. However, if you want to play Apple Music on Roku, this article has gone deep to provide all the relevant tips on how to convert and play Apple Music on Roku using the Ondesoft Apple Music Converter tool.

After that, you can either directly play the downloaded Apple tracks via USB, Plex, or AirPlay, and that’s it! All you need is to download the Ondesoft Apple Music converter, follow the tutorial guide above and enjoy unlimited Apple Music on Roku!