Apple Confirms HomePod's Supported Audio Sources in Tech Specs

Apple today updated its HomePod tech specs page with a new Audio Sources section that lists all of the ways in which the speaker can stream audio, setting the record straight on some conflicting information.

homepod audio sources

Apple Music: HomePod users can ask Siri to play any of over 45 million songs available on Apple Music. A subscription is required.

iTunes Music: HomePod users can ask Siri to play any songs, albums, or audiobooks purchased from the iTunes Store.

iCloud Music Library: HomePod users can ask Siri to play any songs uploaded to a user's iCloud Music Library, including songs imported from other sources such as CDs, with an Apple Music or iTunes Match subscription.

Beats 1: HomePod users can ask Siri to play Apple's official radio station.

Podcasts: HomePod users can ask Siri to play any podcast episodes from the iTunes podcast directory.

AirPlay: HomePod users can use AirPlay to play other audio from an iPhone, iPad, iPod touch, Apple TV, and Mac. AirPlay 2, coming later this year, is only required to stream audio from these sources to multiple HomePods.

Earlier this week, iMore's Serenity Caldwell put together a useful breakdown with more detailed information about how the HomePod works with Apple Music, iTunes Match, iCloud Music Library, AirPlay, and more.

HomePod orders began last week ahead of the speaker's official launch on February 9 in the United States, United Kingdom, and Australia.

Related Roundup: HomePod
Buyer's Guide: HomePod (Neutral)

Popular Stories

iphone 16 display

iPhone 17's Scratch Resistant Anti-Reflective Display Coating Canceled

Monday April 28, 2025 12:48 pm PDT by
Apple may have canceled the super scratch resistant anti-reflective display coating that it planned to use for the iPhone 17 Pro models, according to a source with reliable information that spoke to MacRumors. Last spring, Weibo leaker Instant Digital suggested Apple was working on a new anti-reflective display layer that was more scratch resistant than the Ceramic Shield. We haven't heard...
iPhone 17 Air Pastel Feature

iPhone 17 Reaches Key Milestone Ahead of Mass Production

Monday April 28, 2025 8:44 am PDT by
Apple has completed Engineering Validation Testing (EVT) for at least one iPhone 17 model, according to a paywalled preview of an upcoming DigiTimes report. iPhone 17 Air mockup based on rumored design The EVT stage involves Apple testing iPhone 17 prototypes to ensure the hardware works as expected. There are still DVT (Design Validation Test) and PVT (Production Validation Test) stages to...
iphone 17 air iphone 16 pro

iPhone 17 Air USB-C Port May Have This Unusual Design Quirk

Wednesday April 30, 2025 3:59 am PDT by
Apple is preparing to launch a dramatically thinner iPhone this September, and if recent leaks are anything to go by, the so-called iPhone 17 Air could boast one of the most radical design shifts in recent years. iPhone 17 Air dummy model alongside iPhone 16 Pro (credit: AppleTrack) At just 5.5mm thick (excluding a slightly raised camera bump), the 6.6-inch iPhone 17 Air is expected to become ...
Beyond iPhone 13 Better Blue

20th Anniversary iPhone Likely to Be Made in China Due to 'Extraordinarily Complex' Design

Monday April 28, 2025 4:29 am PDT by
Apple will likely manufacture its 20th anniversary iPhone models in China, despite broader efforts to shift production to India, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. In 2027, Apple is planning a "major shake-up" for the iPhone lineup to mark two decades since the original model launched. Gurman's previous reporting indicates the company will introduce a foldable iPhone alongside a "bold"...
apple watch ultra yellow

What's Next for the Apple Watch Ultra 3 and Apple Watch SE 3

Friday April 25, 2025 2:44 pm PDT by
This week marks the 10th anniversary of the Apple Watch, which launched on April 24, 2015. Yesterday, we recapped features rumored for the Apple Watch Series 11, but since 2015, the Apple Watch has also branched out into the Apple Watch Ultra and the Apple Watch SE, so we thought we'd take a look at what's next for those product lines, too. 2025 Apple Watch Ultra 3 Apple didn't update the...
AirPods Pro 3 Mock Feature

AirPods Pro 3 Just Months Away – Here's What We Know

Tuesday April 29, 2025 1:30 am PDT by
Despite being more than two years old, Apple's AirPods Pro 2 still dominate the premium wireless‑earbud space, thanks to a potent mix of top‑tier audio, class‑leading noise cancellation, and Apple's habit of delivering major new features through software updates. With AirPods Pro 3 widely expected to arrive in 2025, prospective buyers now face a familiar dilemma: snap up the proven...
iPhone 17 Pro Blue Feature Tighter Crop

iPhone 17 Pro Launching Later This Year With These 13 New Features

Wednesday April 23, 2025 8:31 am PDT by
While the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max are not expected to launch until September, there are already plenty of rumors about the devices. Below, we recap key changes rumored for the iPhone 17 Pro models as of April 2025: Aluminum frame: iPhone 17 Pro models are rumored to have an aluminum frame, whereas the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro models have a titanium frame, and the iPhone ...
iPhone 17 Pro on Desk Feature

All iPhone 17 Models Again Rumored to Feature 12GB of RAM

Tuesday April 29, 2025 3:36 am PDT by
All upcoming iPhone 17 models will come equipped with 12GB of RAM to support Apple Intelligence, according to the Weibo-based leaker Digital Chat Station. The claim from the Chinese leaker, who has sources within Apple's supply chain, comes a few days after industry analyst Ming-Chi Kuo said that the iPhone 17 Air, iPhone 17 Pro, and iPhone 17 Pro Max will all be equipped with 12GB of RAM. ...

Top Rated Comments

frozen220 Avatar
95 months ago
Wait a minute, so when my friends come over with a non-Apple device they can't connect via Bluetooth? WTF????
Score: 39 Votes (Like | Disagree)
KidAKidB Avatar
95 months ago
And the obvious Bluetooth is left out. Why?
So that it remains anti-competitive and forces users to stay within the Apple ecosystem. (That way you can't use it with an Android device or something)
Score: 34 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Madmic23 Avatar
95 months ago
And the obvious Bluetooth is left out. Why?
Because if you're having a party, no one wants the music to stop when you get a phone call.

Sonos speakers don't support Bluetooth audio either.
Score: 26 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Raketemensch Avatar
95 months ago
So that it remains anti-competitive and forces users to stay within the Apple ecosystem. (That way you can't use it with an Android device or something)
...or Spotify without doing it through a phone/tablet.

Valiant effort, Apple, but it won't be appearing in my home anytime soon. Voice control of Spotify would sell me, but bleh.
Score: 21 Votes (Like | Disagree)
sziehr Avatar
95 months ago
So lets talk about how bad Sonos really is. I can not cast to it from anything period but the Sonos App. People here are like super defenders of them. They are no different from apple in fact they are worse. If you could chrome cast to a Sonos and airplay then I could see the defense of the omi speaker system. The problem is Sonos has no interest in supporting chrome casting right now. They are probably going to support Air play 2 at some point in the future. So lets compare this Homepod to what it is a very nice version of the Bowers Zepplin for half the cost. The fact Siri is hanging around is just a bonus. This is not a Sonos / Alexa competitor. This is a Bowers and Wilkins competitor.

I know I am going to get flak for this but lets face it there is no perfect speaker that is bluetooth and wifi and chrome casting and airplay 2.

the day that speaker is made people will flock to it. I think Sonos is trying to decide if they want to build that speaker and let people out of the app echo system they created. Sonos could be the white knight but I have to say I am returning all of mine this weekend cause I can not cast anything to them. I use my speaker for more than just music and podcast. I use it to play audio from the iPad in the kitchen for the news while I cook. Sonos can not do that task from android or ios. This is a huge limiting factor for them

So I am buying a home pod why cause I will more than likely never own said device IE android so what am I losing nothing.

My friends are almost all ios.

If this supported bluetooth audio then down the road that would be nice when they came over with the 2 droids I know.

That still does not make Sonos better.
Score: 21 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Zeke92 Avatar
95 months ago
No Spotify or Bluetooth connectivity, NO DEAL
You can play Spotify via AirPlay!
Score: 15 Votes (Like | Disagree)