Apple in the iOS 14.5 beta added a new option to help Siri learn to select your preferred audio apps for listening to music, podcasts, and audiobooks, a feature that will undoubtedly be appealing to non-Apple Music fans.

siri choose music service
When you ask ‌Siri‌ to play a song, album, podcast, or book, ‌Siri‌ will prompt you for your preferred app. This is not a default setting, but ‌Siri‌ will use this information to learn your app preferences and will select the apps you want to use when you make requests.

There is no specific toggle for you to turn on to select a music service, and ‌Siri‌ may ask again, but this is a way to get ‌Siri‌ to choose the apps you use instead of automatically opening default apps like Apple Music.

How to Choose a Preferred Music Service Using Siri

  1. Update to iOS 14.5 or iPadOS 14.5 on the iPad.
  2. Ask ‌Siri‌ to play an artist, song, or album with a request like "Hey ‌Siri‌, play Fleetwood Mac."
  3. ‌Siri‌ will pop up a list of all music apps you have installed, and will ask "Which app would you like to use?"
  4. Choose your preferred music app from the list. siri music app default
  5. If asked, confirm that ‌Siri‌ can access data from your music app.
  6. From there, ‌Siri‌ will play the music in your app of choice. If you chose Spotify, for example, the music content will play in Spotify.

‌Siri‌ will tell you which music app was selected when the song plays, and you can also see an icon from the music app in the Now Playing window.

spotify music player
It's been possible to play music from other services by clarifying which service you want ‌Siri‌ to use, such as "Hey ‌Siri‌, play music on Spotify," but the change implemented in iOS 14.5 makes the ‌Siri‌ remember your music app of choice so a simple command like "Hey ‌Siri‌ play music" will use your favorite app rather than defaulting to ‌Apple Music‌. This also works for podcasts, audiobooks, and other audio content.

How to Change Your Default Music Service

At the current time, there's no ‌Siri‌ command or music setting to manually change the default music app that you've set through the ‌Siri‌ There is no option for manually changing your preferred music service as this is meant to be a ‌Siri‌ intelligence feature where ‌Siri‌ learns preferences over time.

You can ask ‌Siri‌ to play music on a different music service and sometimes that will shift the default. So if you've set Spotify as your default but want to change back to ‌Apple Music‌, you can say "Hey ‌Siri‌, play Fleetwood Mac on ‌Apple Music‌," or vice versa, "Hey ‌Siri‌, play Fleetwood Mac on Spotify."

‌Siri‌ will also occasionally bring up the popup asking you which app you want to use when you make a request so that it can keep current with your preferences.

Related Forum: iOS 14

Top Rated Comments

eicca Avatar
59 months ago
I just want the shuffle algorithm to not pick the same ten songs over and over again.
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
silentdevotion Avatar
59 months ago

I just want the shuffle algorithm to not pick the same ten songs over and over again.
4k songs on my phone and it feels like I have 200 max.
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
KanosWRX Avatar
59 months ago
THANK GOD! Been waiting for this. Now just let me switch my default assistant to Google and ill be a happy iPhone user ;)
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
iGüey Avatar
59 months ago
What Apple should do is to return to origins. I mean, I felt in love with Apple thanks to the iPod, the originals, the classic ones. It was so simple to play all our music there that actually is the device that vamped the way of Apple to relaunch the company and lead to it’s current success (obviously they took a step by step way). Now is really sad that Apple Music is almost forgotten by Apple. So I truly think they should reengineer the Music App from zero, respecting all aspects that made iPod great and one of the most iconic devices for our generation, at least as a way to honour all customers that have been with Apple since then, supporting Apple to become what today is.
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
dynamojoe Avatar
59 months ago
Now I just need an app that I can use to play my music without nagging me to try a free subscription.
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
MrGuder Avatar
59 months ago
You know that Apples music app is getting bad when they now allow you to change the default to another player. ?
I’m using Marvis Pro and love it’s design!!
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Popular Stories

Home Hub Command Center with Dome Base Feature

Apple Working on All-New Operating System

Saturday August 16, 2025 6:45 am PDT by
Apple is developing an all-new operating system codenamed "Charismatic," according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. Apple smart home hub concept This is likely Apple's long-rumored "homeOS" operating system. In a report this week, Gurman said both Apple's rumored smart home hub in 2026 and tabletop robot in 2027 will run the new operating system. He said the software platform will blend...
iPhone 17 Pro in Hand Feature Lowgo

iPhone 17 Pro Max's Internal Design With Metal Battery Allegedly Leaks

Friday August 15, 2025 9:13 am PDT by
Alleged images of the iPhone 17 Pro Max's internal design have surfaced, offering a potential look inside the device before it is announced by Apple next month. The images were shared by the account "yeux1122" this week, in a blog post on the Korean platform Naver. The account aggregates Apple rumors and leaks, so it is likely not the original source of the images, and it is unclear if they...
apple beta 26 lineup

Mark Gurman Responds to Last Week's Apple Device Leaks

Sunday August 17, 2025 7:03 am PDT by
Last week, Apple released and then pulled a software tool that accidentally contained identifiers for many unreleased devices and chips, according to MacRumors contributor Aaron Perris. His findings included new models of the Studio Display, Apple TV, Apple Watches, Apple Vision Pro, iPad mini, HomePod mini, and more. Here is what was uncovered in the file, according to MacRumors contributor ...
Apple Watch Ultra 2 Complications

Apple Watch Reportedly Set to Receive 'Significant Redesign' Next Year

Friday August 15, 2025 1:31 pm PDT by
At least one new Apple Watch model launching next year will feature a "significant redesign," according to Taiwanese supply chain publication DigiTimes. In a paywalled report this week, citing supply chain insiders, DigiTimes claimed that a high-end 2026 Apple Watch model will feature "exterior design" changes, including but not limited to "eight sensors arranged in a ring pattern visible...
Golden Apple Logo

Every Apple Secret That Leaked Wednesday

Thursday August 14, 2025 4:13 am PDT by
Apple made a major slip Wednesday when it accidentally included hardware identifiers in software code linking to numerous unannounced products. The leaked information provided MacRumors with concrete evidence of Apple's hardware development across multiple product categories. Here's everything that was confirmed through the code discoveries: New HomePod mini with updated chip – New...
iPhone 17 Pro 3 4ths Perspective Aluminum Camera Module 1

Alleged iPhone 17 Pro Chassis Offers First Look at All-Aluminum Body

Thursday August 14, 2025 3:40 am PDT by
An alleged iPhone 17 Pro production leak may provide a first look at the device's milled all-aluminum chassis, which this year includes the camera bump – in contrast to last year's iPhone 16 Pro model that features a glass camera module attached to an all-glass back panel. Originally shared by leaker Majin Bu, the image below could be of a moulding, but it still lines up with rumors that...
iOS 26 Feature

Here's Everything New in iOS 26 Beta 7

Monday August 18, 2025 11:59 am PDT by
The seventh developer beta of iOS 26 is now available. While we are now in the later stages of the iOS 26 beta cycle, there are still some changes. Below, we outline everything new that we have found in iOS 26 beta 7 so far. Redesigned Blood Oxygen Feature The seventh developer betas of iOS 26 and watchOS 26 include a redesigned Blood Oxygen feature on Apple Watch Series 9, Apple Watch ...