The HomePod Mini takes a bit of a different approach from the rest of today’s best smart speakers. There’s an ecosystem play involved from Apple just like Amazon and Google, but Siri is much less fleshed out as an AI voice assistant platform. You can use a HomePod Mini to control your smart home, but not to the extent you can with an Amazon or Google-powered speaker. But one common feature is some of the different music services you can use.
Where the HomePod Mini excels is as a music device. Despite its tiny size, the sound quality it delivers is outstanding. It’s also quite affordable, a rarity for most Apple products, and has a lot of value if all you want is a hands-free music system.
For music, you need a source of tunes, and on the HomePod Mini here’s what you can use.
Which music services are supported on the HomePod Mini?
Despite the obvious link to Apple’s own content ecosystem, the HomePod Mini can still be used to listen to some music without a paid subscription through radio-based services. Likewise, the HomePod was originally an exclusively Apple device, but now there are third-party music sources you can listen to.
Apple Music and Apple Podcasts
The main reason most are likely interested in the HomePod Mini at all is its Apple Music integration. Apple Music isn’t free, but it does have a free one-month trial available for its different plans. If you haven’t previously been a subscriber and you pick up a HomePod Mini you can also grab six months of free access to the service with it.
Besides the traditional individual and family plans, there are options for students and just for voice access. The former is a clone of the individual plan but at a discounted price for students who can verify their education status. The voice plan is half the price of the individual plan but you only have access to it using Siri. So, if all you want is music around the home on your HomePod Mini this could be a great choice.
Apple Podcasts is also integrated into the HomePod Mini and will be the default service, just as Apple Music is. You can listen to your favorite podcasts simply by asking Siri to play them.
Pandora
Pandora users in the United States (currently the only market for the service) can link their free, plus, or premium accounts to the HomePod Mini and enjoy hands-free, voice-activated music throughout the home.
This includes podcasts and tier-specific perks such as unlimited skips on the plus and premium subscriptions. To link Pandora to the HomePod Mini you will also need the Pandora app on your iPhone or iPad.
Deezer
Deezer’s 73 million-strong song library is available to use on the HomePod Mini for paid subscribers only. Unlike some other smart speakers, the HomePod Mini also supports FLAC high fidelity audio from Deezer HiFi.
Deezer on HomePod Mini only currently supports music, with podcasts, audiobooks, and live radio not available to be played via Siri. Additionally, to set up Deezer on the HomePod Mini you will need the latest version of the app on your iPhone or iPad.
TuneIn Radio
TuneIn Radio’s basic offering is one of the free services you can use to listen to music on the HomePod Mini. Better still it’s baked into the device so you don’t have anything to download or set up.
To listen to your favorite radio station simply say “Hey Siri, play …” and you’ll get a stream provided by TuneIn. This is particularly useful for those outside North America.
iHeartRadio
Just like TuneIn, iHeartRadio is free to use on the HomePod Mini to listen to radio stations assuming you’re in a supported market. You don’t have to worry about setting it up either.
Simply ask Siri to play your favorite iHeartRadio station and you’re good to go. This only works in iHeartRadio-supported markets, for example, in Europe you will be directed through TuneIn Radio instead.
Other music services: Spotify, YouTube Music, Amazon, and more
Apple has opened up support for third-party music services on the HomePod Mini through Siri. But for whatever reason, the uptake has been slim. Some of the biggest players in the game, notably Spotify, aren’t supported for voice access on the HomePod Mini.
However, thanks to the tight-knit integration with the rest of Apple’s hardware you can play music from any unsupported service fairly easily. The kicker is that you have to initiate playback from your iPhone, iPad, or Mac.
The good news on that front is that Apple makes it incredibly easy to do. You can share the audio manually to the HomePod Mini using AirPlay or hold your device to the top of the speaker. This way, Handoff will automatically transfer it between the devices. You can use Siri to interact with the music by issuing the relevant commands, such as “Hey Siri, next track”.
If you don’t own an iOS device or a Mac you’re not going to want a HomePod Mini at all. For starters, you need an iOS device to even set the HomePod Mini up in the first place. The HomePod Mini does support Bluetooth, but not for audio, so you can’t use it as a target for music from any device this way.
If you’re in the Apple ecosystem the HomePod Mini is a very good smart speaker. Even if you don’t subscribe to Apple Music, you have options. Everyone else will be better off with an Amazon Echo or a Google Nest Audio.
Apple's only speaker is still a great buy for those invested in the company's ecosystem with great sound and seamless use with your other devices.
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