Integrating Music Services (Poll)

[WiiM Team]

Hi all, We're taking a poll to see what new music services you'd like to see integrated. Please fill out the form below to submit.

Integrating New Music Services

We're curious about what music service you'd like to see integrated into the app. Not all that are listed are possible since it depends on the music services' cooperation, but we want to take a poll and see what your top 3 choices are (we made 5 options available if you have more than 3 you...

docs.google.com

 

[Drmevo]

Thanks for everyone's input. Here's what the poll currently looks like. Apple Music is the top requested music service, followed by Radio Paradise, YouTube Music & SiriusXM. We'll continue to find a way to get Apple Music integration and the other music services integrated!

View attachment 5343

Hello WiiM team, sorry for bring up this year-old thread, but I'm just wondering, has any progress been made with Apple Music? Clearly, based on the poll, there is a lot of demand. Is there any hope of us seeing integration come to WiiM products anytime soon? I for one would invest heavily in multiple WiiM products if that were the case. Thanks!

 

[EddNog]

Hello WiiM team, sorry for bring up this year-old thread, but I'm just wondering, has any progress been made with Apple Music? Clearly, based on the poll, there is a lot of demand. Is there any hope of us seeing integration come to WiiM products anytime soon? I for one would invest heavily in multiple WiiM products if that were the case. Thanks!

Apple just makes it way too difficult.

Easiest method I can possibly see is for them to come out with an add-on module that is Android-based and includes Google Play Store so the end user can install any Android-based streaming client software, such as the official Apple Music app for Android. They would then have to have a system-wide resampling bypass (perfectly typical for the vast majority of Android-based specialized digital audio players and streamers). I suppose they can give it an optical output which can be connected directly to the WiiM Ultra's optical input.

-Ed

 

[Burnside]

Apple just makes it way too difficult.

Easiest method I can possibly see is for them to come out with an add-on module that is Android-based and includes Google Play Store so the end user can install any Android-based streaming client software, such as the official Apple Music app for Android. They would then have to have a system-wide resampling bypass (perfectly typical for the vast majority of Android-based specialized digital audio players and streamers). I suppose they can give it an optical output which can be connected directly to the WiiM Ultra's optical input.

-Ed

Isn’t the issue with that approach how then to control it? From what I’ve inferred, Eversolo achieves that with some sort of remote screen software along the lines of VNC which wouldn’t integrate with the WiiM App in the same way as other services. And what if Apple decide to get their app to detect if it’s running on an unsupported modded version of Android and block it as was rumoured for Eversolo?

And unless it’s changed recently, even when third parties like Sonos have got access to the Apple Music API, it only delivers 256kbps AAC so,is no better than AirPlay.

As you say, Apple just makes it way too difficult…

 

[EddNog]

Isn’t the issue with that approach how then to control it? From what I’ve inferred, Eversolo achieves that with some sort of remote screen software along the lines of VNC which wouldn’t integrate with the WiiM App in the same way as other services. And what if Apple decide to get their app to detect if it’s running on an unsupported modded version of Android and block it as was rumoured for Eversolo?

And unless it’s changed recently, even when third parties like Sonos have got access to the Apple Music API, it only delivers 256kbps AAC so,is no better than AirPlay.

As you say, Apple just makes it way too difficult…

Remote control would have to function as a screencast/screen cloning function, yes. This is how I used to handle my streaming prior to converting to Qobuz from Apple Music and buying the WiiM Ultra. I was using a HiBy R6 Pro II DAP (can do it for less money nowadays with a HiBy R4) as my desktop streamer by putting it on a dock that keeps the DAP charged and also outputs to an external DAC. The DAC connected to the rest of my speaker chain, and I used the HibyCast app on my phone/tablets to control the DAP remotely. It worked fine and sounded great, but certainly not as elegantly as the WiiM.

-Ed

 

[cc_rider]

I guess I'll never understand why people would bother with Apple Music with so many better alternatives available.

 

[Burnside]

I guess I'll never understand why people would bother with Apple Music with so many better alternatives available.

Guess it’s like Spotify - maybe they and/or their family are used to it, or have invested in HomePods etc.

 

[Drmevo]

Apple just makes it way too difficult.

I've heard that, but what is the difficulty, do you know? I started a thread just yesterday asking that question but it still seems to be a mystery: https://forum.wiimhome.com/threads/...-why-there’s-no-apple-music-integration.6710/

Easiest method I can possibly see is for them to come out with an add-on module that is Android-based and includes Google Play Store so the end user can install any Android-based streaming client software, such as the official Apple Music app for Android. They would then have to have a system-wide resampling bypass (perfectly typical for the vast majority of Android-based specialized digital audio players and streamers). I suppose they can give it an optical output which can be connected directly to the WiiM Ultra's optical input.

Seems like that an AppleTV connected to a WiiM Ultra with an HDMI audio extractor would be just about as easy and accomplish the same thing. I may go that route if WiiM says Apple Music is a no-go, since AppleTV at least offers "Lossless" now.

I guess I'll never understand why people would bother with Apple Music with so many better alternatives available.

Guess it’s like Spotify - maybe they and/or their family are used to it, or have invested in HomePods etc.

Yeah, exactly, we're already in the ecosystem and are already paying for AM regardless since we have the Apple One plan. Plus, Apple Music has a great Classical selection and a lot of local musicians I know are on Spotify and Apple Music but maybe not the other platforms. There may better platforms in terms of compatibility with streamers but AM has a great catalog. I really don't care about playlists or algorithms, if that's what you mean.

 

[EddNog]

I've heard that, but what is the difficulty, do you know? I started a thread just yesterday asking that question but it still seems to be a mystery: https://forum.wiimhome.com/threads/anyone-know-definitively-why-there’s-no-apple-music-integration.6710/


Seems like that an AppleTV connected to a WiiM Ultra with an HDMI audio extractor would be just about as easy and accomplish the same thing. I may go that route if WiiM says Apple Music is a no-go, since AppleTV at least offers "Lossless" now.



Yeah, exactly, we're already in the ecosystem and are already paying for AM regardless since we have the Apple One plan. Plus, Apple Music has a great Classical selection and a lot of local musicians I know are on Spotify and Apple Music but maybe not the other platforms. There may better platforms in terms of compatibility with streamers but AM has a great catalog. I really don't care about playlists or algorithms, if that's what you mean.

Apple TV 4K via ARC to my WiiM Ultra works fine for what few 48KHz tracks are in my Apple Music library/playlists. However, all of my 88.1KHz and higher sample rate tracks are all being resolved down with the Apple TV. I also don’t know what happens to the huge amount of 44.1KHz tracks in my library—are they left at 44.1KHz or are they being molested upped to 48KHz?

With the DAP, 100% of my Apple Music tracks were being sent at absolutely maximum sample rate and bit depth in a bitperfect manner to my DAC. WiiM can’t do that, and neither can Apple TV.

Anyhow, as I said, I’ve since signed up to Qobuz for my critical listening. I still mostly use Apple Music in the car since the difference in quality is inconsequential or likely even noticeable in the car, but my home system is much too resolving to settle for Apple Music via Apple TV.

-Ed