HomePod Now Counts Toward Apple Music Device Streaming Limits for Single Memberships, Apple Encouraging Family Upgrades

[Kaibelf]

So Apple released something that "didn't" work as intended and suddenly we, the consumer who have paid for devices and services, are now suppose to be ok with this?

Dear User, we eff'ed up so now you need to pay another $60 a year for being able to stream on multiple devices. Sincerely, Apple.

This sounds like a response to the poor performance of the newest releases of the iPhone not performing to where Apple thought they would. This is just poor execution by Apple, for at least the 10th time under Tim "Bottom Line" Cook.

Did you really pay for a single-user account with the expectation that you would just be able to stream a bunch of different things from various devices simultaneously? And what makes Apple any different from, say, Netflix, who is doing a similar thing?
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wow this is terrible user experience as my fiance listens to music at home while I'm out and probably listening to music.. now we need a family plan just to both listen at the same time? sucks.

Um, I assume you're two different people, so how is it terrible? Pay for what you take. Can one of you not afford the $5 a month? Or why don't you have him join YOUR family plan? That's like having some in-law paying for your electricity.

 

[Shanghaichica]

Meh even songs I’ve purchased from iTunes are effected by this. I would think songs I own would be treated differently to songs from Appel music.

 

[clarkgoble]

Apple's 2019 Comeback Plan: "We encourage you to pay us more."

Problem is that's not even an option if you're on the family plan and run out of seats. Not at all uncommon if you have several kids and hand me down iPhones and iPads. Apple allows 5 people. If each of the parents have three devices (iPhone, iPad, Mac) plus an Apple TV plus a few hand me down iPad/iPhones you quickly hit the limits even with a small number of kids. There's not even an option to pay more to get more seats.

 

[Digital Dude]

With the high price of the Homepod and limited functionality of Siri and now the now even more limiting restriction to use this beautiful and great sounding device for music, it seems like Apple keeps drilling nails into coffins.

What's happening to Apple these days? They are not listening to the public on price (recent news of decline of sales, poor china growth) and they are super slow to advance their technology (Siri vs the rest). Tim Cook apparently wakes up and reads the Apple customer news every morning. I hope he's reading this thread.

Apple: great products yes but nobody can afford them vs the cheaper and vastly more expansive options of other companies. Now technology is catching up, what Apple is holding onto (quality) is slowly not becoming relevant anymore.

Ever since the loss of Steve Jobs, this has been the vision of Apple. While I continue to buy their products, I sure do wish that Microsoft would get off their lazy ass and compete.

 

[AlumaMac]

Problem is that's not even an option if you're on the family plan and run out of seats. Not at all uncommon if you have several kids and hand me down iPhones and iPads. Apple allows 5 people. If each of the parents have three devices (iPhone, iPad, Mac) plus an Apple TV plus a few hand me down iPad/iPhones you quickly hit the limits even with a small number of kids. There's not even an option to pay more to get more seats.

That is unfortunate. Seems logical that you would be able to add additional seats.

 

[whyamihere]

You’re paying for a single stream. Why would you assume you can do more than one stream at the same time from a single user account?

1) that's how it has been since the beginning (whether they advertised it or not) when I bought HomePod on day one.
2) if I want my 10 year old to have some tunes going on the HomePod while I also listen to music on my iPhone, I'm not going to purchase a family plan when the 10 year old isn't even old enough to have their own iTunes/Apple Music account.
3) The HomePod has always been marketed as a quality stereo for your home. Not a personal speaker.

 

[Shanghaichica]

1) that's how it has been since the beginning (whether they advertised it or not) when I bought HomePod on day one.
2) if I want my 10 year old to have some tunes going on the HomePod while I also listen to music on my iPhone, I'm not going to purchase a family plan when the 10 year old isn't even old enough to have their own iTunes/Apple Music account.
3) The HomePod has always been marketed as a quality stereo for your home. Not a personal speaker.

The idea of these smart speakers is to have one in every room in your house, therefore you’d expect to be able to listen to more than one song at a time. To me the family plan should be more about sharing your subscription with family members with different Apple IDs.

 

[MistrSynistr]

Why would a single user be listening to two or more streams at the same time ?

Are you people dense? Someone could be at your house, like your FAMILY, and be streaming off the main account on the HomePod and you could be at work using it.

 

[Shanghaichica]

Are you people dense? Someone could be at your house, like your FAMILY, and be streaming off the main account on the HomePod and you could be at work using it.

Or you could all be at home. I’ve been cooking in the kitchen and listening to something and my husband is with the kids in the living room or dining room and they are listening to something else. All from the same Apple ID. Not different accounts.

 

[redboxcar]

Problem is that's not even an option if you're on the family plan and run out of seats. Not at all uncommon if you have several kids and hand me down iPhones and iPads. Apple allows 5 people. If each of the parents have three devices (iPhone, iPad, Mac) plus an Apple TV plus a few hand me down iPad/iPhones you quickly hit the limits even with a small number of kids. There's not even an option to pay more to get more seats.

Apple allows you to add 5 people to your family—they call this Family Sharing—for a total of 6 people (including you). You would only run out of seats if you have more than 6 people in your family (1 spouse + 4 kids or 5 kids or however that breaks down for you), each with their own Apple IDs. It does suck if you have more than 6 people in your family, though.

 

[mi7chy]

So, if you're playing one song on stereo paired Homepods does it count as two instances? Good thing it only does stereo and not 13.2 (9.2.4).

 

[Shanghaichica]

So, if you're playing one song on stereo paired Homepods does it count as two instances? Good thing it only does stereo and not 13.2 (9.2.4).

No it only counts once.

 

[H. Flower]

All this does is lower the value of these speakers even more.

Not good.

 

[Shanghaichica]

All this does is lower the value of these speakers even more.

Not good.

To be fair this is no different to Spotify, google play or amazon music.

 

[WhiteHawk]

You’re paying for a single stream. Why would you assume you can do more than one stream at the same time from a single user account?

Because that’s exactly what everyone was saying when it was released, you could read it everywhere that the HomePod didn’t count towards the number of streams and nowhere did Apple counter this point, nowhere did it say on the Apple site at the time that wasn’t correct. I’m sure there’s others out there like myself that made the purchase for that reason so my family can enjoy my subscription while I’m not home. Yes they can still do that, but now if I start playing something on my phone when I’m not home I’ll interrupt the HomePod and if my family start playing something while I am my phone will be interrupted, that stinks.

I would not be surprised in the least if Apple get another lawsuit over this.

 

[mi7chy]

To be fair this is no different to Spotify, google play or amazon music.

That part is obvious but the question is, is Apple's goof unintentional incompetence or bait and switch? I'm sure a lot of customers bought into it because of the original behavior.

What's fair is for Apple to keep the original behavior for existing Homepod owners since Apple goofed and change it for new Homepod purchases.

 

[Plutonius]

Are you people dense? Someone could be at your house, like your FAMILY, and be streaming off the main account on the HomePod and you could be at work using it.

That was the point. Then you get the family plan.

There should be no need for two simultaneous streams unless more then one individual is listening (i.e. family plan).
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I would not be surprised in the least if Apple get another lawsuit over this.

You are probably correct but they get lawsuits over everything .

Unfortunately even if Apple loses the lawsuit, they aren't going to change anything.

The lawyers will get lots of money while the people who bought the HomePods will get a check for a few dollars.

 

[Michael Goff]

Are you people dense? Someone could be at your house, like your FAMILY, and be streaming off the main account on the HomePod and you could be at work using it.

You know, they have a special type of plan if you want your entire family to listen to more than one song.

 

[ersan191]

Problem is that's not even an option if you're on the family plan and run out of seats. Not at all uncommon if you have several kids and hand me down iPhones and iPads. Apple allows 5 people. If each of the parents have three devices (iPhone, iPad, Mac) plus an Apple TV plus a few hand me down iPad/iPhones you quickly hit the limits even with a small number of kids. There's not even an option to pay more to get more seats.

Apple allows 6 people in a family plan, and you can activate up to 10 devices per account...

Lot of people very confused in this thread.

 

[Michael Goff]

Apple allows 6 people in a family plan, and you can activate up to 10 devices per account...

Lot of people very confused in this thread.

Are they confused or are they willfully ignorant?

 

[dither dan]

Actually, I think people are getting tired of the nickel and dime approach to everything Apple has been doing lately. Of course, other streaming services do this, so why shouldn't Apple keep up the trend and follow suit with this product as well. Frankly, this family is over it. I wonder if the artists get paid for each device their music is then streamed on since the opportunity to play it more than one at a time is now increased. I'm sure that's why Apple is doing this, wait probably not, as no other service does it either. Keep leading the way Apple.

 

[Shanghaichica]

If the feature was never there then I don’t think there would be an issue. The fact is you could stream simultaneously on the individual plan for almost a year and now you can’t.

 

[citysnaps]

If it’s an individual membership then why/how can you really listen to two things at once. Seems like people are bitching about something for the sole reason to complain about it. Get over yourself if you don’t like it/think it’s worth the price then don’t buy it and move on.

Sadly, that will never happen. Seems many today can't feel good about themselves until they ascend the top of the closest hill and scream to the world about their victimhood. Lacking a hill, the internet will have to do. Wah...

Rather embarrassing; but that's the new normal.

 

[5hugknight]

wow this is terrible user experience as my fiance listens to music at home while I'm out and probably listening to music.. now we need a family plan just to both listen at the same time? sucks.

Well the point is - if more than (1) person is using it at a time, then you need something other than a 'single-user' subscription. Maybe they should offer a $11.99/ month version called the "co-habitating plan".
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So my HomePod and Apple TV won’t stream independently and simultaneously anymore?

Wtf, gonna have to test this out when I go home.

But I remember when Apple TV used to account for stream limit, but was disabled when HomePod came out, but now it’s back??? Boo, it’s annoying how Sonos can do this with Apple Music.

AirPlay 2 should prevent this if I am not mistaken. AirPlay 2 pushes audio from (1) source to other sources.

But yes, if you want both devices playing different music at the same time you are probably going to have to pay +$5.

 

[diamond3]

Besides all of the complaints on here, one thing that needs to be addressed in an update is to notify you if someone is streaming on the HomePod from within the music app. I think I can likely do that from the Home app if you have everything setup, but that shouldn’t be necessary. They probably should have addressed this before they decided to share the bad news.