Siri Will Learn Your Music Preferences With HomePod Software 17.4

[MacRumors]

Alongside iOS 17.4, iPadOS 17.4, and tvOS 17.4, Apple plans to release a HomePod 17.4 software update that adds a small but meaningful change to Siri.

Siri will be able to learn what a user's preferred media service is, which means that there won't be a need to include an app name when asking Siri to play content or go through the process to set a default third-party app.

HomePod users have been able to play songs, podcasts, audiobooks, and other media using supported third-party apps through a Siri request for quite some time now, but this needed to be set up in the Settings section of the Home app. The option was fairly hidden, so some HomePod users might have forgotten the feature was even available. From Apple's release notes:

This update enables Siri to learn your preferred media service, so you no longer need to include the name of the media app in your request.

With HomePod 17.4, Siri will learn preferences and use those preferences to select apps. If you have YouTube Music, for example, you won't need to say "Play [song name] on YouTube Music" to bypass Apple Music, nor will you need to set YouTube Music as your default music service in the Home app.

Siri already works this way on the iPhone and the iPad, and asks users for their preferred app when playing content for the first time. As Siri has been updated to set a preference automatically, Apple has removed the Home app option that let users select a default media service.

Third-party apps that work directly with the HomePod include YouTube Music, Deezer, Pandora, TuneIn, and iHeartRadio. Streaming music services need to support HomePod for the feature to work, and not all do. Note that popular music service Spotify can play content through a Siri request on HomePod, but it uses the iPhone to do so.

Along with Siri support for a preferred music service, the HomePod 17.4 update also includes performance and stability improvements. The HomePod 17.4 software will see a release as soon as this week.

Article Link: Siri Will Learn Your Music Preferences With HomePod Software 17.4

 

[Gengar]

But will they ever introduce an update where Siri will check your library first when you tell it to play a song? It plays so many stupid remixes of songs if you don’t include “from my library” when giving it a command…

 

[The_Gream]

A update long over due… but all my services are already Apple so…

 

[5097842]

Notably missing from that list is Spotify. Which is also missing from the Vision Pro. Must be a strange coincidence.

 

[coolfactor]

Definitely overdue.

At least this is proof that Siri can learn. See? Apple does employ machine learning. 🤓

 

[t0rqx]

It took 10 years to make Siri know how to make a screen recording. Now 12 years later it knows how to learn about the music preferences. Makes you wonder what was the Apple Music recommendations based on?

 

[clg82]

Wow, now if they could teach Siri to do simple tasks that would be nice

 

[Devnul0]

How does Siri distinguish "Play <song> on <airplay device>" from "Play <song> on <music service>" ? I use the former all the time. Does it work by pure luck? Just don't have an airplay target with the same name as a streaming service application?

 

[uptownnyc]

Cool. Now tell me how to get the HomePod two rooms away from responding to the "Hey Siri" request intended for the phone sitting on the table next to me.

 

[mattyeahoo]

Will this update bring my useless bricked OG back to life? It was good while it lasted. 3 years then poof. Such a disappointment and zero help from Apple. No wonder they discontinued these things.

 

[BGPL]

I love how they interface with YouTube music but you would find the same support for Spotify. Weird... YT music has the lowest marketshare and probably isn't as great a threat to AAPL as Spotify. If they were smart, they would copy Spotify as best as possible, the Apple Music interface is horrid, always has been, and it's the reason why I use Spotify. Also, apple only plays on HomePods and ATV... which I have zero of. Amazon didn't even try that hard with Alexa and it's still one meeellion times better than Siri.

 

[dustin_]

Notably missing from that list is Spotify. Which is also missing from the Vision Pro. Must be a strange coincidence.

solely by spotify’s choosing

 

[Think|Different]

Nice, I have a feeling Siri is going to look A LOT different – across the board – a year from now...

 

[Rogifan]

God I hope Siri gets better at this. So many times when I ask it to play a song it tells me I need to open Pandora rather than just playing from Apple Music. And I use Apple Music every day!

 

[Pakaku]

If Siri learned what music I was into, I think it would probably try to commit divide by zero...

 

[cardfan]

Nice, I have a feeling Siri is going to look A LOT different – across the board – a year from now...

Said every year.

 

[needsomecoffee]

Not related to Apple, but may apply. Almost every morning at the same time I ask Alexa to play my favorite artist once in the kitchen for daily endeavors. Alexa anounces either "Playing Beth Hart and related artists from Amazon Music" or the same message but from Spotify. The Spotify playlist rocks so much, the Amazon Music not so much. The former starts with her biggest and best songs most featuring Joe B. The latter starts with songs I've never listened to. Not complaining as I do like the Amazon Music stuff, but if you were a first time listener... Spotify's playlist is sooooo much better. I use Apple Music on my Mac to shuffle my library, and never venture close to streaming. My playlists are well curated, and I'd never want Apple/Siri in control. Mabybe some day I'll see what Apple Music selects if I ask for Beth. HTH. NSC.

 

[Remy149]

Notably missing from that list is Spotify. Which is also missing from the Vision Pro. Must be a strange coincidence.

Spotify is intentionally not implementing these features.

 

[klasma]

How does Siri distinguish "Play <song> on <airplay device>" from "Play <song> on <music service>" ? I use the former all the time. Does it work by pure luck? Just don't have an airplay target with the same name as a streaming service application?

The same as it distinguishes those from “Play ‘Knockin' On Heaven's Door’”. Don’t call your device “Heaven’s Door”, or you’ll get “Okay, playing ‘Knockin'’ by Freddie Stroma”.

 

[klasma]

Spotify is intentionally not implementing these features.

It would be funny if Siri answered that.

 

[sjsharksfan12]

Maybe that's something I want on the new IOS. I want Siri or AI or whatever to differentiate a song in my library vs a song that is not in my library. If I want Siri to play a song, I expect my Library to be the first priority as to where to find it.

 

[kagharaht]

The one product from Apple that I have is a true Love hate relationship is the HomePod. This thing has frustrated me to no end. The sound is wonderful and when it works it’s beautiful. Still too many occasions “ I didn’t get that, working on it , hmmm taking too long, there is a problem with Apple Music“ then all speakers just stops playing or one or two stops and the rest plays. Then the volume suddenly increases then decreases... The Audio is beautiful with Homepod, but the software and Siri is pure GARBAGE.

 

[boswald]

The one product from Apple that I have is a true Love hate relationship is the HomePod. This thing has frustrated me to no end. The sound is wonderful and when it works it’s beautiful. Still too many occasions “ I didn’t get that, working on it , hmmm taking too long, there is a problem with Apple Music“ then all speakers just stops playing or one or two stops and the rest plays. Then the volume suddenly increases then decreases... The Audio is beautiful with Homepod, but the software and Siri is pure GARBAGE.

I suggest turning off all “smart” features and using them as simple speakers. It’s obviously not for everyone, but doing that made me a lot happier.

 

[stars_fan]

Now if you could stop it from playing crap music. I always question why I can’t say never play rap. The majority of humans with an iq higher than tepid bath water don’t want to listen to that crap.

 

[CarAnalogy]

But will they ever introduce an update where Siri will check your library first when you tell it to play a song? It plays so many stupid remixes of songs if you don’t include “from my library” when giving it a command…

Nope just like TV won't check your library before sending you to a streaming service you don't subscribe to.

Apple apparently feels like ever "selling" anyone content was a big mistake they'd like to forget.