In today’s world, music is a big part of our lives, and having your favorite songs available all the time is a must. Thanks to cloud technology, you no longer need to keep a physical music collection. You can now stream music from your iCloud Drive with just a few taps.
Your iPhone can access a whole library of songs stored in the cloud. Whether you have carefully organized playlists or a mix of different songs, this guide will show you how to use iCloud Drive to turn your iPhone into a portable music player.
We’ll explain how to stream music from iCloud Drive, with easy steps and tips to make the process smooth. Whether you’re familiar with iCloud Drive or new to it, by the end of this guide, you’ll know how to play your favorite tunes from the cloud on your iPhone.
So, if you’re ready to enjoy the convenience of streaming music from your iPhone, let’s get started!
Getting Started: Installing the Necessary Apps
Before you can start enjoying your iCloud Drive music on your iPhone or Mac, you'll need to install the right apps. Here are the steps:
For iOS:
1. Head to the App Store and download Evermusic if your music is stored in standard audio formats like mp3 or wav. If you have lossless music in dsd or flac, opt for Flacbox. Both apps are available for iOS and MacOS.
2. Evermusic: Download Link
3. Flacbox: Download Link
For MacOS:
1. Visit the App Store on your Mac and install Evermusic or Flacbox based on your music format preferences.
2. Evermusic: Download Link
3. Flacbox: Download Link
Once you've installed the app on your iPhone or Mac, you're ready to proceed.
Setting Up iCloud Drive for Music Streaming
Now that you have the necessary app installed, follow these steps to set up iCloud Drive for streaming music:
For iOS:
1. Open the app and navigate to the "Connections" tab.
2. Tap on "Connect a cloud service."
3. Choose "iCloud Drive" from the options.
4. Tap "Browse" item on the bottom tab bar and scroll down to the "Locations" section. Tap "iCloud Drive" to open the folders located in your iCloud account.
5. Select a folder in your iCloud Drive containing audio files. Tap "Open" to confirm your selection.
6. Once you've selected the folder, it will appear in the "Cloud Services" section.
7. Tap on the added folder to access its content and start playing your music directly from iCloud. The application plays audio files directly from your iCloud account without downloading them to the device to keep up your storage clean. You can download needed files using three dots menu. But now tap any audio file to start player.
8. You can manage your music player settings, including queue, equalizer, and more, by tapping the mini player above the tab bar or using the full-screen player.
For MacOS:
1. Launch the app and click on "All Connections" in the left sidebar.
2. Select "Connect a cloud service" to begin adding a cloud service.
3. Choose "iCloud Drive" from the list of options.
4. A system "File Choose Dialog" will appear.
5. Tap on the folder chooser located at the top of the dialog and switch to "iCloud Drive".
6. Select your folder within iCloud Drive and tap "Open" to confirm your selection.
7. The selected folder will now appear in the "All Connections" screen under the "Cloud Services" section.
8. Tap on the added folder to open it. Tap audio file to start playback.
9. Tap "Audio player" on the left side bar to open full screen audio player.
By following these steps, you'll be able to enjoy your music directly from iCloud Drive, without the need to download files to your device, keeping your storage clean and your tunes accessible.
Add songs from iCloud Drive to the Music Library
You can also add songs from your iCloud Drive to the "Music Library" and all tracks will be grouped by Artist, Album, Genre, and Composer after the application finishes track metadata reading.
1. To add music to your "Music Library" select the "All Music Library" menu item on the left sidebar.
2. Tap three dots on the top right corner of the "Music Library" screen.
3. Select the "+ Add music" menu item to open the file chooser.
4. On the next screen tap "Connections" and select connected iCloud Drive folder.
5. On the next screen select files you want to add to your music library. You can also select a folder and in this case, the application will scan selected folders and all found files will be added to the music library.
Add songs from iCloud Drive to a Playlist
You can also add iCloud files to a playlist and change song order.
1. To do this tap the "All Playlists" menu item on the left sidebar.
2. On the "All Playlists" screen tap the three dots button in the top right corner choose the "+ New playlist" menu item and enter a name for a new playlist.
3. After this, you will see the "Add songs" dialog.
4. Tap the "Connections" menu item and select the connected iCloud Drive folder.
5. On the next screen select files you want to add to a playlist and tap "Done" button to confirm selection.
6. Tap the three dots button in the top right corner to see all available actions for the created playlist.
If you have enabled the "Save audio player state" options in the application Settings - the playback position will be saved for all your folders/albums/playlists between app launches. To restore the playback position open a playlist and tap the "Continue playback" button.
"Play all" - start a new audio player queue and songs will be played one-by-one from the first song (if shuffle mode is disabled).
"Shuffle all" - start a new audio player queue and shuffle all songs from this playlist before starting playback.
Fixing streaming issues
Sometimes, you might face issues when streaming music from your iCloud folder. In this case, we recommend enabling the audio player cache. This feature will pre-download the next song while the current one is playing, ensuring smooth transitions without interruptions. To enable the audio player cache, go to Settings -> Audio Player -> Audio Player Cache -> Enable. You can also set the cache size so that old tracks are deleted, keeping the cache within the limit on your device.
Conclusion
With your iCloud Drive and the right app, your iPhone and Mac can become your go-to music hubs, allowing you to enjoy your carefully curated collection anytime, anywhere. Plus, with the added convenience of playlists and organizational features, you can rediscover your cherished tunes like never before.
So, whether you're a long-time iCloud Drive user or new to its capabilities, this guide has equipped you to unlock the world of convenience and effortlessly stream your favorite melodies on your Apple devices. Your personal musical journey awaits in the cloud, ready for you to explore and enjoy!
Now, go ahead, start streaming, and let the music play!