Whether you’re planning a summer garden party, a festive get-together, or simply want to blare out some tunes while doing your Sunday morning cleaning, streaming makes music simple. And a powerful speaker can make it completely stress-free. Find out how to stream straight from your phone, and discover our wireless speaker recommendations in this handy guide.
What is wireless streaming?
It’s simple really. Music streaming just means playing songs from one device – like your phone, tablet, or computer – through a set of wireless speakers over Wi-Fi or via Bluetooth. Wireless streaming has so many benefits, here are just a few:
Change the song with ease. Don’t worry about having to change CDs or flip a vinyl over, with wireless streaming you can easily skip between songs and albums from your phone.
Wireless means no wires. Ok, this one seems pretty obvious. But not having any wires traipsing around your home is a must.
Portability. You can move wireless speakers around with ease – meaning you can move your music from the kitchen to the living room.
Audio across the whole house. Because wireless speakers are built with smart technology, they can easily connect to other speakers around your home. The result? The same song blaring in all areas of the house, or different tunes in different rooms.
How to stream music at home
To stream your music at home, you’ll need:
A Wi-Fi connection, or Bluetooth-enabled devices.
Wireless speakers, or a music streaming gadget like the Google Nest Hub.
A smartphone, tablet, or computer.
Access to a streaming service like Spotify, Amazon Music or Tidal (if you want to play music straight from the web).
Different types of wireless streaming
Multi-room streaming – perfect for a party
Does mum want to listen to Michael Bublé in the bedroom while dad rocks out to the Stones in the kitchen? Then multi-room music streaming is the option for you. It works by linking different speakers around your home, all controlled over Wi-Fi from your smartphone or tablet.
SONOS is one of the most popular multi-room music set ups. The smaller SONOS Roam SL Wireless Speaker is the ideal starter speaker, but also makes a great addition to the kitchen or bedroom.
When it comes to providing a soundtrack to your next party, the larger SONOS One SL Speaker is perfect. This bigger and beefier speaker was designed to take centre stage in your home ready to throw out some serious beats. The best part? You can link it to other SONOS speakers, and control the sound in each room using the SONOS app.
Portable streaming – good for one-room gatherings
Portable speakers typically connect to your phone over Bluetooth. Lightweight and small, they’re designed to be the taken out and about in your bag, or to be carried from room to room at home. The Bose SoundLink Flex Portable Bluetooth speaker is a great option – giving you the audio kudos of Bose in a pint-sized package.
Bluetooth vs Wi-Fi streaming – what’s the difference?
The biggest difference with Bluetooth is that you must stay within range of the speaker. Whereas, with Wi-Fi streaming, you just have to stay within the range of your Wi-Fi – so you can stream from pretty much anywhere inside your home.
What’s more, with Bluetooth, if you take a call, watch TikToks on your phone, or simply walk into another room, the music will cut out – which can really ruin the party vibe.
The best music streaming platforms
Over the years, music streaming services have boomed in popularity. The value of streaming has risen from £11m in 2008 to a massive £736m in 2020. And it’s easy to see why. With a streaming service you can:
Access so much music – the big names in the business each offer more than 30 million songs
Easily skip from one song or genre to the next – go from pop rock to bluegrass and electronica
Control what you’re listening to from your phone, tablet, or computer
Listen to ready-made playlists that suit every event
See personalised recommendations based on your taste.
Here are a few recommendations from us:
1. Spotify
Spotify is perhaps the biggest player, with over 420 million active users and 82 million songs to pick from. What’s more, there’s a massive archive of Spotify-curated playlists, and a weekly playlist of songs recommended just for you. Spotify offers a free ad-supported version, or you can upgrade to Premium for non-stop listening. Plus, with Premium you can download as many songs as you like for offline or on-the-go listening.
2. Apple Music
Apple Music lets you stream the whole of the Apple Music library – with more than 50 million songs to peruse. It also suggests new music as it learns what you like, with suggestions coming from real-life music experts.
3. Tidal
You can stream over 90 million songs with Tidal, in Hi-Fi sound and completely ad-free. You can also stream more than 450 thousand videos, too.
The best wireless speakers
Not sure which wireless speaker you should buy? We have a whole range to suit you. From smart sound multi-room systems to portable speakers. Here are a few of our faves:
1. SONOS Move Portable Wireless Speaker
This portable SONOS speaker is a great addition to your audio setup. It offers room-filling sound in a portable shell, so it'll feel right at home in your living room, garden, or anywhere in-between.
With Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and Apple AirPlay, you can wirelessly stream all your favourite playlists. Plus, it comes with Amazon Alexa built-in – use voice commands to adjust the volume, change the track and much more.
3. PANASONIC SC-PMX802E-S Wireless Hi-Fi System
Looking for something slightly more traditional? Enjoy high-quality audio thanks to the JENO Engine amplifier and 3-way speakers. It also works with Bluetooth and AirPlay, as well as USB connectivity.
Still unsure which speaker’s right for you? Take a look at our audio buying guide, or video chat with an expert via ShopLive to help narrow down your options.
