Which mobile app is used for controlling the audio system?
Mobile apps that allow users to control audio playback have become increasingly popular over the last decade. As smartphone usage has grown, audio apps provide convenient access to music, podcasts, audiobooks and more. Research shows that entertainment and music are among the most popular app categories, with over 80% of mobile users downloading apps in these categories.
Mobile control of audio systems extends beyond just smartphones. Smart speakers, wearables, and even some cars now allow voice control or app control of audio. With the rise of streaming services and digital content, mobile audio apps offer customizable and personalized listening experiences.
Apple iOS Devices
Apple provides the Apple TV Remote app to control the Apple TV from iOS devices like iPhones and iPads. The app can be downloaded from the App Store for free (https://apps.apple.com/us/app/itunes-remote/id284417350). It allows you to navigate, play, pause, rewind, and fast-forward content on your Apple TV. You can also use it to enter text into search fields and access Siri on the Apple TV.
In addition, iOS and iPadOS devices include an Apple TV Remote in Control Center that can be accessed by swiping down from the top right corner of the screen (https://support.apple.com/guide/tv/use-ios-or-ipados-control-center-atvb701cadc1/tvos). This provides quick access to basic controls like directional navigation, play/pause, and Siri. However, it offers less advanced functionality compared to the dedicated Apple TV Remote app.
The Apple TV Remote in Control Center requires an Apple TV 4K, Apple TV HD, Apple TV (3rd generation), or AirPlay 2-compatible smart TV. It must be set up initially using the remote app before it can be accessed in Control Center (https://support.apple.com/en-us/108778).
Android Devices
Android devices come with built-in media controls that allow you to control audio playback and volume directly from the notification panel or lock screen. Swiping down the notification shade reveals playback controls like play/pause, next track, previous track, and a volume slider. Many Android devices also have media controls mapped to the physical buttons, like play/pause or skipping tracks.
In addition to the built-in controls, there are many third party apps on the Google Play Store that offer enhanced media and volume control on Android. Some popular options include Volume Control, which lets you create and toggle between volume profiles, and Slice Audio Volume Control, which provides more granular per-app volume adjustment.
Android also includes native support for app-specific volume levels starting in Android 10. This allows you to set different volume levels on a per-app basis, so you can have music play loudly while keeping game sound effects quiet. Overall, Android offers robust options for controlling audio and volume levels system-wide or on a per-app basis.
Windows Devices
Windows 10 and 11 include built-in options for controlling audio and volume, without needing to download any additional apps. The two main ways to control volume and audio on Windows devices are through the Media controls and Cortana.
The Media controls in Windows allow quick access to features like volume up/down, play/pause, skip track, and launching apps like Groove Music [1]. The media controls are located in the Settings app under System > Sound > Volume and device preferences. From here, users can enable media key support to control audio using keyboard shortcuts.
Windows 10 and 11 also have Cortana integration, which allows voice commands to control volume and audio playback. Cortana can adjust the volume, mute/unmute, pause/play, skip tracks, and launch music apps hands-free using only your voice [2]. Cortana’s voice controls work across Windows devices including PCs, tablets, and Surface.
For more advanced audio control, Windows includes the Volume Mixer for managing app and device volume levels. The Volume Mixer can be accessed by right-clicking the volume icon in the taskbar and selecting it from the pop-up menu [3].
Multi-Platform Apps
Some of the most popular apps for controlling audio across platforms are music streaming services like Spotify and Pandora. These apps allow you to access your music library and control playback on iOS, Android, Windows, Mac, and other devices. The apps sync your library and playlists across all your devices so you can pick up where you left off no matter what platform you’re using.
Other popular cross-platform audio apps include Audible for audiobooks, Podcast Addict for podcasts, and Apple Music for accessing Apple’s streaming library across platforms. These apps provide a unified listening experience and consistent audio controls like play, pause, skip track, adjust volume, create playlists, etc. They leverage the audio capabilities of each platform to deliver an optimized listening experience.
Musicians and audio producers can also use apps like Garageband that work across iOS and Mac to start projects on one device and continue working on another. The ability to seamlessly transition between platforms makes these apps powerful tools for creating and listening to audio.
Smart Speakers
Smart speakers like Amazon Echo and Google Home allow users to control music and other audio playback using just their voice. With smart speakers connected to music services like Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon Music, and others, users can simply say “Alexa, play my party playlist” or “Hey Google, play some upbeat pop music.” The speakers understand natural language requests and can access vast libraries of songs and audio content.
According to Statista, Amazon had the largest global smart speaker market share in 2022 at 28%, followed by Google at 24%. This makes their smart assistants, Alexa and Google Assistant, the most widely used for voice control of audio playback.
Smart speakers have revolutionized how people access and listen to audio content. Controlling music hands-free allows multi-tasking and brings convenience. As the smart speaker market grows globally, their capabilities as centralized hubs for controlling audio systems will likely expand as well.
Connected Cars
Connected cars are vehicles with built-in internet access and connection to the cloud. This allows various functions inside the car like navigation, entertainment and control systems to be accessed remotely. With regards to controlling audio, connected car dashboards provide options to stream music and podcasts, control volume and access playlists directly from the in-dash interface.
According to Statista, the number of connected cars worldwide is projected to reach over 400 million by 2025, up from 237 million in 2021 [1]. As this number continues growing, integrated audio control systems are becoming increasingly common.
The connected car market size was valued at $23.6 billion in 2021, and is expected to reach $56.3 billion by 2026 as per MarketsandMarkets [2]. This rapid growth means more vehicles will have options to manage music and audio playback through dashboards and touchscreens.
According to a LinkedIn article, the connected car market is unleashing value from in-vehicle data including entertainment preferences [3]. This shows that controlling audio is a key feature of connected cars.
Wearables
Wearable devices like smartwatches and fitness trackers are increasingly being used to control audio playback. Many of the latest smartwatches allow you to store music locally and connect wireless headphones to stream audio directly from your wrist. Popular models like the Apple Watch, Samsung Galaxy Watch, and Fitbit Sense all have built-in music storage and Bluetooth connectivity.
Controlling playback is done through gestures, buttons, or touchscreens on the watch itself. You can start/stop music, skip tracks, adjust volume, and more. Some smartwatches also let you download compatible apps to access music services like Spotify, Pandora or Apple Music.
According to Statista, smartwatches accounted for 30% of the wearables market in 2021. As their capabilities expand, controlling audio playback from your wrist is becoming a popular feature.
Virtual Assistants
Virtual assistants like Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant, Apple’s Siri, and Microsoft’s Cortana allow users to control audio playback via voice commands. According to The Rise of Virtual Digital Assistant Usage, 65% of users agree that virtual assistants are part of their everyday lives. Users can say commands like “Alexa, play some music” or “Hey Google, play my driving playlist” to start audio playback hands-free.
Virtual assistants connect to music services like Spotify, Apple Music, Pandora, and more. They allow users to request songs, albums, artists, or stations by voice. The assistants can also control playback functions like pausing, skipping tracks, adjusting volume, etc. This hands-free voice control makes virtual assistants a convenient option for audio playback while driving, cooking, working out, or multitasking.
In addition to basic playback commands, some assistants offer more advanced audio control. For example, Alexa supports multi-room music that allows synchronized playback across multiple Alexa devices. Users can group compatible smart speakers to play audio in different rooms. Virtual assistants are growing increasingly ubiquitous thanks to their ability to streamline tasks through conversational voice commands.
Conclusion
In summary, multiple mobile apps are available for controlling audio playback across devices and platforms. Apple and Android smartphones offer proprietary control apps like Apple Music and Google Play Music. Third party apps like Spotify also work across iOS and Android for universal control. In addition, mobile apps can control audio playback on smart speakers, connected cars, wearables, and virtual assistants linked to your smartphone.
For the widest device compatibility, apps like Spotify, Pandora and TuneIn radio are recommended. They allow controlling audio playback across iOS, Android, Windows 10, smart speakers, cars, and more. With a free account, you can stream music, podcasts, and radio stations to almost any device. For controlling your personal music library, Apple Music works great for iOS/Mac owners, while Google Play Music suits Android users.
In the end, choose a mobile audio app based on your platform and devices. Apps like Spotify offer the most flexibility if you own various gadgets. But platform-specific options like Apple Music also perform well within their ecosystems. Take advantage of free trials to test different apps and see which provides the best audio control experience.