Play Apple Music in Your BMW: 3 Methods Available

Way 1: Play Apple Music in Your BMW via Apple CarPlay

There are several ways to play Apple Music in your BMW, and the first option is Apple CarPlay, which acts as a bridge between your iPhone and the car's iDrive system. For someone new to it, Apple CarPlay mirrors selected apps from your phone onto the touchscreen, including Apple Music. Once connected, you can access your library to play, pause, skip tracks, and search for music using the iDrive controller or Siri hands-free. CarPlay also works with BMW's dashboard buttons and steering wheel controls, providing a smoother experience than Bluetooth for many users.

Step 1 On your iPhone, open Settings and make sure Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, and Siri are turned on. If your iOS is outdated, install the latest update.

Step 2 Start your BMW and wait for the iDrive home screen to fully load. Using the controller or touchscreen, open the Mobile Devices menu:

Step 3 When your BMW begins searching, unlock your iPhone and open Settings > Bluetooth. Look for your BMW's name near the top of the device list and tap it.

Step 4 A pairing code will appear on both the BMW screen and your iPhone. Compare the numbers carefully, then confirm on both devices.

Step 5 Follow the prompts on your iPhone to allow contacts, notifications, and CarPlay access. When asked how you want to use the connection, tap Use Apple CarPlay.

Step 6 After a few seconds, the Apple CarPlay home screen will appear on the BMW display. If it doesn't appear automatically, select Apple CarPlay from the media or app list.

Step 7 On the CarPlay screen, tap the Apple Music icon. If you're not already signed in, enter your Apple ID when prompted.

Step 8 Browse your Library, playlists, or use Search, then tap a song or playlist. Music will begin playing through your BMW's audio system.

Pro Tip: Enable Siri for CarPlay

Step 1 On your iPhone, open Settings > Siri & Search.

Step 2 Turn on Listen for "Hey Siri" if it's not already enabled.

Step 3 Turn on Press Side Button for Siri (or Home Button on older iPhones).

Step 4 Enable Allow Siri When Locked so you can control music without unlocking your phone.

Step 5 Test Siri by saying "Hey Siri, play [song name] on Apple Music" to make sure CarPlay responds.

Way 2: Play Apple Music in Your BMW via Bluetooth

Not all BMW models support Apple CarPlay, but Bluetooth provides a reliable alternative. Pairing your phone with the car's audio system allows wireless streaming of Apple Music. While some features, such as album artwork or interactive controls, may be limited compared to CarPlay, Bluetooth is simple to set up and works with most BMW models that support wireless audio. It can also serve as a backup if CarPlay fails, making these small limitations easy to overlook.

For best results, make sure your phone is fully updated and that your BMW system is running the latest firmware, as this can help reduce connection issues.

Step 1 On your iPhone, open Settings > Bluetooth and turn Bluetooth on.

Step 2 Start your BMW and open the Mobile Devices or Communication menu. Select Add new device or Connect new device.

Step 3 When prompted, choose Phone & Audio so the car can handle both calls and music playback.

Step 4 On your iPhone, tap your BMW's name when it appears in the Bluetooth device list.

Step 5 Confirm the pairing code shown on both screens, then allow media access when asked.

Step 6 On the BMW, select Bluetooth Audio as the active media source.

Step 7 Open the Apple Music app on your iPhone and audio will stream through the BMW speakers. If track controls don't respond right away, unlock your iPhone and keep the Apple Music app open in the foreground for a few seconds.

Way 3: Play Apple Music in Your BMW via USB Playback

Another classic option is connecting a USB drive or your iPhone directly to the car, allowing access to locally stored music files. Since Apple Music normally requires the app due to DRM protections, tools like ViWizard Apple Music Converter can convert songs, albums, playlists, or even your entire library into standard audio files such as MP3, M4A, M4B, WAV, FLAC, or AIFF. BMW supports MP3, AAC (M4A), WMA, and WAV/PCM, so you just need to choose a format compatible with both the converter and your car.

ViWizard Apple Music Converter works by converting and downloading Apple Music files directly to your PC or Mac, preserving original audio quality and metadata like titles and album art. Once converted, you can transfer the files to a USB drive formatted as FAT32, exFAT, or NTFS, depending on your iDrive system and model year. This method is particularly useful when cellular connections are weak or if you prefer a fully offline listening experience. For those with multiple albums or playlists to convert, you can batch-process them, saving time and ensuring everything is ready to play in the car without handling each file individually.

Key Features of ViWizard Apple Music Converter

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• Convert Apple Music songs, albums, playlists, and artists into MP3 for easy access
• Preserve lossless audio, high-resolution lossless, and Dolby Atmos quality
• Strip DRM from Apple Music for unrestricted offline listening
• Save converted audio files while retaining full ID3 tag details

1: Converting Apple Music to a BMW-Supported Audio Format

Step 1 On your PC or Mac, download and install ViWizard Apple Music Converter. Once the installation finishes, open the program and wait for the main interface to load.

Step 2 Sign in with the Apple ID associated with your Apple Music subscription. Wait for the library to sync and display your Apple Music content.

Step 3 In the library view, browse through Playlists, Albums, or Songs and select the tracks you want to use in your BMW.

Step 4 Open the Parameters panel. Choose a BMW-compatible audio format such as MP3, M4A, or WAV and confirm the output folder.

Step 5 Click Convert and wait for the tracks to finish processing.

Step 6 After conversion, locate the output folder and confirm that the audio files play correctly.

2: Playing Apple Music from a USB Flash Drive

Step 1 Transfer the converted music files to a USB flash drive, keeping them in clearly labeled folders (for example, Artist or Album folders).

Step 2 Plug the USB flash drive into your BMW's USB port. Ignore or close any phone pairing prompts.

Step 3 On the BMW screen, open Media or Music Collection, then select the USB device from the available sources.

Step 4 Use the controller or touchscreen to browse folders, select a track, and press to play. The song will play through the vehicle speakers.

Pro Tips: Apple Music BMW Troubleshooting Tips for a Better Driving Experience

Alongside these methods, there are tips and best troubleshooting practices that can improve the listening experience.

First, restart your devices.

Turn off your iPhone and your BMW's iDrive system completely. Wait a few seconds, then power them back on. This helps clear minor glitches that can block Apple Music playback or CarPlay connectivity.

Remove old pairings from your BMW.

In your iDrive menu, go to Mobile Devices or Manage Devices, select your iPhone, and choose Delete. This ensures your car won't try to use a stale connection.

Forget the BMW on your iPhone.

Open Settings > Bluetooth on your iPhone, find your BMW in the device list, and tap Forget This Device. Also check Wi-Fi settings to remove any BMW-related networks if they exist.

Re-pair your iPhone with your BMW.

Follow the usual setup steps for Apple CarPlay or Bluetooth: search for devices, confirm the pairing code, allow media and contacts access, and select Apple CarPlay or Bluetooth Audio as the source.

Check Apple Music playback.

Open the Apple Music app on your iPhone and try playing a song or playlist. If the music plays smoothly, the re-pairing fixed the connection issues.

Test voice commands if using CarPlay.

Say "Hey Siri, play [song name]" to confirm that Siri responds correctly through CarPlay. If not, double-check Siri & Search settings on your iPhone and try again.

If problems persist, repeat or update.

Sometimes restarting and re-pairing twice resolves stubborn issues. Also make sure your iPhone's iOS and BMW's ConnectedDrive apps or system software are up to date.

Conclusion

If you have made it this far, you probably already know the basics of connecting Apple Music to your BMW. The first method is using Apple CarPlay, but it does not work on all BMW models and can use your phone's data. A more flexible solution is ViWizard Apple Music Converter, which lets you convert Apple Music tracks to MP3. Once the conversion is complete, you can play your Apple Music files in MP3 format on any device, anytime, without restrictions.