Streaming music from a mobile phone

A mobile phone isn’t always the best gadget for listening to music while you’re at home.

Wearing headphones can stop you from hearing the doorbell or the wires might get caught on a door handle, for example. Yet blasting music through a phone’s integrated speaker often makes songs sound like crying cats.

But did you know that a feature common to almost every mobile phone sold during the last few years can help you enjoy cable-free and crystal-clear quality music at home?

What is music streaming?

Music streaming is essentially the process of listening to music stored on your mobile phone or smartphone through a better quality audio gadget, such as a nearby stereo system.

The stereo system needs to be nearby - say, in the next room - because your mobile phone will be using a wireless data transfer technology called Bluetooth, to beam music across to the stereo.

This concept might sound technical and complicated, but using Bluetooth to stream music between your phone and stereo is easy to set-up and has many benefits, including:

• Freedom - you can listen to music while walking between rooms
• Simplicity - you won’t have to fiddle around with confusing cables to get music flowing between the phone and stereo
• Productiveness - you’ll still be able to hear the doorbell, wash-up and even answer calls to your mobile while streaming music between your phone and stereo.

How can I stream music from my mobile phone?

You’ll need a phone with Bluetooth, because without a Bluetooth-enabled mobile phone you won’t be able to take advantage of wireless music streaming.

Mobile phones equipped with Bluetooth include:

• The iPhone 4
• The Google Nexus S
• The HTC Desire
• The Nokia X3 Touch and Type.

The only other gadget required is a Bluetooth compatible stereo. These come in all shapes and sizes; some are palm-sized and cost around £15 while others are desktop-sized and cost over £200. The more you pay, the better the sound quality.

For example, the Creative D100 Pure Wireless Bluetooth Speaker System only costs around £50 and comes highly recommended by many of its buyers on Amazon.co.uk.

If you don’t want to buy a new stereo, some can be converted using a “Bluetooth stereo adaptor”. These typically cost upwards of £10.

Bluetooth pairing

Before your phone can send songs to your stereo you must “pair” the two devices.

This process will be slightly different depending on which mobile phone and Bluetooth stereo you use, but essentially you must:

• Set the stereo to “pair” mode. Refer to the instruction manual for help
• Look through your phone’s “Settings” menu, switch Bluetooth on and then wait for the stereo’s name to appear onscreen. Clicking on the stereo’s name normally pairs the two devices.

Once you’ve paired the two simply select your favourite song and you should hear it play through the stereo’s speakers.

Music streaming: FAQ

Q: Will my mobile phone need to be beside my stereo for Bluetooth streaming to work?

A: No, Bluetooth can beam the music between walls. However, you may find that thick interior walls make the signal crackle.

Q: What if I don’t have any music stored on my phone?

A: Music streaming services, such as Spotify, offer access to huge online music catalogues in return for a small monthly fee. For example, you could browse Spotify’s catalogue over wi-fi on your phone and then stream songs over Bluetooth to your stereo.

Q: Can I stream live radio?

A: Yes. Trying downloading your favourite radio station’s app (if it has one) or play a stream from its website.

Q: Will wireless signals from other gadgets cause interference?

A: Not usually. Wi-fi signals from your wireless router, for example, shouldn’t interfere with your enjoyment of music streaming over Bluetooth.

Galaxy S4(black) £0.00	400 min Unlimited texts	£31.00
One(black) £0.00	600 min Unlimited texts	£36.00
Galaxy S4(white) £0.00	400 min Unlimited texts	£31.00

Find your ideal mobile phone deal

---

Compare Phone Plan: PAYG Monthly

Compare Compare contracts costing up to: £5