How do I play music, radio, or a sound layer?

Goal

Start music in Music or Spotify, listen to Nova Radio, or play sounds like rain.

Before you start

• For music: the Music app or Spotify on this Mac.
• AI access is set up. “Radio on” and “Radio off” work without it.
• For the Radio & sounds page, the Expert view. See How do I switch between Simple and Expert?

Steps

1. Music: tell the avatar a title, an album, a playlist, or a mood. Nova starts playback in Music. Nova only uses Spotify when you say Spotify.
2. Ask “What’s playing?” and Nova names the title and artist from Music or Spotify. Nova does not start an app for that.
3. Radio: “Radio on” starts Nova Radio with SomaFM stations. Name a station, for example Jazz or Lo-Fi. “Next station” switches, “Radio off” stops.
4. Set the stations under Settings, Radio & sounds, tab Stations. Under Source, pick SomaFM or YouTube. The card Build a SomaFM station list adds or removes stations. Restore default stations resets the list.
5. Sound layer: “Play rain and fireplace” starts Nova Sounds. These are loops and noise that ship in the app. They play without internet and next to the radio.
6. Tab Sounds, card Atmosphere: a click turns a layer on or off. Up to 4 play at once. The fifth click replaces the oldest.
7. Radio volume is in the tab Volume. Sound volume is in the tab Sounds, card Volume.
8. Radio and Sounds are also entries in the menu bar menu. They are off by default. Turn them on under Startup & windows, tab Menu bar menu.

Example

“Play something calm.” — “Radio on, jazz.” — “Play rain and fireplace.”

Common problems

• If a title is not in your library, Nova looks it up in the Apple Music catalog. If Music then does not start, tap play once in Music. After that Nova controls pause and resume.
• Volume zero is silent. The Mac’s system volume applies on top.
• While Nova listens, thinks, or speaks, it dims the sounds to a quarter.
• The radio needs internet. The sounds also play offline.
• Sound to AirPods or a speaker: name the device too. Nova then switches the Mac’s sound output first and starts playback after that.