How to use Spotify on your Garmin smartwatch

Garmin has been beefing up its smartwatch lineup in recent years and a big part of that has to do with the addition of music services. Garmin devices are compatible with Amazon Music, Deezer, iHeartRadio, and everyone’s favorite, Spotify. If you want to get Spotify up and running on your Garmin smartwatch, we’ve got all the details.

Also read: The best Garmin watches — Fenix, Forerunner, and more

Step 1: Make sure you have a compatible Garmin smartwatch

This one seems obvious, but you’ll need a Garmin watch with music capabilities. There are actually only a handful of compatible devices, with the oldest dating back to 2018. The full list of music-compatible Garmins can be found below:

• Garmin D2 series
• Garmin Fenix 5 Plus series
• Garmin Fenix 6 series
  • Includes Garmin Fenix 6 Pro, 6S Pro, 6X Pro, 6 Pro Sapphire, 6S Pro Sapphire, 6X Pro Sapphire, and 6X Pro Solar
  • Does not include standard Garmin Fenix 6 or Fenix 6S
• Garmin Forerunner 245 Music (review)
• Garmin Forerunner 645 Music
• Garmin Forerunner 745
• Garmin Forerunner 945
• Garmin Legacy Saga Series
• Garmin Legacy Hero Series
• Garmin Venu (review)
• Garmin Venu Sq Music Edition (review)
• Garmin vivoactive 3 Music and Vivoactive 3 Music (Verizon)
• Garmin vivoactive 4 and 4S (review)

Once you have a compatible Garmin smartwatch, you’ll also want to make sure it’s connected to a Wi-Fi network. To connect your device to Wi-Fi, open Garmin Connect on your phone, select your device on the top of your screen, select General, then select Wi-Fi Networks. From here, you can input your Wi-Fi network name and password.

Step 2: Sign up for Spotify Premium

You’ll need a Spotify Premium account to access playlists on your Garmin device. If you’ve never tried Spotify, the streaming service offers a 30-day free trial for new users. Otherwise, it costs $9.99 a month for individual accounts. You can sign up here.

Step 3: Download the Spotify smartphone app

To connect your Spotify account to your Garmin device, you’ll need the Spotify smartphone app installed on your smartphone. Download it on the Google Play Store or iOS App Store.

Step 4: Download the Garmin Spotify app and connect your account

Next, you’ll need the Garmin Spotify app installed on your Garmin smartwatch. Download the Garmin Spotify app from the Connect IQ store here, or open the dedicated Connect IQ app on your phone and search for the Garmin Spotify app from the search box.

Once the app is installed on your device, you should see a message on your Garmin watch that reads “Music provider added! To access: Hold DOWN.” You can simply press the down button to dismiss the alert.

Go back to the Garmin Connect app on your phone, and you should see a prompt to log in to your Spotify account or sign up for the service. Tap the login button, input your username and password, and head back to your Garmin smartwatch to select which playlists you’d like to sync to the watch. If you don’t see a playlist that interests you, create a new one in Spotify on your smartphone, then sync it with your Garmin watch.

Step 5: Connect Bluetooth headphones to your Garmin watch

Before you can start listening, you’ll also need a pair of Bluetooth earbuds to connect to your Garmin watch. Be sure to check out our lists of the best workout earbuds, best true wireless workout earbuds, best earbuds for running, and best workout headphones if you’re in need of a pair.

That’s it for our Garmin Spotify tutorial. Did we miss something? Let us know in the comments.

Next: The best Garmin running watches you can buy