HomeBlog › Pyro alternative

A Pyro Alternative for Apple Music Users

Updated August 2026 · 4 min read

Pyro lets your guests vote on the next song at a party, which is exactly the right idea. It is built on Spotify. If your music lives in Apple Music, that single fact decides the question for you — so here is what the alternative looks like.

The short answer

Pyro plays through Spotify and the host needs Spotify Premium. Jukebox plays through Apple Music and adds a free Apple TV app. Guests vote free in both, from any phone, with nothing to install.

Side by side

 PyroJukebox
Music serviceSpotifyApple Music
Host needsSpotify PremiumApple Music
Guests needNothingNothing
Apple TV appNoYes, free
Join by being nearbyNoYes — no code
Vote to skipNoYes
Time-synced lyricsNoYes
Party recapNoYes, shareable image
PriceFree app, Premium requiredFree to host and join

Why the Premium requirement is not Pyro's fault

Worth being fair about this. Any app that controls Spotify playback needs the host to hold Spotify Premium — it is Spotify's own rule, not a choice the app made. Festify has the same requirement. So does every other Spotify-based party jukebox.

The practical consequence is simply this: if you pay for Apple Music rather than Spotify, no Spotify-based app is usable, however good it is. That is the whole reason this comparison exists.

Where Pyro is the better pick

If your library and your subscription are Spotify, use Pyro. Jukebox will not play Spotify and there is no workaround — Spotify's access rules make that impractical for apps of this size. Pyro also works for guests on any phone, same as Jukebox.

Where Jukebox pulls ahead

Apple Music, natively

Your existing playlists, or your whole library, with no re-building anything in another service.

A real Apple TV app

Nothing else in this category has one. The TV shows now playing, the queue with live vote counts, synced lyrics and a join QR. The music keeps coming from the host's phone, so your speakers are never hijacked the way screen mirroring does it.

Joining without a code

QR and a 6-digit code work in both. Jukebox also lets nearby guests join with no code at all.

Skip voting and a recap

Guests can vote to move past the current song, not only queue the next one. And when the night ends everyone sees a recap of what played and whose picks won, shareable as an image.

Run the party on Apple Music

Free to host, free for guests. iPhone and Apple TV.

Download on theApp Store

Frequently asked questions

Is there a Pyro alternative for Apple Music?

Yes. Pyro is built on Spotify; Jukebox plays Apple Music, so it works with an Apple Music subscription and library.

Does the host need Spotify Premium for Pyro?

Yes. Spotify requires Premium to control playback from any third-party app. Guests do not need it.

Can Jukebox play Spotify?

No. Apple Music only. If your music is in Spotify, Pyro or Festify is the better fit.

Do guests need to install anything?

No, in either app. Guests vote from a web page on any phone.