Audio sync problem with multiple HomePod after update to IOS18

Hi,

I also have the same problem here. Now some automations with music also are buggy, the song will skip after 10 seconds in a loop. They also started making weird popping noises and screeching sounds… all of this after the update that caused the out of sync music. I hope they fix that nonsense soon

After the MacOS Sequoia upgrade, the Apple Music app I use to sync with my Homepod Mini broke the speakers of my MBP 13’ M2 computer. There are crackling and popping sounds in some parts of every song.

I’ve done all the suggestions on here and the problem persists. Today I had them starting to play a song 15/20 seconds in, then stopping and starting the same song again from the beginning. Not had that for a while. Then a bit later I had them completely out of sync and even the lyrics on my phone weren’t in sync. I stopped everything and restarted but then only one speaker played. Everything is updated. I use Apple Music. Don’t know what else to do. I restart them, unpair, re pair, reset, play music directly using Siri, stream from my phone etc etc. Doesn’t matter what I do they won’t work as they should

Interesting. I've been using Apple Music directly, so that volume and speakers can be controlled by different devices in my home (three people, one of whom is very sound sensitive). I just set up different automations, disabled them, and use Test this automation to play that particular playlist. If I play from my desktop, that is the only device I can use to change volume, or add/remove speakers. Same with playing through Music on my iPhone.

Okay, it just started happening again. Without any improvement in the syncing issues. So now I have to frequently re-sync and deal with the abrupt song ending/starting partway into next song.

I tried restarting every HomePod and mini, but no help. No updates, and no changes to my system. Why is this happening again?

It didn’t last for me. I’ve now separated mine and put one in a different room as I couldn’t stand the ‘stereo’ going repeatedly out of sync. The one down here keeps stopping playing and I have to press play on my phone. Sometime sit starts up, sometimes it doesn’t. If I’d not spent almost £200 I’d get rid and get Alexa. Apparently they work ok. I suppose I could keep my HomePod as a HomePod and buy different non Apple speakers.

It’s not your router. It’s Apple issues. Apple issues that they seem unable to resolve…

I have the same problem. I have 4 large HomePods (gen 1) and three small ones (2 gen 1 and 2 gen 2) scattered throughout the house. Only the older, small HomePods go out of sync. It is very annoying since I like to throw parties and constantly having to stop and start the music to fix the issue is not feasible or pleasant.

Have the sync issues been resolved with 18.4? I dropped my Apple Music subscription when it became unusable with the sync issues, and have been playing from the OSX Music app. Which was still having problems with the false starts, but at least music wasn't going out of sync. I'm a day and a half into 18.4, and have yet to have a false start! Once people have reported that the sync issues have been fixed, I'll start my subscription again. It would be nice to be able to control volume and which speakers are playing from any family iPhone or iPad. And maybe that option will be available with my Mac, also.

18.4 update. I gave up on an Apple Music subscription because of the sync issues, and went back to playing from the Music app on my Mac. I still had the false start issues, but not sync. I was hoping that 18.4 would fix those and I could go back to the subscription. I do miss being able to control volume and add/remove speakers from any device.

The false starts ended with 18.4, but now I'm getting sync issues. Still playing from my Mac. How's it going for those playing their own music through an Apple Music subscription?

False starts still gone. The sync issues appear to have been related to when the HomePods that were connected to the bedroom Apple TV (gen2) were added to the mix. The living room stereo HomePods went out of sync then. That might or might not have been because the Apple TV had not updated yet, but we rarely use that one, so I haven't reconnected them.

Is anyone able to confirm that Apple Music works without having to be resynced every few songs?

Mine have both been disabled, and not enabled after I decided to give the Apple Music subscription another chance, and I'm still having lots of sync issues. Sometimes I can play for hours before I have to pause and sync. Other times, I have to do it every other song. But at least the false starts seem to be gone.

Thank you.

Where would I find this with a Verizon FIOS router? (Yes, I am looking into a new router that is more configurable)

The only thing I can find under any of the HomePods and Minis is Phy Rate / Modulation Rate

72 Mbps. Nothing about TxRate in the manual, and an internet search didn't turn up anything other than upload and download speeds.

There does not seem to be any way to keep them in the 5GHz bands, but even when all the devices are connected there they still go out of sync. For example, while I was typing this, the stereo pair closest to me, and about 8' from the router, just went badly out of sync, with one several seconds behind the other. Usually the stereo pairs stay in sync, while the ones in other rooms are ahead or behind. This is a 100,000 square foot house, so range is rarely an issue.

The only way to force them to stay on 5GHz is to give the bands different names. I have a few devices that only run on 2.5GHz, and are a massive PITA to configure, so I'd rather not do that.

Same here after iOS18 and HomePod OS18. Located in Austria/Europe! And sometimes a crack in one of the speakers. Four HomePods 1st gen in use.

Same, I basically have to just use a single HomePod gen 2 in my living room. I tried combo of different HomePods and soon as use 2 it goes out of sync.

Same here, more than one homepod crashes after 1-2 songs