How to customize the settings for Music, TV, Shows and Podcasts on Apple TV

Learn how to customize the settings for TV, Music, Podcasts, and iTunes on your Apple TV for a personalized and comfortable media experience.

Apple TV Home Screen with Podcasts app highlighted

Just like on your iPhone, iPad, and Mac, your Apple TV lets you customize certain settings for the Music, TV, and Podcasts apps. Whether you want specific playback options, certain views on the main screen, or want to turn on or off syncing, you can do it on Apple TV.

If you’re ready to take a few minutes to use these apps exactly as you’d like, here’s how to customize the TV, Music, and Podcasts apps on Apple TV along with iTunes show settings.

Open your Apple TV app settings

To get started with making changes to any or all of these apps, you’ll need to open the Settings on your Apple TV and click Apps. So, do that and then follow the steps below for each app and its options.

Change TV settings

TV app settings on Apple TV

Select the TV app to change the following settings:

  • Use Play History: On or Off. This is used to provide you with recommendations based on what you watch.
  • Up Next Display: You can use this to decide what is shown in the Up Next tile after you finish watching the currently watching show or movie.
  • Top Shelf: For the Top Shelf in the TV app’s Home screen. Pick What to Watch for featured shows or Up Next for what’s next in your queue.
  • Games in Up Next: On or Off. Get game start and close notifications for those in your Up Next queue.
  • Show Sports Scores: On or Off. Get live sports scores in the TV app.
  • Exciting Games: On or Off. Get notifications for sporting events.
  • Autoplay Video Sound: Choose to enable or disable sound for videos that play automatically in the background inside the TV app.
  • Clear Search History and Clear Play History: You can remove what you have recently searched as well as get rid of what you recently watched.

Change Music settings

Music settings on Apple TV

Select the Music app to change the following settings:

  • Add Playlist Songs to Library: On or Off. Automatically add songs to your Library when you add them to a playlist.
  • Top Shelf: Choose what appears at the top of the Home Screen from the Music app or when the Music app is highlighted.
  • Dolby Atmos: Choose to set it to automatic or turn it off.
  • Audio Quality: Set your Apple TV to stream Apple Music in High Quality or even higher Lossless quality.
  • Sound Check: On or Off. Have all songs played at the same volume automatically.
  • Use Listening History: Choose whether you want your Apple Music experience to be affected by the music you listen to on your Apple TV.

Change Podcasts settings

Podcasts settings on Apple TV

Select the Podcasts app to change the following settings:

  • Background App Refresh: On or Off. Refresh the app when running in the background.
  • Sync Podcasts: On or Off. Sync your podcasts with your other devices.
  • Continuous Playback: On or Off. Have the next episode in your Up Next queue automatically play.
  • Remove Played Episodes: On or Off. Automatically delete episodes you listen to.
  • Custom Colors: On or Off. For accessibility, you can use custom colors based on the podcast’s artwork.
  • Refresh Every: 1 hour, 6 hours, Day, Week, or Manually. Choose how often to refresh the podcasts.

Change iTunes Movies and TV Shows settings

iTunes Movies and TV shows settings on Apple TV

Select iTunes Movies and TV Shows to change the following settings:

  • Video Quality: Choose the Best Available for the best quality; Better to watch shows and movies in high definition (HD); or Good to watch them in standard definition (SD) and use the least data.
  • Quick Start: On or Off. Have videos instantly play in the best resolution or pick Off if you have a slow internet connection.
  • Limit Purchases and Rentals to SD: On or Off. Get videos in standard definition (SD) if you have slow internet or want to use less data.
  • Sort Movies in Wish List: By Date or Alphabetically. Choose how to show recently added Movies first.
  • Sort TV Shows in Favorites: By Date or Alphabetically. Choose how to show recent TV Show episodes first.

Useful Apple TV tips: