How to listen to music when the screen on your Roku TV is off

How does Fast TV Start work?

When Fast TV Start is enabled, your Roku TV system always maintains the connection with its built-in speakers or a Roku wireless audio device, even when the TV is in standby. This allows you to use the built-in speakers, a pair of Roku wireless speakers, or a Roku TV Wireless Soundbar at any time, regardless if the screen is off or on.

• Note: Fast TV Start uses significantly more power than normal standby and overrides default power settings.

How to enable Fast TV Start

You can enable Fast TV Start on your Roku TV at any time using the instructions below:

• Note: If you are connecting Roku wireless speakers or a Roku TV Wireless Soundbar to your Roku TV system, Fast TV Start is enabled during the guided setup process. For details, read the detailed article about setting up your wireless speakers or setting up your wireless soundbar.

Listen to music, live radio, or podcasts when the TV screen is off

When Fast TV Start is enabled, you can say a command to your Roku voice remote and begin listening to music, live radio, or a podcast while the screen on your Roku TV system remains off. For the best experience, Pandora and TuneIn require you to create an account and sign in to start listening to free or premium content. If you want to begin listening right away, iHeartRadio gives you access to free content without an account. You will need to create an account on iHeartRadio if you plan to subscribe to their premium services.

When you are ready, simply speak naturally to your Roku voice remote saying a command like, "listen to classical music on Pandora", "play Stuff You Should Know on iHeartRadio", or "play Today's Hits on TuneIn". After a moment, you will hear the audio content played from the built-in speakers in your TV, or your Roku audio device (if connected). For more details about voice control of your music, and where you can find audio content, read about how to listen to music with voice commands.

• Note: When a Roku audio device is connected, the speakers built in to your Roku TV system are automatically disabled.

While the TV screen remains off, you can control the volume with voice commands like "set volume to 50%", "mute", or "volume up", or control playback by saying something like "pause", "resume", or "next". You can even interact with streaming services using commands like "thumbs up/down", or "what song is this?".

For a more comprehensive list of examples, read more about what voice commands you can use with your TV.

Wake your TV with your Roku voice remote

When Fast TV Start is enabled, you can wake your Roku TV system using a voice command. Issue a voice command to your Roku voice remote by saying something like "power on" or "turn on" or do more with a voice command like "launch The Roku Channel" or "switch to Blu-ray player"".

For a more examples, learn about voice commands you can use with your Roku TV system.

Note: Fast TV Start is not required when using Amazon Alexa or Google Home voice commands.

Listen to Bluetooth audio when the TV screen is off

Whether the TV screen is off or on, you must have your compatible Roku device connected to your TV to use a Bluetooth device such as a smartphone, tablet, or computer. When your compatible Roku device is connected and Fast TV Start is enabled, you can begin listening to Bluetooth audio when the TV screen is off. To do this, connect your Bluetooth device and then issue a voice command like "launch the Bluetooth app" or "open Bluetooth". Next, start playing music, a podcast, or other audio from an app installed on your Bluetooth device. After a short moment, you will begin to hear the content play on your Roku audio device while the TV screen remains off.

If you do not hear sound on your Roku audio device, learn what to check to get Bluetooth audio from your smartphone, tablet, or computer.

How to turn off the TV screen when audio is already playing

When Fast TV Start is enabled on your Roku TV system and audio is already playing, you can turn the screen off by using your Roku remote or a voice command. After the TV screen turns off, the sound will continue through the built-in speakers in your TV or your Roku audio device (if connected).

To turn off the screen using your remote, press Star  and then scroll and select Turn off display.

When you want to turn the TV screen back on, press the OK button on your Roku remote or use a voice command like "turn on display" or "Hey Roku turn on display".

Why do notifications appear when the screen is off?

When Fast TV Start is enabled and the screen on your TV is off, notifications may appear as confirmation that your voice command is recognized and being performed. These notifications are intentional and there is no way to turn them off.