What entertainment streaming is
Philips Hue has a special entertainment mode for fast, synchronized color changes. Instead of sending one command per light, an app opens an encrypted connection to the Hue Bridge and sends a stream of color frames for a group of lights called an entertainment area.
HueCommand uses that mode for sound. It listens through the microphone, measures how much energy is in five frequency bands, and turns each band into a color for one light. The result is a room where the bass, the vocals and the cymbals each light up a different lamp.
Entertainment streaming requires Pro. If you just want a room to pulse with music without setting anything up, the free music sync does that.
Five frequency bands, five lights
HueCommand splits the sound into these bands and gives each one its own color:
| Light | Band | Color |
|---|---|---|
| 1st | Bass, 20 to 250 Hz | Red-orange |
| 2nd | Low mids, 250 to 500 Hz | Amber |
| 3rd | Mids, 500 Hz to 2 kHz | Green-cyan |
| 4th | High mids, 2 to 4 kHz | Cyan-blue |
| 5th | Treble, 4 to 20 kHz | Blue-violet |
Only the first five lights in the entertainment area react. If your area has more, the extra lights are not driven by the stream. Each band has a minimum level, so the lights never go fully dark between beats.
While streaming, a live frequency visualizer in the app shows all five bands, so you can see what the lights are reacting to.
How fast it updates
HueCommand sends about 50 color frames a second. Hue's entertainment mode updates the lights themselves at up to 25 times a second, which is fast enough for beats to feel in time with the music.
The connection is a DTLS-encrypted link straight from your device to the bridge on your home network. It does not go through the Hue cloud.
What you need
- A Philips Hue Bridge and color lights on your home network.
- An entertainment area. You create these in the official Philips Hue app. HueCommand lists the areas on your bridge and streams to the one you pick.
- Being at home. Streaming needs your device on the same Wi-Fi as the bridge. It does not work through remote access.
- Microphone access. The app asks the first time.
- Pro. Entertainment streaming is part of HueCommand Pro.
Streaming is available in HueCommand on iPhone, iPad, Mac and Apple Vision Pro. It is not on Apple TV, which has no microphone.
How to start streaming
- Create an entertainment area in the official Philips Hue app, if you don't have one yet.
- Open HueCommand and go to the Effects tab.
- Tap Entertainment Streaming.
- Tap the entertainment area you want. Allow microphone access if asked.
- Play music in the room. Tap the area again to stop.
If it doesn't start
- "No Entertainment Areas": create one in the official Hue app, then reopen the screen.
- "Entertainment client key not found": the bridge needs to be paired again in HueCommand so it can issue the key used for the encrypted stream.
- Lights don't move much: move the device closer to the speaker. The analysis only hears what the microphone hears.
Frequently asked questions
Is Hue entertainment streaming free in HueCommand?
No. Entertainment streaming requires HueCommand Pro. The simpler music sync, which works on any room without an entertainment area, is free.
Does it sync my lights to the TV picture?
No. HueCommand's streaming reacts to sound picked up by the microphone. It does not capture or analyze what is on a screen.
Can I stream when I'm away from home?
No. The stream goes straight from your device to the Hue Bridge on your local network, so you need to be on the same Wi-Fi as the bridge.
How many lights react?
The first five lights in the entertainment area, one frequency band each. Additional lights in the area are not driven by the stream.
Do I need to create the entertainment area in HueCommand?
No, and you can't. Entertainment areas are created in the official Philips Hue app. HueCommand (listed on the App Store as Command for Philips Hue) shows the areas already on your bridge.