Best 2023 Smartwatches for music controls

#1 Samsung Galaxy Watch 6
5.0

Music controls had positive evidence from one reviewer who found Spotify worked well on the watch.

Pros: voice assistant quality, music controls

Cons: blood oxygen tracking, cross-platform compatibility

#2 TicWatch Pro 5
4.6

Music controls received positive feedback for quick access from the watch face and media-control complication.

Pros: contactless payments, battery life

Cons: voice assistant quality, LTE connectivity

#3 Garmin Approach S70
4.5

Music controls are positively framed in limited evidence, with one reviewer calling music performance a strength.

Pros: recovery insights, GPS accuracy

Cons: software smoothness, fitness tracking accuracy

#4 Garmin Vivoactive 5
4.5

Music controls were praised as a highlight in the smartwatch feature set.

Pros: fitness tracking accuracy, wellness insights

Cons: software smoothness, ECG functionality

#5 Garmin Epix Pro (Gen 2)
4.2

Music controls received limited positive evidence, with one reviewer calling the music controls and player well integrated.

Pros: GPS accuracy, charging speed

Cons: ECG functionality, voice assistant quality

#6 Amazfit Bip 5
4.0

Music controls receive positive but limited evidence, mainly around play, pause, and skip controls from the wrist.

Pros: comfort, touchscreen responsiveness

Cons: calorie tracking usefulness, onboard music storage

#7 Garmin Venu 3
4.0

Music controls are functional, with playback controls for downloaded playlists covering the basics like pause, skip, and volume.

Pros: health tracking accuracy, software smoothness

Cons: LTE connectivity, mapping and navigation

#8 Garmin vivomove Trend
4.0

Music controls were useful in the one direct review because music could be controlled from the watch during workouts without leaving the workout screen.

Pros: activity auto-detection, build quality

Cons: blood oxygen tracking, Bluetooth connectivity

#9 Amazfit GTR Mini
3.8

Music controls were useful but basic, with one reviewer finding quick playback control handy and another describing limited controls.

Pros: pairing reliability, workout tracking variety

Cons: contactless payments, onboard music storage

#10 Xiaomi Redmi Watch 4
3.7

Music controls are useful for phone playback, though reviewers still describe them as basic rather than a full onboard music experience.

Pros: battery life, software smoothness

Cons: contactless payments, recovery insights

#11 Garmin fēnix 7X Pro
3.3

Music controls were mixed, ranging from good controls to complaints that Spotify/offline music feels less clean than Apple-style watches.

Pros: GPS accuracy, app ecosystem

Cons: ECG functionality, calorie tracking usefulness

#12 Garmin Forerunner 965
3.3

Music controls were adequate for basic use, but one reviewer noted playback issues when skipping or changing playlists.

Pros: water resistance, workout tracking variety

Cons: LTE connectivity, ECG functionality

#13 Withings ScanWatch 2
1.5

Reviewers repeatedly noted the lack of music controls as part of the watch’s limited smart feature set.

Pros: Bluetooth connectivity, pairing reliability

Cons: third-party app support, contactless payments

#14 Withings ScanWatch Light
1.5

Music controls are a notable omission for users accustomed to wrist-based Spotify or playback control.

Pros: comfort, build quality

Cons: call handling, contactless payments

#15 Casio G-Shock GBD-H2000
1.3

Music controls are weak or absent, with reviewers noting no music support or media-control capability.

Pros: brightness, charging convenience

Cons: ECG functionality, stress tracking