Since 2013, Microsoft’s Xbox One console has been a popular choice in the market. One aspect of the console that sets it apart is its compatibility with new technologies. It performs more like a home entertainment system than a video game console since it accommodates movies, apps, and other programs.

When playing a game or watching a movie with Xbox One, however, the sound quality is limited to the capabilities of your console setup. To achieve full surround sound, you need expensive, high-quality speakers or an approved headset. Alternatively, you can hook up your Bluetooth headphones to emulate the same 360-degree immersive soundscape for a fraction of that cost.

Xbox One supports some Bluetooth devices, including controllers, speakers, and headphones. When you’re zoned into a movie or game, it can be frustrating to get tangled in wires and cords, but wireless headphones circumvent that problem.

However, trying to set up Bluetooth headphones for your Xbox One creates a series of limitations. We’ll discuss two methods for hooking them up, frequently asked questions, Bluetooth audio alternatives, and more.

Xbox Headphone Limitations

While many technologies fully support Bluetooth integration, the Xbox One does not. Instead, Microsoft markets the Xbox Wireless Headset and Xbox Stereo Headset as personalized wireless headphones options for anyone using the console. These equips cost around seventy dollars apiece, which is a frustrating price to pay for wireless compatibility.

Thankfully, there is another option. While Xbox One does not support connecting devices via Bluetooth, you can still use your favorite Bluetooth-enabled headphones.

The console’s wireless controller comes with a 3.5mm headphone jack you can use to link almost any headset. It isn’t an entirely wire-free setup, but it is better than running a long cord from your television. With the right attachments, virtually any pair of Bluetooth headphones can receive movie or game audio via the jack on your controller.

Bluetooth-Enabled Headphone Workarounds

There are two ways to enjoy your preferred pair of Bluetooth headphones with Xbox One.

Keep in mind, however, that both of these methods work best for audio-only devices. Since you cannot use these methods to equip more than one device, you cannot have both headphones and a microphone equipped. For that functionality, invest in an Xbox-compatible headset.

Analog Method

The first solution is analog and not wire-free. All you need to do is hook up your headphones to the Xbox One controller’s audio jack manually. Depending on your Bluetooth device, you may need a dongle or an auxiliary cable. The jack is only 3.5mm, so you will need a jack converter for larger accessories.

This method keeps your headphones tapered to the controller, so be careful of yanking or using short cords. However, this is the most cost-effective solution, since you don’t need to invest in a special headset or external hardware for the device you like provided that you don’t need any converters.

While it isn’t true cordless Bluetooth functionality, the analog method still lets you take advantage of the sound quality of your headphones with minimal latency. Using your device like this will still drain the battery, so I recommend charging it in between uses so you aren’t kept waiting.

Transmitter Method

The other method is to purchase third-party hardware called a Bluetooth transmitter. This machine plugs into the headphone jack on the Xbox One controller. After setting it up, turning on the transmitter, and pairing your Bluetooth device, you can enjoy audio from your movie or game at a limited distance like normal.

The typical price for a reliable Bluetooth transmitter is about thirty dollars on Amazon and other retail sites, but it’s still a smaller expense than an Xbox-compatible headset. On the other hand, this method gives you the freedom of movement that Bluetooth devices typically have without worrying too much about tangling cords.

Transmitters come packaged with chargers and each device’s battery life lasts for about ten hours. An unfortunate downside of this method is that you must account for the status of two separate devices, both your headphones and the transmitter. Charge them both overnight or when you aren’t using them to simplify the process.

Frequently Asked Questions

Here are some common questions regarding Xbox One Bluetooth compatibility.

I hooked up a headset with a Bluetooth transmitter. Why can I only hear and not use the microphone?

A Bluetooth transmitter device opens one channel for an audio device via the controller’s headphone jack. A headset technically requires two channels: one for output and one for input. Since the transmitter connects to an input jack, the device will only recognize the audio components of your headset.

It’s unfortunate, but using an Xbox One-approved headset device is the only way to utilize both a microphone and headphones while playing.

I connected my headphones with a cable to the controller. Why do they keep beeping?

With the analog method, your headphones do not need to be in pairing mode. Bluetooth devices will occasionally beep to alert you that they have not yet paired. Your headphones may allow you to disable pairing mode and silence the beeping.

I bought a Bluetooth transmitter, but when I use it, the sound is spotty. Why does that happen?

Bluetooth technology transmits information in waves to other devices which act as receivers. Sometimes a cheap or faulty transmitter will send waves with gaps in between which causes the audio to lapse in and out occasionally. If you order a product that does this, consider returning it. Where available, look at warranty information before choosing a transmitter.

Unlike radio waves, Bluetooth products only pair in 1-to-1 connections, so outside interference is rarely a problem. Thus, spotty audio quality is most likely the fault of cheap technology.

Bluetooth Headphone Alternatives For Xbox One

The primary advantage of using Bluetooth technology is getting to experience full 360-degree sound without being trapped by tangling cords. Even though the Xbox One is not directly compatible with this tech, some alternatives accomplish the same result.

Surround Speakers For Your TV

A sound system that wires directly under your TV is an undisruptive solution with similar sound quality to Bluetooth headphones. Since the Xbox One is not a portable console and you do not need to move around much, stationary speakers are a great choice.

Invest In An Xbox One-Compatible Headset

The Xbox Wireless Headset and Xbox One Stereo Headset link to your controller cordlessly and offer a large range of sound as well as microphone capabilities. This is the best choice for playing cooperative or communicative games since Bluetooth tech will only allow one channel for audio.

Aside from the Microsoft brand headsets mentioned above, there are several third-party options. Arctis Prime Gaming, Razer, Turtle Beach, and Astro are some of the many brands that create compatible products.

The prices range from around $15 to $500 depending on the material, sound quality, and lifetime. You can view the entire list of Microsoft-endorsed headsets here.

Conclusion

While the process of hooking up Bluetooth headphones to an Xbox One isn’t straightforward, it is doable with the right technology. Doing so can help you escape high hardware costs at the expense of a little inconvenience.

If you don’t have money to spend on hardware and are out of options, consider other Bluetooth-compatible devices which might supply the game or movie in question. A PC, Smart TV, or mobile device may be a great second option worth trying.

Over the past couple of years, Discord has made its name as the best gaming chat service in the industry. Thanks to its amazing feature set and easy-to-use user interface, no other game chat service can come up to its level. One of the best features of Discord is that it can integrate with Discord bots that don’t just automate tasks but even execute actions that aren’t possible natively. My top favorite Discord bots are music bots that enable users to play music in the background as the entire community is chatting with one another.

Whether you are new to using Discord music bots, or are searching for new Discord music bots after Groovy and Rhythm got shut down, continue reading and check out our list of the top 7 Discord music bots that you can use in 2021.

Best Discord Music Bots

Here’s a list of the top Discord music bots that you can add to your server. All the bots listed here were still up and running at the time this article was written.

1. 24/7

24/7 by Deluxe is another amazing Discord music bot. It has plenty of features that can enhance your music listening experience on Discord. 24/7 can play music from several different sources such as SoundCloud, Bandcamp, and YouTube. Plus, it can even stream from literally any radio station around the world.

Again, you can make your own playlists, shuffle play songs, and add new songs to the queue.

Do keep in mind that a lot of the features 24/7 offers are exclusive to its Patreon contributors. Nevertheless, you can use its free version, too, as it’s totally usable and perfect for everyday Discord use.

2. BMO

BMO is a feature-filled Discord bot that offers multiple services. For instance, it supports image manipulations, utilities, games, and more. This discord music bot has over 300 different commands that you can use to control its features.

BMO is inspired by and named after a living video game console and of the characters in the Adventure Time Series. When it comes to the music features, BMO is fairly basic – you can simply search for songs, add them to a queue, or play them.

You can easily control BMO with the “./” command. However, you can even customize it according to your preference. Just use the “./help Music” to find out the other music commands.

Note that BMO is one of the few Discord music bots that’s DMCA protected. This means you can stay confident that it isn’t infringing any copyrights.

3. Octave

Developed by Aerheryx, Octave is a reliable Discord music bot that’s been in the market for over four years and plays high-quality music for more than 600,000 servers. The best thing about this music bot is that it’s totally free!

Octave has a simple user interface that’s quite easy to navigate. It provides support for all the regular features like search, pause/play control, along with a playlist. Octave is one of the few Discord music bots that support YouTube playback, plays music from SoundCloud and DiscordFM stations. In fact, you even get built-in Spotify support that allows you to use your Spotify playlists on your server and stream Spotify songs on a Discord server.

Simply use the “_help” command to find out more about Octave’s different commands and the “_play” command to search for a song.

4. Hydra

The Hydra music bot has both, a free and a premium version. The free version allows you to make playlists, create new queues, and find lyrics of the song that’s playing. In addition, it also enables you to shuffle and replay songs.

The cherry on top is that you get a set of admin-only commands. For instance, you can specify the users who control the bot, announce the song that’s currently playing, unban or ban users, and change the language.

The premium version offers all the features you get in the free version. Additionally, you get access to unlimited saved playlists, 24/7 playback, and audio effects. It even gives you a greater level of control over volume and autoplay.

Both, the free and premium, versions allow you to stream tracks from Bandcamp, SoundCloud, Spotify, Deezer, and more.

All in all, Hydra is an easy-to-use, high-quality music bot that’s quite popular in the Discord community. In fact, you can start using it as an alternative to Groovy right away – it’s definitely one of the best ones available!

5. Vexera

Vexera is another versatile and amazing Discord bot. It has both paid and free options. However, the free version should be sufficient if you only want a music bot.

Currently, there are more than 300,000 servers using the bot. It can perform admin commands, allocate roles, show cute pet pictures, and even send some funny memes.

Vexera uses YouTube as its music provider. Thus, you can get the most recent songs without any trouble. You can just search for the songs you wish to control –  play music queuing and playback with in-channel controls. Besides music, Vexera also offers amazing moderation tools and the ability to send greetings to new members.

To sum it up, Vexera offers a lag-free and seamless music playback experience that’s second to none.

6. MEE6

MEE6 is the most versatile Discord music bot that doesn’t just play music, but also offers several other features. It enables you to play fast and smooth, high-quality music while offering recreational and administrative features as well.

It even offers excellent auto-moderation to keep your server safe from toxicity, abusive language, and trolls by banning, kicking out, or auto-muting people according to your particular instructions.

Another great thing about MEE6 is that you don’t need to use any complex commands. Simply use the drag and drop to shuffle songs and click play, skip, and pause songs. It is just like using any other music player.

Other features of MEE6 include song seeking, volume boost, member voting for top songs, 24/7 playback, and more. It supports multiple music sources such as Twitch, YouTube, SoundCloud, and more. It is a capable music streaming bot that you should definitely try out.

Nevertheless, keep in mind that the music control interface isn’t free and is a part of a paid plan.

7. ProBot

ProBot is a lot more than a music bot for Discord servers. As a matter of fact, it is a fully-functional and powerful bot that can single-handedly take care of everything you wish to do on your Discord server.

ProBot enables you to stream high-quality music on your server. It uses YouTube to search for music and offers a handful of helpful commands to control playback. For instance, you can easily play, skip, queue up, or pause music for your server.

Last Few Words
These are our favorite picks for the top Discord music bots that are still working in 2021. All these bots are perfect for listening to music while gaming or chilling, particularly when used in conjunction with some of the best headsets for Discord. We genuinely hope that none of the above-mentioned bots meet the same fate as Groovy or Rhythm.