Met Opera on Demand iPad/iPhone App FAQs
Updated September 17, 2017
iPad/iPhone App
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What is the Met Opera on Demand iPad/iPhone app?
The iOS app is a customized Met Opera on Demand experience, designed specifically for and accessible only on Apple iOS devices.
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How much does the app cost?
The app itself is free to download from the App Store. However, a Met Opera on Demand subscription is required to access the app and its content.
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Is there a free trial for the app?
Anyone can sign up for a free 7-day trial of Met Opera on Demand on the Met website or in the iPad/iPhone app, and enjoy unlimited access on all available devices and platforms during the free trial.
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How can I test the speed of my Wifi connection?
There are a number of free and paid apps available in the App Store to test the speed of your Wifi connection. (The Speedtest.net Mobile Speed Test app is one example. Please note: This app is not monitored or maintained by the Met. We do not guarantee the accuracy or completeness of any information contained in or delivered by this app.)
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Can I watch/listen offine?
Yes. A large number of titles in the Met Opera on Demand catalog are now available to watch or listen to offline in the iOS app. To watch/listen offline, select a title and, if available, tap the "Offline Access" icon jsut below the player. It will then be available to you under Offline Access in the app menu.
Performances added to Offline Access will be removed 48 hours after pressing play.
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Does the app support AirPlay?
Yes, AirPlay is fully supported and integrated in the Met Opera on Demand iOS app.
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Are subtitles available when viewing videos on my TV with Apple TV via AirPlay?
Yes, the Met Opera on Demand iOS app supports full subtitle functionality when AirPlay is in use, so that available multi-language subtitles will appear over the video on your TV. When you begin a video on your iPad/iPhone and then turn on AirPlay to watch on your TV, you will need to select your subtitle language from the drop-down menu on the iPad/iPhone. If the subtitles do not appear on your TV after you have selected an available language on the iPad/iPhone, you may need to turn AirPlay off and on again and try selecting a subtitle language again. Alternatively, you may also change the settings on your Apple TV so that your preferred subtitle language is always on when you activate AirPlay from the iPad/iPhone app. (Please note that if you do this, the subtitle language set on your Apple TV will only apply if that language is available for the specific Met Opera on Demand performance being played, and if the language is not available then it will default to displaying English subtitles. Also, if you adjust the settings on your Apple TV, this change will apply to other apps on your Apple TV and those on your iPad where you use AirPlay.) To set a default subtitle language on your Apple TV, go to Settings > Audio & Video > Subtitle Language and select from the list of available languages.
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How do I modify the appearance of the subtitles on my iPad/iPhone?
The default settings for the Met Opera on Demand iPad/iPhone app should display subtitles on your iPad/iPhone with a medium-sized, white Helvetica font without any background color (so that the text appears on your screen like subtitles and not like closed captioning.) However, users may modify the default appearance via their device settings menu at: Settings > General > Accessibility > Subtitles & Captioning > Style. If you simply want larger text for the subtitles, choose the “Large Text” style. You may also use the “Create New Style…” option to specify your own style with control over Font, Size, Color, Background Color and Opacity, and more. Please note that each individual setting within a custom Style has a “Video Override” option which must be disabled for your setting to replace the app’s default style settings.
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How do I modify the appearance of the subtitles on my Apple TV/AirPlay?
At this time, the app’s default style settings for subtitles will not apply on your TV when using Apple TV and AirPlay. In order to adjust your settings to match the iPad/iPhone app’s default style for subtitles, you can create a custom style. On your Apple TV, go to Settings > General > Accessibility > Subtitles & Captioning > Style > Edit Styles > Create New Style. To remove any visible box around and behind the subtitles as they appear on the TV, set the Background – Opacity to 0%. All of the other setting defaults on the Apple TV match what is set in the iPad/iPhone app, but you may also wish to adjust the size of the subtitles as they appear on the TV, etc. Below are each of the default settings in place for the iPad/iPhone app (again, most of which do match the default settings on Apple TV): Text – Font: Helvetica (iPad/iPhone app and Apple TV default) Text – Size: Medium (iPad/iPhone app and Apple TV default; users may prefer larger or smaller text) Text – Color: White (iPad/iPhone app and Apple TV default) Text Background – Color: Black (iPad/iPhone app and Apple TV default) Text Background – Opacity: 0% (this is the key setting to adjust for standard subtitle styling instead of closed captions styling) Advanced – Text Opacity: Opaque (iPad/iPhone app and Apple TV default) Advanced – Text Edge Style: Drop Shadow (iPad/iPhone app and Apple TV default)
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How can I use AirPlay when watching “Free Preview” clips in the app?
The full AirPlay functionality available in the Met Opera on Demand iOS app is only accessible after you have logged into the app as a subscriber or free 7-day trial user. The AirPlay icon will only appear automatically in the video player within the app when you are logged in. If you are not logged in to the app and are watching “Free Preview” content, you may turn on “Mirroring” via your device control panel (swipe up from the bottom of the screen), but this will not deliver the complete AirPlay experience built into the app. New users can sign-up for a free 7-day trial on the Met website, and then login to the app to unlock all of the AirPlay functionality.
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Does the app support Chromecast?
No, at this time the Chromecast feature is only available for Android devices.
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Why does the app keep playing even after I close out of it?
The Met Opera on Demand iOS app incorporates the “Multitasking” capabilities available in iOS to allow the audio content of an opera to continue playing “in the background” if you close out of the app (by pressing the “Home” button on the bottom of the iPad/iPhone or the “Sleep/Wake” button on the top of the device) or if your iPad/iPhone is set to “Auto-Lock” after a certain time. When the audio playback continues in the background, you can use other apps and then return to the Met Opera on Demand app to stop playback. If you do not wish for the playback to continue, simply press the pause button in the player before closing the app or go “Back” from the player page to one of the app’s main navigation screens to stop playback that way.
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How do I subscribe to the app?
A Met Opera on Demand subscription will allow you to access the service with the app and through our website. You can either subscribe in the app using In-App Purchase and paying through your iTunes account, or you can subscribe on the Met website.
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How do I cancel my iTunes/In-App Purchase subscription to Met Opera on Demand?
On your iPad/iPhone, you can access your iTunes Subscriptions through either the iTunes or App Store apps. Open either app, scroll to the bottom of the main screen and find a link to your Apple ID. Tap to open your Apple ID, select "View Apple ID", enter your iTunes password if necessary. Under "Account Settings", look for "Subscriptions" and open that section. Select Met Opera on Demand under Active Subscriptions, tap Cancel, and confirm. A direct link to manage your subscription should also be available in the original iTunes order confirmation sent by Apple when you first subscribed in the app.
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Can I rent individual operas to watch with the app?
No, at this time access to the app is limited to active Met Opera on Demand subscribers. While you can purchase one-time rentals for the Met Opera on Demand website, these purchases cannot be accessed with the iPad/iPhone app.
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Is the app available outside the US?
Yes, the Met Opera on Demand iPad/iPhone app is currently available in the following 41 countries outside the US: Albania, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Canada, China, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Egypt, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, India, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Russia, Slovakia, Slovenia, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, and United Kingdom.
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Are there any geographic restrictions for the operas in the app?
There are a small number of specific performances that are available on the Met Opera on Demand website but not through any of the apps. Please refer to our list of Limited Availability titles for more information.
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What is Met Opera on Demand: Now Playing?
Now Playing is a new 24-hour stream of extraordinary Met performances from the extensive Met Opera on Demand audio catalog, available exclusively on the website and in the Met Opera on Demand iOS and Android mobile apps.