Rumors of a redesign coming to the iOS Music app have been floating around the rumor mill ever since Apple acquired Beats last year, and today we got our first preview of the future of music.
iOS 8.4 gives developers a look at the redesigned Music app that’s aimed at making it easier, faster, and more fun to listen to music than ever before. Apple has left out the long-rumored streaming-music component of the app, but the redesign is full of other noteworthy features.
Here’s a quick GIF tour of all the new changes:
Global Search
You can now search from anywhere in the Music app — just tap the magnifying glass. Search results are divided between ‘My Music’ and ‘Radio’. You can start an iTunes Radio station right from Search. And instead of typing in the same artists name over and over, you can view your search history.
Streamlined iTunes Radio
Discovering music with iTunes Radio is easier than ever. You can now quickly return to your favorite stations in Recently Played. Choose from a selection of hand-curated stations in Featured Stations, or start a new one from your favorite artist or song. There’s also new radio buttons on the home page so you can start listening to music immediately.
New MiniPlayer
The new MiniPlayer is one of the best new additions to Music, giving you access to see what’s playing and control playblack while still browsing your collection. You can now navigate to the ‘Now Playing’ screen by tapping the MiniPlayer.
Recently Added section
Albums and playlists you’ve recently added are now at the top of your library, making it effortless to find something new to play. Simply tap play on the artwork to listen.
Up Next
It’s now simple to find out which songs from your library will play next — just tap the Up Next icon in Now Playing. You can even reorder, add, or skip songs whenever you like.