Apple Music - page 2

Today in Apple history: Ping social network fails to strike a chord

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Ping iTunes
Apple's music social network starts strong but fails fast.
Photo: Apple

September 1: Today in Apple history: Apple's Ping social network fails to strike a chord September 1, 2010: Apple’s new music-focused social network, Ping, ships as part of iTunes 10. Apple says the service will let users discover new music and more easily follow their favorite artists.

Ping racks up 1 million signups in the first 48 hours. Nevertheless, Apple’s social network is doomed from the start.

Find new music you’ll love with Apple Music’s Discovery Station

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Let’s Try Something… New?
New music — what a concept!
Image: Pedro Ribeiro Simões/Wikimedia Commons/D. Griffin Jones/Cult of Mac

You can find new music on the Apple Music Discovery Station, which gives you a tailored playlist to suggest new artists and jams you’ve never heard before but should like based on your personal musical tastes.

Personalized recommendations have long been a reason people cite for sticking with Spotify over Apple Music. Now, you can add the Discovery Station to my list of eight reasons you should make the switch. Apple Music offers personalized music picks, too, and the system works great.

I’ll show you where to find Apple Music’s Discovery Station and how to make the most of it.

Find out if Apple Music deleted one of your favorite songs

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Do you have banned music?
Find out of music in your library has been taken down by Apple.
Image: Public Domain/D. Griffin Jones/Cult of Mac

Here’s how you can find out if any songs in your library have been removed from Apple Music. Songs are taken off Apple Music all the time if there’s a problem with licensing or if a controversial artist has been broadly disgraced. Spotify was caught up in similar heat last year, losing Neil Young’s discography in a protest of the streaming service’s association with podcaster Joe Rogan.

Have any songs in your Apple Music library been deleted behind your back? There’s a way to find out if you have a Mac by building a smart playlist. I’ll show you how.

More big iPhone leaks, including one we really don’t like [The CultCast]

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Wor$t iPhone 15 rumor yet! With The CultCast logo, episode 605.
Not all iPhone rumors are created equal.
Image: Cult of Mac

This week on Cult of Mac’s podcast: Not all iPhone rumors prove exciting. In fact, a big one this week — possible iPhone 15 price hikes — sounds downright depressing. But it’s not all bad news. The “normie” iPhone 15 might get some trickle-down camera tech that could make it easier not to go Pro this year.

Also on The CultCast:

  • Think of all the interesting ways you could use an Action button like on Apple Watch Ultra’s on an iPhone. Well, the iPhone 15 Pro might get in on that action.
  • Apple’s Vision Pro loaners for developers come with some absolutely ridiculous restrictions.
  • We’ve got an Apple Watch tip that we bet you don’t know — how to get the time with a tap on your wrist. Perfect for those long, boring meetings when you don’t want to peek at your watch.
  • Hang around for the great Apple Music versus Spotify debate of 2023.

Listen to this week’s episode of The CultCast in the Podcasts app or your favorite podcast app. (Be sure to subscribe and leave us a review if you like it!) Or watch the video live stream, embedded below.

Spotify price increase means it’s no longer cheaper than Apple Music

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Spotify logo on iPhone
It just got more expensive to listen to music on Spotify.
Photo: Cult of Mac

The streaming music service Spotify just increased its prices across the board. The costs of most subscription options are now the same as the prices of its arch rival, Apple Music.

These increases are occurring in the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, Australia and many other countries around the globe.

8 reasons you should ditch Spotify for Apple Music

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Apple Music better than Spotify?
Could it be? Sure, I think so.
Image: D. Griffin Jones/Cult of Mac

Apple Music is in a distant second place to Spotify in paying subscribers, but in my opinion, Apple Music is the better service. It has more advanced features like live lyrics, karaoke, lossless and spatial audio.

And for music aficionados, you can upload your own ripped recordings and MP3s. You have full control over your music library. The Apple Music Classical app gives you a first-class experience learning and discovering classical music.

Here are the eight things keeping me on Apple Music — and why you should switch away from Spotify.

Today in Apple history: Beats 1 brings 24/7 radio to Apple Music

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Apple
Apple's free streaming radio station brought 24/7 music to the masses.
Photo: Apple

June 30: Today in Apple history: iPad surpasses 100,000 exclusive apps June 30, 2015: Apple launches 24/7 radio station Beats 1. Part of Apple Music, Beats 1 features top DJs ranging from former BBC presenter Zane Lowe to top musical artists like Lil Wayne.

Apple calls Beats 1 “the biggest radio station in the world” and says it beats (no pun intended) all other music stations when it comes to concurrent listeners. However, without hard figures to back that up, some call out Cupertino on this claim.

Apple Music Classical now playing on Android

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Apple Music Classical now playing on Android
Apple Music Classical isn't just for iPhone users any more,.
Photo: Apple

The Apple Music Classical application that debuted for iPhone in March is now available for Android, too. The service gives access to the world’s largest classical music catalog, and is designed to help users find specific recordings of great works almost instantly.

It requires a subscription to Apple Music.

Your next soft drink could uncap free Apple Music

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Bad Bunny joins Pepsi on offer to win free Apple Music and much more.
Bad Bunny joins Pepsi with offer to win free Apple Music subscriptions and much more.
Photo: Pepsi

Pepsi teamed up Wednesday with Apple Music and its 2022 Artist of the Year, Bad Bunny, to launch a summer ad campaign and giveaway.

Customers who buy Pepsi products in stores — Mountain Dew Major Melon, anyone? — may uncap a free Apple Music subscription or other prize, like Beats headphones. Or you can sign up to win without a purchase.

“Summer is the season of the year that we all get excited about, the one that brings the heat, when we seek the beach, friends, good music and just have a good time,” said Bad Bunny. “I’m happy to partner with Pepsi and Apple Music to bring fans more of what we love and unites us: MUSIC, through ‘Press Play On Summer’ offer.”

Today in Apple history: iTunes Music Store opens its doors

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The iTunes Music Store revolutionized the music industry.
The iTunes Music Store revolutionized the music industry.
Photo: Apple

April 28: Today in Apple history: iTunes Music Store launches April 28, 2003: Apple opens the iTunes Music Store, revolutionizing the music industry and digital distribution of content.

At a time when getting music online mostly means illegal downloads from pirate services like Napster, iTunes quickly proves that customers will pay for songs — provided the service is good enough.

Today in Apple history: Apple goes to war with The Beatles again

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Beatles
The Beatles' clash with Apple ran for almost 30 years.
Photo: Apple Corps

March 30: Today in Apple history: Apple goes to war with The Beatles again March 30, 2006: A court case begins that once again pits Apple Computer against Apple Corps, aka The Beatles’ record label and holding company.

The lawsuit caps a long-running legal battle between the two wealthy companies. It’s the final fight in an epic legal battle over music, technology and money.

Here’s your introduction to Apple Music Classical

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Class up the joint
An elegant streaming service for a more civilized age.
Image: Public domain/D. Griffin Jones/Cult of Mac

Apple Music Classical is a new app for iPhone specifically designed as a great experience for browsing and listening to instrumental music. Its catalog of 5 million tracks has been carefully curated and tagged by composer, work, movement, instrument, orchestra, artist and more.

Why does there need to be a separate app for classical music? Apple says it succinctly on its support page: classical music “has longer and more detailed titles, multiple artists for each work, and hundreds of recordings of well-known pieces.” This app “is designed to support the complex data structure of classical music.”

This is how to discover, find, add and listen to music in Apple Music Classical.

Apple Music Classical app steps onto the conductor’s podium

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Apple Music Classical
You can start listening to the Apple Music Classical app today.
Photo: Apple/Samuel Sianipar/Unsplash/Cult of Mac

The long-awaited Apple Music Classical application is now live in the App Store. It gives subscribers access to the world’s largest classical music catalog, and is designed to help users find specific recordings of great works almost instantly.

“Apple Music Classical is a dedicated app that is great for classical experts as well as anyone who is new to classical, with the largest classical music selection in the world, the very best search and browse capabilities, the most premium sound experience with Spatial Audio, and thousands of exclusive recordings,” said Oliver Schusser, Apple VP of Apple Music and Beats. “We believe this is the very best classical music streaming experience available anywhere, and for us, this is just the beginning.”

Boost desktop audio with the new all-in-one FiiO R7

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The FiiO R7 is designed to be the centerpiece of your desktop audio from all sources.
The FiiO R7 is designed to be the centerpiece of your desktop audio from all sources.
Photo: FiiO

If you want to get the most out of your desktop audio — the sound you get from your computer, other devices, speakers, headphones, wireless earbuds and more — an interesting new jack-of-all-trades tool arrived on the last day of February.

That’s when FiiO quietly launched its R7 high-resolution audio player, streamer and headphone amplifier. It packs a lot of functionality into a small package you might expect to cost more than it does.

Apple Music Classical finally makes its debut performance

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Apple Music Classical
Get ready for Bach, Beethoven and Brahms.
Photo: Apple/Samuel Sianipar/Unsplash/Cult of Mac

A preview of Apple Music Classical appeared Thursday on the App Store. When available, the app will offer access to the world’s largest classical music catalog, with more than 5 million tracks. It’s free for Apple Music subscribers.

Apple first promised a standalone classical music app back in 2021. It was supposed to launch in 2022, but is actually coming in late March.

LG software update brings Apple services to hundreds of smart TV brands

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Apple TV+ is just one of the features coming to more smart TVs.
Apple TV+ is just one of the features coming to more smart TVs.
Photo: Apple

Consumer electronics maker LG added Apple TV, Apple Music, AirPlay and HomeKit to its webOS Hub Tuesday, making Apple’s core services available to smart TVs from 200 brands that use the custom software.

The update starts rolling out Friday in more than 100 countries and regions. It could provide quite a boost to Apple globally as new users try the features.

Apple Music goes big on Rihanna ahead of Super Bowl performance

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Rihanna performs at the Apple Music Super Bowl LVII Halftime Show on Sunday, February 12, 2023.
Rihanna performs at the Apple Music Super Bowl LVII Halftime Show on Sunday, February 12, 2023.
Photo: Apple Music

Apple Music trotted out various ways Monday for fans to get into Rihanna ahead of her Super Bowl LVII Halftime Show in Glendale, Arizona, February 12.

These include a halftime-show press conference on February 9, her catalog in Spatial Audio on Apple Music, Apple Music Sing karaoke and Apple Music Radio commentary, the service said.

Apple Music and Apple TV apps launch for Windows 11

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Apple Music and Apple TV apps launch for Windows 11
Apple Music is ready to be downloaded from the Windows Store.
Screenshot: Apple/Microsoft

Windows 11 users can now download preview versions of the Apple Music and Apple TV applications.
In late 2022, Microsoft committed to getting them into the Windows Store this year.

And a new Apple Devices app is a significant move toward phasing out iTunes for Windows.

Apple’s classical music app misses its 2022 deadline

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Apple buys Primephonic: Apple Music's classical catalog will get a big boost from Primephonic.
Apple's dedicated classical music app is still waiting in the wings.
Photo: Samuel Sianipar/Unsplash

It’s 2023 and the standalone classical music app that Apple promised for 2022 is nowhere to be seen. It’s not clear whether it’s late or has been quietly killed off.

The company said its offering will include high-quality audio, expert recommendations and playlists, exclusive audio content, “extensive contextual details on repertoire and recordings” and other advanced features for classical music aficionados.

Use Apple Music Sing to throw your own karaoke party

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Now you can sing along!
Apple Music now has a karaoke feature for singing along.
Image: Ronyyz/Wikimedia Commons, D. Griffin Jones/Cult of Mac

Apple Music just added a great feature for people who love to sing along as they listen. Apple Music Sing lets you turn down the lyrics so you can karaoke to your favorite hits with just one tap.

In fact, I’m using it right now to listen to some of my favorite music without the lyrics distracting me from reading and writing. Let me show you how it works!

Karaoke with your favorite songs with new Apple Music Sing

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Karaoke with your favorite songs with new Apple Music Sing
Joining in with song gets a lot easier with Apple Music Sing.
Photo: Apple Music

Apple Music Sing gives you the real-time lyrics you need to sing along to your favorite tracks. The upcoming feature will show the words to songs so you can easily join in. It will even adjust the volume of the original singer so you take the lead.

It’s coming in December to Apple Music subscribers worldwide. The feature will work with millions of songs in the streaming service’s catalog, Apple said Tuesday.

Apple Music reveals chart toppers for 2022

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Apple Music noted its most popular song and artists of 2022.
Apple Music noted its most popular song and artists of 2022.
Photo: Apple Music

In addition to unveiling the redesigned Apple Music Replay 2022, Apple Music also revealed its year-end charts, showcasing the year’s top songs in various genres, most popular artists, most-common Shazam searches, most-read lyrics and more.

The streaming services noted a growing popularity of non-English-language songs and certain niche genres, plus several breakthrough artists.

Tesla sneaks Apple Music integration into museum exhibit

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Tesla's interface in the museum exhibit showed Apple Music integration.
Tesla's interface in the museum exhibit showed Apple Music integration.
Photo: aaronjcash@twitter.com

It looks like a software update might soon bring Apple Music to Tesla vehicles’ built-in systems at long last. And this modern possibility comes to us from, of all places, a museum exhibit.

Folks spotted Apple Music integrated with Tesla prototype vehicles on display at the Petersen Automotive Museum in Los Angeles, and the tweets followed.

Bad Bunny named Apple Music 2022 Artist of the Year

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Bad Bunny named Apple Music 2022 Artist of the Year
In celebration of his chart-topping album and his impact on global pop, Bad Bunny is Apple Music’s Artist of the Year for 2022.
Photo: Apple Music

Bad Bunny is Apple Music’s Artist of the Year for 2022. The award came because of “the musician’s artistic excellence and influence on global culture,” according to Apple.

After being released in May, Un Verano Sin Ti, the artist’s sixth project in four years, is Apple Music’s most streamed album of 2022 and now the biggest Latin album of all time.