Apple might be ready to agree to a truce with Spotify that would allow iOS users to control the rival music streaming service with Siri.
iPhone users have been unable to use Siri and Spotify together even though you can do it with Apple Music. Reports of the negotiations come as Apple is facing more intense scrutiny for anti-trust practices, with Spotify being one of the loudest dissenting voices.
Think about your music library for a second. Which of the songs in your library come from Apple Music? Which ones did you add to the library yourself? And which ones have you added to iTunes Match, but haven’t actually made it to your iCloud library yet?
These things are a little confusing. The beauty of Apple Music, and the iCloud Music Library, is that all of your music is there, in one place. But this simplicity also makes it hard to see what’s going on. Happily, iTunes is still more than up to the task, and can even split these songs into individual playlists. Let’s check it out.
This may seem like a frivolous how-to. But seeing as I couldn’t work out how to switch off shuffle Apple Music tracks on my iPhone in iOS 12, I think it’s worth a look — if only so dummies like me can look it up.
BTW, you can find the Apple Music repeat and shuffle controls in iOS 12 by swiping up on the Now Playing panel to reveal the buttons at the bottom, if you need to know.
So, let’s take a look at how Apple changed things in the iOS 13 Music app.
Apple Music for Android is getting a brand new dark mode and time-synced lyrics support.
The two new features, which are scheduled to debut on iOS this fall, are available to those testing the beta version of the Android app.
Music producers will bring sweeter sounds to the discriminating Apple Music user thanks to a new digital masters initiative for Apple’s burgeoning streaming service.
As Apple phases out iTunes with the launch of a new macOS, it will fold in all Mastered for iTunes tracks and high-definition Apple Music songs into one catalog.
Amazon is making on-demand music more affordable than ever for students.
Its brilliant new deal provides access to Music Unlimited for just $0.99 a month. Students enjoy exactly the same service as other Music Unlimited subscribers for a fraction of the cost.
AT&T is ready to sweeten the deal for some of its monthly subscribers by offering free Spotify premium as of its new entertainment perks.
The carrier revealed its new entertainment perks today that also gives customers the option to choose HBO, Cinemax, Showtime, Starz or Pandora as their free entertainment options. Even if you don’t have a qualifying wireless plan, you can still get some other Spotify perks.
Apple is continuing its low-key rebranding of Apple Music playlists. Its latest move is to change the name of its name of its “The A-List: Alternative” alternative music playlist.
This comes a couple weeks after Apple switched the name of the “A-List: Hip-Hop” playlist to “Rap Life.”
Move over Madonna. Apple is bringing in pop teen sensation Billie Eilish for the second session of its Remix Music lab.
Eilish, whose song “Bad Boy” has been tearing up the music charts all summer. Now you’ll be able to visit an Apple store to learn about her song “You Should See Me in a Crown” and learn how to remix it.
In its latest quarterly earnings, Spotify has revealed that it currently has 108 million paying subscribers. That’s approaching 2x the number who subscribe to Apple Music, which is around 60 million at present.
That’s an increase of 31% year-on-year, although it’s slightly below what the streaming music giant had been aiming for.
Apple unleashed its best-ever Q3 earnings report today, and traders subsequently sent the company’s stock soaring in after-hours trading.
Thanks to record-breaking revenue from its services business and strong growth from wearables, Apple is heading into its most important period of the year ready to cash in. Investors had plenty of questions for CEO Tim Cook and CFO Luca Maestri during today’s call. And the duo revealed some key tidbits we actually weren’t expecting.
Apple hit the road with some of the most popular bands touring the world for its latest round of ‘Shot on iPhone’ ads.
The new one minute spots offer an intimate look at what goes on backstage before Florence and the Machine, FKA Twigs and Kamasi Washington make their appearances at concerts in Colorado, New York and London. Each of the three ads were shot by a different director giving them a unique feel.
Watch all three right here:
Tool, the American rock band which was a staple of alternative music in the 1990s and early 2000s, is finally bringing its back catalog to streaming services.
The exact services the album will be available on haven’t been named. However, it seems incredibly likely that Apple Music — one of the most popular streaming services — will be among them.
The most yawn-inducing Apple earnings call of the year is just days away, and Wall Street is eagerly anticipating the results — though maybe for reasons you wouldn’t expect.
Apple CEO Tim Cook and CFO Luca Maestri are scheduled to hop on the phone with investors at 2 p.m. Pacific next Tuesday for Apple’s Q3 2019 earnings call. Even though Apple doesn’t reveal quarterly sales for iPhones anymore, there are a lot of metrics to look for that could clue us in on how well or poorly the company is performing lately.
Keep an ear out for these five things during Apple’s July 30 earnings call.
Right from the start, Apple Music offered a three-month trial to new users to try and get them to subscribe. In some cases, this even extended all the way up to a six-month free trial before users would have to pay a dime.
Apple may be shifting away from this strategy, though. A new banner ad on Apple’s website mentions a one-month tryout period for the streaming music service.
Apple Music is letting DJ Khaled take the reigns of its most popular playlists as the company’s first-ever Artist in Residence.
Khaled has already put his stamp on the music streaming service by revamping Apple Music’s popular Office DJ playlist. Some of the new songs added include songs from Drake, Snoop Dogg, Rick Ross, Jay-Z, Lauryn Hill and more.
Check out DJ Khaled’s funny Instagram post about the new gig:
The Wall Street Journal claims Apple is giving its own apps preferential treatment in the iOS App Store search results. During a wide-ranging test of basic app search terms like “maps”, WSJ discovered that some of Apple’s apps show up first in the rankings 60% of the time. For other terms, the rate was even higher.
We’ve already extolled our excitement over CarPlay changes coming in iOS 13. But now that the beta season is well underway, we’ve had the chance to go fully hands on.
After taking it on a road trip, using it while commuting, and exploring the new features, this is our hands-on look at CarPlay in iOS 13.
Apple Music has switched the names of one of its most popular playlists. “A-List: Hip-Hop” is now branded as “Rap Life,” and comes with a new show on Beats 1 radio.
The change was orchestrated by Ebro Darden, global editorial head of hip-hop and R&B at Apple Music. “Rap Life” will be promoted as a segment during Darden’s daily show on Beats 1. Apple is also launching a self-contained “Rap Life” show on Beats 1 every week.
Apple isn’t quite ready to pump the brakes on its celebrity singing TV show, Carpool Karaoke
The iPhone-maker has reportedly renewed Carpool Karaoke for a third season. Production on season three is already underway and we already know at least one group of TV stars that will be joining the show.
Spotify and Apple Music are facing increasingly tougher competition from Amazon when it comes to adding new paid subscribers to their services.
Amazon Music Unlimited was the fastest-growing music service over the last year according to new data that shows its subscriber base grew by 70%, even though it launched a year after Apple Music.
Apple is trying to woo new students gearing up for the school year with a new offer that gives them six free months of service before they have to pay a dime.
The offer popped up on Apple’s educational site just after the company revealed its back-to-school promotion of free Beats headphones with qualifying purchases.
It’s impossible to create smart Apple Music playlists directly on the iPhone. Or rather, it was impossible. Previously, you had to fire up iTunes on your Mac or PC, create a smart playlist there, and then let it sync to your iPhone over iCloud.
Even in iOS 13, this is still the case. But now there’s another way. A new iOS app called Miximum can create smart playlists, and even sync them to the regular Apple Music app. It is, as they say, a game-changer.
iOS 13 doesn’t just mean big improvements for your iPhone. Apple is making some pretty significant enhancements to CarPlay, too, including a brand-new dashboard and better apps.
Some of these great new CarPlay features are long overdue. Here’s everything you can expect from Apple’s in-car platform in iOS 13.
Spotify has updated its Spotify Stations app with support for CarPlay. The app is intended to provide a radio station-like experience, which customizes itself to your tastes.
With its latest update, you no longer need to use your iPhone to access the app. If you’re a CarPlay user, you can do it right from your dash.