Apple Music launched and iOS 8.4 update released by Apple
Even as the iOS 9 is entering being tested by developers, Apple has pushed two important features for iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch.
With the launch of Apple Music today, Apple has finally stepped into the streaming music game world. The new service is ready for use as a built-in part of its iOS 8.4 Music app for iPhone and iPad devices, and presents a huge list of items of on-demand tracks for streaming playback for just $9.99 per month, or $14.99 for a family plan which let’s sharing with up to six users. From the day you sign up, the service is free for three months. In other words, you get time to think if you want to continue with the plan.
Apple Music was first revealed at Apple’s Worldwide Developers Conference earlier this month. The service merges on-demand streaming with playlists produced by human curators, radio stations that includes the Beats 1 24-hour live station hosted and programmed by real DJs and artists, and additional features like amalgamation of your iTunes Match content and own library.
To name just a few, the subscription service goes up against existing offerings like Spotify, Rdio and Google Play Music, and even Beats Music (temporarily, before Apple shutters that after a transition period to get Beats users on the new offering). In terms of being early to the scene, these have advantages and some like Spotify present a totally free tier (Google also just introduced one) that makes use of ads to add streaming, which means that the users would not have to pay a cent to access tracks.
Apple has some important benefits, however; it has 1989 by Taylor Swift, which no other streaming service can brag about. Though it may look insignificant, it’s a symbolic victory that exhibits Apple with goodwill gestures like this may be able to attract more independent artists. Further, its Connect feature is essentially a social network for artists that lets them to directly post content to fans in a feed-style interface amalgamated into the Apple Music app. This will include exclusive content like recordings and videos.
Beats 1 is also different, as no one else can host a 24 hour human-run radio station filled with star power on their service. The non-subscribers can also avail of this service; however, this could have a surround effect to attract people into the subscription offering, too. In the end, Apple intends to draw music lovers with curated playlists continuously edited by experts in various genres, which means that you will have tastemakers giving up-to-the-minute suggestions on a regular basis.
To get Apple Music, you need to go to your Settings app on your iOS device, then go to General > Software Update. An update for the iTunes desktop app that adds the service is also expected today; however, later this year, there is also an Android app planned for release. You need to just keep trying, if you are unable to get your hands on the update right away. Given the demand on huge launches like these, Apple could sometimes suffer server-side delays.
