iOS 16.2, which was released to the public in December, appears to have once again broken gapless playback for iPhone and iPad users. According to complaints from a number of users on Appleâs support forums and Reddit, gapless playback with the Music app has been broken since iOS 16.2 was released.
iOS 16.2 and gapless playback
Gapless playback, for those unfamiliar, is when one song seamlessly transitions into the next without a break. This is particularly notable on albums created with gapless playback in mind, such as the second half of Abbey Road by The Beatles or musical soundtracks such as Hamilton, as well as live concert recordings.
One thing to note is that gapless playback is different than crossfade, which allows a song to fade in (gradually increase its volume) while the previous song is fading out. Gapless playback has been supported by Apple across all of its platforms for years, while crossfade is still not supported by Apple Music on iPhone.
In iOS 16.2, however, it seems like gapless playback is completely broken for many iPhone and iPad users. This means that thereâs a multi-second gap between songs, even when the album was meant to be listened to without gaps. One user on Appleâs support forums says:
Is anyone else having issues with gapless playback on iOS 16.2? (I have an iPhone 14 Pro Max, if thatâs relevant.)
Every couple of songs in a gapless album, Iâll get a moment of silence between tracks thatâs really annoying when the songs are supposed to flow smoothly into each other.
Another user:
I canât believe that weâre ending 2022 and Apple still havenât provided a robust gapless playback to Apple Music. One iOS update will fix the bug and then another one comes along and breaks it again. It makes for such an annoying and unenjoyable listening experience. Given how much we pay in subscriptions, youâd hope that Apple developers could have found a solid fix by now and given it the attention it deserves.
The issues also seem to extend to the HomePod:
Yes I have this too. I use the HomePod for endless white noise for sleeping and itâs so annoying that every few minutes it stops for like a second or two. I thought it might have had something to do with the new HomeKit Architecture upgrade but maybe itâs just an iOS/HomePod 16.2 issue.
A number of complaints have also emerged in multiple threads on Reddit, where users lament Appleâs inability to reliability support gapless playback on iPhone and iPad. The feature is also still borked for most users in the latest betas of iOS 16.3 and iPadOS 16.3.
If this all sounds familiar, itâs because something eerlily similar happened with the release of iOS 15.4 last year.
Between (repeated) bugs like this and the lack of crossfade, you have to wonder if there are some serious underlying audio engine issues affecting Apple Music on iPhone and iPad. We donât really know how much of the Apple Music architecture on iPhone is based on the legacy foundation from the iTunes days.
Apple Music has gotten dramatically better since its initial release in 2015, but thereâs still more that needs to be done. In 2023, there are two long overdue features that I hope Apple adds to Apple MusicâŚboth of which are already offered by Spotify.
Crossfade for Apple Music on iPhone and iPad
One of the glaring omissions from Apple Music on the iPhone and iPad is crossfade support. This is a feature that has been offered for years, even dating back to the days of the iPod. For some odd reason, however, crossfade hasnât yet made its way to the Apple Music experience on the iPhone.
Crossfade, for those unfamiliar, is a feature that allows a song to fade in (gradually increase its volume) while the previous song is fading out. This prevents gaps of silence between songs. In general, apps allow you to adjust how long songs will crossfade for as well. For instance, on the Mac you can set crossfade to anywhere between one second and 12 seconds.
Making the omission even more bizarre is that crossfade for Apple Music is available on the Mac and Android devices. Why hasnât Apple expanded this feature to the iPhone and iPad? Who knows. I just hope itâs something that finally gets addressed in 2023.
A Spotify Connect-style feature
Spotify Connect is a feature that Spotify has offered for years that lets you use one device to remotely control listening on another. For instance, you can be listening on your Mac and use your iPhone to control playback.
Apple Music offers similar features for HomePod playback, but thereâs currently no support for a feature like this on other devices. In an ideal world, youâd be able to control Apple Music on all devices, regardless of where the playback is actually happening.
For instance, Iâm imagining a world where you can have Apple Music playing on your Mac, and you could control that playback from your Apple Watch or iPhone. Currently, this isnât possible. If youâre listening on your Mac, the only way to control that playback is from your Mac.
The groundwork for a feature like this seems to already exist with Appleâs Handoff and AirPlay technologies. Unfortunately, we just havenât seen this expand to more of the Apple Music experience.
Whatâs on your Apple Music wishlist?
There are a number of other ways the Apple Music experience needs to improve. Most notably, this includes significant upgrades to the performance, reliability, and navigation of the Music app across all of Appleâs platforms.
Apple Music Sing will allow fans to sing along to their favorite songs and will be available to subscribers worldwide later this month.
Apple Music expands its world-class lyrics experience with a new feature for fans to easily sing along to tens of millions of songs. Apple announced Apple Music Sing, an exciting new feature that allows users to sing along to their favorite songs with adjustable vocals1 and real-time lyrics. Apple Music Sing offers multiple lyric views to help fans take the lead, perform duets, sing backup, and more â all integrated within Apple Musicâs unparalleled lyrics experience. Coupled with an ever-expanding catalog that features tens of millions of the worldâs most singable songs, Apple Music Sing makes it fun and easy for anyone to participate, however and wherever they choose.
Apple Music Sing will be available later this month to Apple Music subscribers worldwide, and can be enjoyed on iPhone, iPad, and the new Apple TV 4K.
âApple Musicâs lyrics experience is consistently one of the most popular features on our service,â
said Oliver Schusser, Appleâs vice president of Apple Music and Beats. âWe already know our users all over the world love to follow along to their favorite songs, so we wanted to evolve this offering even further to enable even more engagement around music through singing. Itâs really a lot of fun, our customers are going to love it.â
With adjustable vocals and real-time lyrics, Apple Music Sing gives fans more control and even more precise timing while they sing along to their favorite tunes.
Apple Music Sing includes:
Adjustable vocals:Â Users now have control over a songâs vocal levels. They can sing with the original artist vocals, take the lead, or mix it up on millions of songs in the Apple Music catalog.
Real-time lyrics:Â Users can sing along to their favorite songs with animated lyrics that dance to the rhythm of the vocals.
Background vocals:Â Vocal lines sung simultaneously can animate independently from the main vocals to make it easier for users to follow.
Duet view:Â Multiple vocalists show on opposite sides of the screen to make duets or multi-singer tracks easy to sing along to.
Apple Music will also be launching a suite of more than 50 dedicated companion playlists featuring all of the epic songs, duets, choruses, and anthems that have been compelling people all around the world to sing â fully optimized for the Apple Music Sing experience.
Availability
Apple Music Sing will be available later this month for Apple Music subscribers worldwide.2
Apple Music Sing will be available on all compatible iPhone and iPad models as well as the new Apple TV 4K.
Apple Podcasts Subscriptions and channels are available for listeners starting today.
Thousands of Apple Podcasts Subscriptions and channels from the worldâs best audio creators, including the Los Angeles Times, Luminary, NPR, Pushkin Industries, and QCODE, are available today, with more launching every week
Apple announced last Jue 15,2021 Apple Podcasts Subscriptions, the global marketplace for premium podcast subscriptions, is now available. Starting today, listeners in more than 170 countries and regions1 can purchase subscriptions for individual shows and groups of shows through channels, making it easy to support their favorite creators, enjoy new content, and unlock additional benefits such as ad-free listening and early access, directly on Apple Podcasts.
Listeners can discover thousands of subscriptions and channels featuring brand new shows that span many genres and formats, including news, comedy, sports, and true crime, offering listeners premium experiences that help them stay informed, entertained, connected, and inspired. These include subscriptions to shows from essential independent voices like âBirthfulâ with Adriana Lozada, âPantsuit Politicsâ with Beth Silvers and Sarah Stewart Holland, âSnap Judgmentâ with Glynn Washington, and âYou Had Me At Blackâ with Martina Abrams Ilunga; premier studios such as Lemonada Media, Luminary, Realm, and Wondery; and leading media and entertainment brands, including CNN, NPR, The Washington Post, and Sony Music Entertainment.
With Apple Podcasts Subscriptions, listeners can experience never-before-heard stories on Luminaryâs âThe Midnight Miracleâ with Talib Kweli, Yasiin Bey, and Dave Chappelle, and Pushkin Industriesâ âRevisionist Historyâ with Malcolm Gladwell; the next chapters of QCODEâs apocalyptic thriller âBlackout,â starring Rami Malek and Aja Naomi King, and Realmâs âOrphan Black,â featuring Tatiana Maslany; the unrivaled chemistry and insightful commentary driving CNNâs âThe Handoff,â and Politicoâs âPlaybook: Deep Diveâ; and many more.
âListeners canât get enough of their favorite podcasts and want a simple way to support the extraordinary creators who make them possible,â said Oliver Schusser, Appleâs vice president of Apple Music and Beats. âNow, listeners can enjoy new content and additional benefits for thousands of new and popular podcasts, alongside millions of free shows, with more arriving every week. Apple Podcasts Subscriptions will help creators grow their businesses and continue to make podcasting an important source of information, entertainment, connection, and inspiration for hundreds of millions of listeners around the world.â
Discover Subscriptions and Channels
When listeners purchase a subscription to a show, they automatically follow the show and the page is updated with a Subscriber Edition label so they know they have access to the premium experience. Listeners can discover channels for their favorite podcasts from each show page and through Search, explore recommendations from the Listen Now and Browse tabs, and share channels using Messages, Mail, and other apps. As listeners subscribe to channels, the Listen Now tab expands with new rows that provide easy access to all of the content included in the channel and with their subscription. Listeners who subscribe to two or more channels will see a My Channels row in the Listen Now tab, where they can browse and follow all of the shows offered.
Subscribers automatically receive new episodes with the benefits included in their subscription.
Channels make it easy to discover shows and subscriptions.
Discover recommendations for channels in Listen Now and Browse.
Listeners can access channels with active subscriptions under My Channels in Listen Now.
New Shows and Seasons, Available with Apple Podcasts Subscriptions
Listeners can hear new and original shows, and get early access to new seasons of critically acclaimed and fan-favorite series, all ad-free, including:
âChameleon: High Rollersâ with Trevor Aaronson, from Campside Media:
Last year, Josh Dean and Vanessa Grigoriadis told listeners the remarkable true story of the Hollywood Con Queen scam. This summer, the critically acclaimed series returns with a new story about a doomed FBI sting operation in Las Vegas. Trevor Aaronson investigates what happened and how it all went off the rails. Subscribers enjoy new episodes first starting today, plus exclusive bonus episodes throughout the season.
âThe Handoffâ with Don Lemon and Chris Cuomo from CNN:
The love viewers witness between Don Lemon and Chris Cuomo in the handoff between their evening broadcasts is real. Now, Lemon and Cuomo are stepping out from behind the anchor desk for a weekly conversation where nothing is off limits. âThe Handoffâ is available today exclusively to subscribers on Apple Podcasts.
âThe Midnight Miracleâ with Talib Kweli, Yasiin Bey, and Dave Chappelle, from Luminary:Â
A groundbreaking original series that uniquely blends the salon and variety shows formats, recorded during Chappelleâs legendary 2020 Summer Camp in Ohio. âThe Midnight Miracleâ is available exclusively to Luminary subscribers today.
âRevisionist Historyâ with Malcolm Gladwell, part of PushNik from Pushkin Industries:
Bestselling author Malcolm Gladwellâs journey through the overlooked and the misunderstood moments in history continues. In this new season, Gladwell races autonomous vehicles, rewrites one of Americaâs most beloved fairy tales, falls in love with a small college in New Orleans, and dives into dirty laundry.
âTo Live and Die in LAâ with Neil Strauss, from Tenderfoot TV:
After revealing the truth about the tragic death of an aspiring Hollywood actress, the award-winning series returns to uncover the baffling, tragic, and mysterious disappearance of Elaine Park. Neil Strauss investigates â along with his wife, neighbors, Incubus guitarist Mike Einziger, and concert violinist Ann Marie Simpson â to advance the investigation and provide closure for her loved ones. TenderfootPlus+ subscribers will gain early and exclusive access to upcoming bonus episodes.
New Subscriptions and Channels from Premier Studios
Lemonada Media: Sort through the messiness of life and get inspired by high-quality shows with all-star hosts focused on important causes. Subscribers to Lemonada Premium join an incredible community, support meaningful, world-shaping content from a women-run network, gain early access to new series, and unlock bonus episodes from leading shows.
Radiotopia from PRX: Home to podcasts from extraordinary, independent creators, including âEar Hustle,â with Earlonne Woods, Nigel Poor, and Rahsaan Thomas, âCriminalâ with Phoebe Judge, âSong Exploderâ with Hrishikesh Hirway, âThe Stoopâ with Hana Baba and Leila Day, âPassenger Listâ starring Kelly Marie Tran, and more. Subscribers to Radiotopia Uninterrupted support the work they do and gain access to ad-free listening across the award-winning network.
Pushkin Industries: Listen to revelatory shows from world-class writers and thinkers, including âA Slight Change of Plansâ with Dr. Maya Shankar, âThe Last Archiveâ with historian Jill Lepore, âThe Happiness Labâ with Dr. Laurie Santos, âAgainst The Rulesâ with author Michael Lewis, âBroken Recordâ with legendary producer Rick Rubin, and more. PushNik subscribers can hear these shows and more with no interruptions, and access exclusive bonus content.
Tenderfoot TV:Dive into gripping true-crime narratives, documentaries, and anthology series from the award-winning, independent, Atlanta-based production studio behind âUp and Vanishedâ and âAtlanta Monsterâ with filmmaker Payne Lindsey, âWhistleblowerâ with sports journalist Tim Livingston, âRadio Rental,â and more. Subscribers to TenderfootPlus+ enjoy ad-free listening and gain early and exclusive access to upcoming bonus episodes.
Beginning June 15,2021, listeners can find additional subscriptions from other premier studios and entertainment brands, including Audio Up, Betches Media, Blue Wire, Imperative Entertainment, Lantigua Williams & Co., Magnificent Noise, The Moth, Neon Hum Media, Sony Music Entertainment, Three Uncanny Four, and Wondery, plus channels from Audacyâs Cadence13 and Ramble, Barstool Sports, Jake Brennanâs Double Elvis, Headgum, iHeartMediaâs The Black Effect, Big Money Players, Grim & Mild, Seneca Women, Shondaland, and Relay FM.
New and Emerging Formats Powered by Subscriptions
Scripted Fiction: Subscribers get early and exclusive access to immersive original narratives with uninterrupted listening experiences from award-winning storytellers, produced by Meet Cute, QCODE, Realm, and more.
Mindfulness and Sleep:Â New shows featuring calming meditations, soothing music, and relaxing stories from WaitWhatâs âMeditative Storyâ with Rohan Gunatillake, Frequencyâs âDriftâ with Erin Davis, and âSleep by Headspaceâ help listeners practice mindfulness and support a good nightâs rest.
Kids and Family:Â Introduce kids to their new co-detectives, downtime companions, and study buddies with premium subscriptions featuring curated collections of age-appropriate, ad-free original stories spanning mysteries, comedies, musicals, and more from GBH, Gen-Z Media, Pinna, Wonkybot Studios, TRAX from PRX, and others.
News Providers Offering Subscriptions and Channels
The Athletic:Â Join the conversation on every sports story that matters. With breaking news, expert commentary, insightful analysis, and unrivaled narratives, The Athletic is powered by hundreds of full-time local writers to deliver exclusive sports coverage built around fandom.
FOX News:Â Hear from Dana Perino, Bret Baier, Shannon Bream, Trey Gowdy, Martha MacCallum, and other signature voices â all without commercials. Subscribers receive early access to seasonal series from FOX News Investigates, bonus episodes from FOX News Radioâs talk shows, audio versions of popular FOX News Channel programs, and a variety of long-form interviews.
Los Angeles Times:Â Enjoy the engaging, informative, and diverse journalism and storytelling the L.A. Times is known for with access to ad-free versions of âThe Times,â a new daily news podcast hosted by columnist Gustavo Arellano; the new season of âAsian Enoughâ with reporters Jen Yamato, Johana Bhuiyan, Tracy Brown, and Suhauna Hussain; âChasing Cosbyâ with Nicki Weisensee Egan and other narrative series; plus subscriber-exclusive bonus episodes for the all-new âThe Trials of Frank Carsonâ from Christopher Goffard, host of âDirty Johnâ and âDetective Trapp.â
NPR:Â Enjoy sponsor-free versions of leading NPR shows across news, business, culture, and more, including âFresh Airâ with Terry Gross, âHow I Built This with Guy Raz,â âItâs Been a Minute with Sam Sanders,â âPlanet Moneyâ with Jacob Goldstein, Karen Duffin, and Sarah Gonzalez, âShort Waveâ with Madeline Sofia, and the Apple Podcasts 2020 Show of the Year, âCode Switch,â with Shereen Marisol Meraji and Gene Demby.
The Washington Post:Â Listen to ad-free editions of The Postâs award-winning podcasts spanning daily news, documentaries, investigations, and deep discussions around specific topics and moments in history, including âPost Reportsâ with Martine Powers, âMoonriseâ with Lillian Cunningham, âCanaryâ with Amy Brittain, and âCape Up with Jonathan Capehart.â
This month, listeners can also find subscriptions from Bloomberg Media, Los Angeles Times, Politico, and Vox Media, plus channels from other leading newspapers, magazines, broadcasters, radio stations, and digital publishers, including ABC News, Axios, Billboard, Bravo, CNBC, CNN, Crooked Media, Dateline, Entertainment Weekly, Futuro Media, The Hollywood Reporter, LAist Studios, National Geographic, MSNBC, NBC News, NBC Sports, New York Magazine, The New York Times, SiriusXM, SB Nation, Southern Living, The Verge, TODAY, VICE, Vogue, Vox, and WBUR.
Even More Subscriptions with Channels
Notable international subscriptions and channels available beginning today include ABC, LiSTNR, and SBS from Australia; Abrace Podcasts from Brazil; CANADALAND and Frequency Podcast Network from Canada; GoLittle from Denmark; Europe 1, Louie Media, and Radio France from France; Der Spiegel, Podimo, and ZEIT ONLINE from Germany; Il Sole 24 Ore and Storielibere.fm from Italy; J-WAVE from Japan; Brainrich from Korea; libo/libo from Russia; Finyal Media from the UAE; and Broccoli Productions, The Bugle, Content Is Queen, the Guardian, Immediate Media, and Somethinâ Else from the UK.
Creators interested in offering subscriptions and channels are encouraged to visit Apple Podcasts for Creators.
Spatial Audio has officially launched on Apple Music, powered by Dolby Atmos for those running iOS/tvOS 14.6 and macOS 11.4 or later. Letâs look at how to find and play Spatial Audio, as well as how to enable the feature to work with other headphones besides AirPods and Beats.
Spatial Audio on Apple Music offers a really rich, immersive experience when listening with iPhone, iPad, Mac, and Apple TV 4K with HomePod or other Dolby Atmos supported speakers. Hereâs how Apple describes the feature: âGet a multidimensional experience that goes beyond just listening to music and makes you feel like youâre inside of it.â
The great part is, itâs available to all Apple Music subscribers at no extra cost. Weâll focus on Dolby Atmos Spatial Audio for this tutorial, but you can also enable Lossless hi-res music on Apple Music with iOS 14.6 and later. On iPhone/iPad head to Settings > Music > Audio Quality > Lossless Audio. And here are more details on how Lossless works with Apple Music.
How to enable Spatial Audio on Apple Music
The default is automatic detection for Dolby Atmos Spatial Audio in iOS 14.6 and later. That works when using AirPods, AirPods Pro/Max, recent Beats headphones, and the built-in speakers on recent iPhone XR and later and recent iPad models.
However, Apple says you can also use Spatial Audio with any headphones that support Dolby Atmos with the âAlways Onâ setting.
On iPhone and iPad running iOS 14.6 or later, head to the Settings app
Swipe down to Music > Dolby Atmos
The default should be Automatic; tap Always On if youâd like to use Spatial Audio with non-Apple/Beats supported headphones
 in Spatial Audio in the Listen Now, Browse, and Search tabs
In the Browse tab, check out all playlists made up of all Spatial Audio music like: Hits, Hip-Hop, Pop, Country, Rock, and Jazz
There are also sections for âNew Music in Spatial Audioâ and âThe Best of Spatial Audioâ
In the Search tab, thereâs a new Spatial Audio category in the top left
Apple Music is using this as a hub for all the Dolby Atmos Spatial Audio content including videos, music, tutorials, featured albums, new content, and more
If you want to see if a specific album or song is available in Spatial Audio, pull it up in Apple Music
Underneath the album artwork and play button, look for âDolby Atmosâ
You can also quickly tell if a track is in Spatial Audio by opening Control Center (swipe down from the top right corner) and long press on the headphones icon > look for Spatial Audio playing in the bottom right and Dolby Atmos below the volume slider
And hereâs how the dedicated Search category looks for Spatial Audio (you can also search for âSpatial Audioâ to find lots of content) :
One more thing to know, if youâve downloaded albums to your device, youâll need to delete them and re-download them to enable Dolby Atmos Spatial Audio.
Today we are taking a look at how to get your music video on Apple Music. More specifically, the various options and difficulties with regards to independent digital distribution of our music videos and music-related video content to Appleâs streaming platform. We have previously discussed services like TuneCore â one of the better options for getting your music on Apple Music, Spotify, and many others â however, things have evolved in the space since then with TuneCore competitor Distrokid now making waves, but to some degree, options are still somewhat limited when it comes distributing your companion video content. So letâs take a closer look at Appleâs official list of distributor partners, the best options available for independent music makers/content creators, and how to distribute your music video on Apple Music.
How to get your music video on Apple Music
At this point it seems, for the most part, quite straight forward to get your music on Apple Music and other comparable services. Music videos, however, are a slightly more complicated beast for completely indie artists.
Appleâs Music Partner Search list â Apple Music video distribution
Appleâs official Music Partner Search list is an obvious place to start here, but there really arenât very many of the officially highlighted services that you can just go sign up for, pay your money, and watch you music video on Apple Music (usually a few weeks later) as far as we can tell. Youâll find loads of them on there that say they do, and that might very well be the case, but it seems as though many of them are really more like a small label you would need to submit your package to before youâre even considered â or something to that effect. And on the other hand, much of the larger, well-known services on the list (TuneCore, Distrokid, etc.) do not support music video distribution.
Which services are the best for distributing music videos to Apple Music?
This leaves independent artists, bedroom producers, and aspiring content creators at a bit of a loss, or in a somewhat confusing mess of options to consider with limited possibilities for personal authorship when it comes to how to get music videos on Apple Music. Parsing through the royalty splits and pricing for each music video distribution avenue, policies/pricing for changes to content after delivery, and understanding video content requirements/limitations for each service, among other things, is already way more than enough for independent creatives to deal with â never mind some of the services on Appleâs list that present a complicated mess of a home page and/or are really only available for folks outside of North America.
So finding a service thatâs simple and easy to understand with the details clearly laid out, is invaluable, even despite all of the other monetization considerations here. Some creatives just want to get their content out there to the world and on the biggest platforms in the game, so the ability to just submit content, pay the cash, and go without having to worry about the rest of it is what we are really after here today.
Symphonic music video distribution
And that brings us to Symphonic. Of all the options Apple mentions on its official Partner list, Symphonic appears to be the most straight forward for how to get your video on Appleâs platform. While TuneCore and Distrokid (use this link for 7% off your distribution job)â arguably the two biggest players in the indie music distribution game â donât offer music video services, Symphonic appears to have a simple submission process that anyone can use.
The usual royalty splits and video spec requirements apply here as expected (no lyric videos on Apple Music anymore, no Facebook uploads unless you have a public official artist page, etc.), but in the end, you fill the forms out, send your cash, and youâre on your way. No need to have a million Spotify plays or a massive Instagram following for the independent distributor to consider you, just pay your cash and get your content out there.
Symphonic has a simple to follow submission process available that walks creatives through the entire process with several tips and details on what is required on your end and what to expect from the various streaming services, including Apple Music. Thereâs a handy four step checklist you can use to ensure your music video is ready to go as well as some important specifics regarding VEVO and videos featuring content in another language. You can browse through all of these details right here before you lay any cash down and you can review the Symphonic royalty schedule here.
More Apple Music distribution options
Sure, there are loads of options on Appleâs list that will get the job done, but most of them arenât entirely open services. Popular distributor CD Baby, for example, is listed as supporting music videos but they donât appear to offer or advertise that service anywhere. Does anyone have any experience paying for distribution with CD Baby and/or the music video situation?
Of the five services on the Partners list denoted as being a âPreferred Plusâ option by Apple, CD Baby is the only one that doesnât look like some kind of music label that has to want to distribute your creations to get your content out to the world or at least require some kind of private communication and submission process that feels like youâre trying to get a record deal or something. The others fall into the label-like side of things or arenât even in english when you hit the home page.
While there are certainly other ways beyond Symphonic for getting your music video on Apple Music, when it comes to the officially supported options, it does appear to be the easiest way to make it happen at this point.
If youâve ever thought about switching your Apple Music subscription to Spotify, Pandora, YouTube Music, Deezer, or the vice versa, one thing that probably made you change your mind is âhow am I going to transfer all my songs from a streaming service to another?â Well, hereâs the answer.
If you have thousands of songs and lots of playlists, adding one by one doesnât seem like a good call. And if for any reason you have multiple music streaming services, thereâs a simple way to keep all of them updated with the FreeYourMusic app.
The app has two options: you can transfer one hundred songs and thatâs it or you can pay for it. Here are the tiers:
Basic:Â One-time-purchase with the possibility to transfer an unlimited number of songs, playlists, and albums on all platforms, and with lifetime updates.
Premium:Â Pay per month and receive e-mail support, share playlists across streaming services, auto-synchronization of all playlists/albums, backup your playlist in the cloud, and the ability to cancel anytime.
Lifetime:Â One-time-purchase and you get everything available on the Premium plan.
FreeYourMusic is available on iOS, macOS, Android, Windows, and Linux and offers support to basically every music streaming service available.
How to transfer Apple Music songs to Spotify
Once you installed the app, it allows you to easily transfer your music library:
Select your current platform as a source, for example, Apple Music.
Then select the platform where you want to create a new playlist, for example, Spotify.
Find playlists, albums, or tracks you want to transfer from Apple Music to Spotify.
Confirm your action and done.
One tip I give you is if you have thousands of songs, you may want to transfer first your main playlists. The transfer between services is really fast, but if you have a lot of songs, it can take a few days.
In the same way people argue about iOS over Android, the debate between Apple Music vs Spotify has also grown since 2015. As the music streaming service war starts to bring podcasts and HiFi to the battlefield, are you planning to stay with your current streaming service, or are you considering switching?
Many been using Apple Music since it launched. Even when Apple erased a few times all my library, They didnât care. Then, when some songs appeared duplicated, They also didnât mind. Now, Apple Music struggles to show the correct album artwork for some artists and faces some reliability bugs. Should they care now?
On the other hand, theyâve been reporting regularly on all of the changes Spotify is making on its platform. It added podcasts, and the early data shows this has been a success. It also plans to launch a HiFi tier subscription this year and it recently revamped all of its applications.
They used to complain because they didnât get Spotifyâs user interface, but as they started to compare with Apple Music, now they see that theyâre very similar. Compare for yourself :
Apple Music
Spotify
If you compare prices, theyâre exactly the same: $9.99/month for an individual tier, $14.99/month for a family subscription, and $4.99/month for a student application. The difference here is that Apple now offers Apple One, so itâs easier to stay with Apple Music because you can also receive iCloud, Apple Arcade, and Apple TV+ altogether.
The Individual Apple One plan is $14.95 per month, while the Family plan is $19.95 per month: a really nice deal. On the other hand, Spotify has a free-ad-based version and a Premium Duo, for two people who live together for $12.99/month.
With any of the services, you can get a nice deal depending on your need. But if youâre an Apple kind of person, you may be asking if Spotify can integrate with all your devices. Spotify has an Apple Watch app, a macOS app, and a browser app, but the company does not yet support HomePod integration.
For example: if you enjoy sharing and know what your friends are listening to, you can do that in real-time with Spotify. If you like to combine podcasts and music in the same place, Spotify also supports that. If you want a nice end-of-year recap, Spotify can also do better than Apple Music.
Apple Music 1 and two new stations, Apple Music Hits and Apple Music Country, feature exclusive original shows from the worldâs top music hosts and artists
Cupertino, California â Apple today announced two new live global radio offerings on Apple Music, now available to music fans in 165 countries. Beginning today, Beats 1, the flagship global radio station, will be renamed Apple Music 1, and two additional radio stations will launch: Apple Music Hits, celebrating everyoneâs favorite songs from the â80s, â90s, and 2000s, and Apple Music Country, spotlighting country music.
Since Apple Musicâs launch in 2015, Beats 1 has grown into one of the most-listened-to radio stations in the world, consistently delivering the best in-depth artist interviews, more global exclusives and premieres than anywhere else, and unique programming that produces culture-moving, news-making moments year after year. Throughout its evolution, Beats 1 has established an inherent camaraderie with the artist community and championed human curation and discovery â an approach that will continue across the three stations.
âFor the past five years, if ever there was a meaningful moment in music culture, Beats 1 was there bringing human curation to the forefront and drawing in listeners with exclusive shows from some of the most innovative, respected, and beloved people in music,â said Oliver Schusser, vice president of Apple Music, Beats, and International Content. âNow, Apple Music radio provides an unparalleled global platform for artists across all genres to talk about, create, and share music with their fans, and this is just the beginning. We will continue to invest in live radio and create opportunities for listeners around the world to connect with the music they love.â
Beats 1 Now Renamed Apple Music 1
Apple Musicâs flagship Beats 1 global radio station has now been renamed Apple Music 1.
With state-of-the-art studios in Los Angeles, New York, Nashville, and London, Apple Music 1 is the center for pop culture conversation and artist-led programming, and the global destination for artists from around the world to release new music, break news, and speak directly to their fans. Apple Music 1 is led by cornerstone presenters Zane Lowe, Ebro Darden, Brooke Reese, Dotty, Hanuman Welch, Matt Wilkinson, Nadeska, Rebecca Judd, and Travis Mills, and offers a lineup of shows from the biggest names in music, including Action Bronson, Billie Eilish, Elton John, Joe Kay, Lil Wayne, Frank Ocean, Vince Staples, and The Weeknd, as well as new shows from Aitch, Kerwin Frost, HAIM, Lady Gaga, Nile Rodgers, Travis Scott, Charlie Sloth, Young M.A, and many more.
Apple Music 1 also features several shows dedicated to celebrating the vibrancy of Latin music around the world, including a new show from J Balvin and listener favorites âÂĄDale Play! with Sandra PeĂąaâ and âLa FĂłrmula Radio with El Guru.â The station is also home to âAfrica Now Radio with Cuppy,â showcasing the very best local African music and artists.
âApple Music is home â itâs home to artists, itâs home to fans, and itâs home to incredible music,â said Zane Lowe, Apple Musicâs global creative director and host. âIâm an obsessive music nerd. I love searching for the most exciting new artists and playing them right alongside the most essential, established artists of our time, because great music does not know the difference and Apple Music fans just want to hear great music. Thatâs what Apple Music radio is all about.â
Introducing Apple Music HitsÂ
Apple Music Hits offers a full catalog of the biggest songs fans know and love from the â80s, â90s, and 2000s.
Apple Music Hits offers a full catalog of the biggest songs fans know and love from the â80s, â90s, and 2000s. The station features remarkable new shows from notable artists and hosts, connecting listeners with the stories behind the most popular songs in the world.
Apple Music Hits will be helmed by daily on-air hosts Jayde Donovan, Estelle, Lowkey, Jenn Marino, Sabi, Nicole Sky and Natalie Sky, George Stroumboulopoulos (âHouse of Stromboâ), along with special shows from Ari Melber and others. Fans can also tune in to hear new exclusive shows from artists like Backstreet Boys, Ciara, Mark Hoppus, Huey Lewis, Alanis Morissette, Snoop Dogg, Meghan Trainor, Shania Twain, and more.
Introducing Apple Music Country
Apple Music Country showcases an increasingly diverse genre with a talent roster full of countryâs most exciting voices.
Radio is part of the fabric of country music culture, and Apple Music Country amplifies that experience for the modern fan. As country music evolves and expands around the world, Apple Music Country aims to be the definitive place for every lane of an increasingly diverse genre. The station offers a mix of the best music of today while introducing fans to the stars of tomorrow and reminding them of the legendary artists and tracks that have shaped and defined country music along the way.
Apple Music Countryâs talent roster boasts a wide range of countryâs most exciting voices, including daily on-air hosts Kelleigh Bannen, Ty Bentli, Bree, Alecia Davis, Ward Guenther, Nada, and Tiera, plus weekly shows from Ashley Eicher and Kelly McCartney. Fans can also enjoy new exclusive shows from artists like Jimmie Allen, Kelsea Ballerini, Dierks Bentley, BRELAND, Luke Bryan, Luke Combs, Morgan Evans, Florida Georgia Line, Pat Green, Willie Jones, Chrissy Metz, Midland, Rissi Palmer, The Shires, Carrie Underwood, and Morgan Wallen, alongside exclusive shows from legendary producers and songwriters like Dave Cobb, Jesse Frasure, and Luke Laird, and journalist Hunter Kelly.
Fans can enjoy Apple Music radio wherever they listen to Apple Music, including iPhone, iPad, iPod, CarPlay, Apple Watch, Apple TV, Mac, HomePod, and on the web at music.apple.com. They can also ask Siri to play âApple Music 1,â âApple Music Hits,â or âApple Music Country.â
About Apple Music
Apple loves music. With iPod and iTunes, Apple revolutionized the music experience by putting a thousand songs in your pocket. Today, Apple Music takes this to the ultimate with over 60 million songs, thousands of playlists, and daily selections from the worldâs best music experts, including all of the artists and hosts broadcasting daily across its Apple Music 1, Apple Music Hits, and Apple Music Country global live streams. Since 2015, Apple Music has welcomed tens of millions of subscribers in 167 countries. Streaming seamlessly to iPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple Watch, Apple TV, Mac, HomePod, and CarPlay, Apple Music is the most complete music experience on the planet.
Apple Music has started a $50 million COVID-19 advance fund for indie labels. Through this fund, Apple will be able to ensure that artists still get paid despite the coronavirus pandemic.
Apple announced the new fund in an email to independent record labels this afternoon. Those labels who have a direct Apple Music Distribution deal and earn at least $10,000 in quarterly Apple Music earnings will qualify for the advances on future royalties.
Apple says that this program is in good faith that advances will be funneled to âarts and label operations based on financial need.â The email explains:
Royalty advances will be offered to independent labels with a direct Apple Music distribution deal who meet a minimum quarterly threshold of $10,000 in Apple Music earnings. Each advance will be based on the labelâs past earnings, and will be recoupable against the labelâs future earnings. This offer is in good faith that labels will channel funds to artists and label operations based on financial need.
In the email, Apple says that this is its way of helping during what are âdifficult times for the music industry globally.â
These are difficult times for the music industry globally. Livelihoods are at risk, with multiple sources of income that our industry relies on vanishing overnight. Apple has a deep, decades-long history with music, and we are proud to be in close partnership with the best labels and artists in the world. We want to help.
As Rolling Stone points out, the music industry has been hit hard by the COVID-19 pandemic. Concert tours and major festivals like Coachella have been delayed or canceled entirely. âMost musicians rely on live touring revenue, as do venue workers, tour managers and many other live crew members who are now out of work,â the report explains.
Apple Music is the latest company to offer industry relief amid the coronavirus pandemic. It told independent record labels Tuesday that it is launching a $50 million advance royalty fund to make sure their artists get paid.
According to a letter sent to the labels and obtained by Rolling Stone, independent labels that earn at least $10,000 in quarterly Apple Music earnings will qualify for the royalty advances. To qualify, the indie labels must have a direct Apple Music distribution deal.
âThese are difficult times for the music industry globally,â the letter says. âLivelihoods are at risk, with multiple sources of income that our industry relies on vanishing overnight. Apple has a deep, decades-long history with music, and we are proud to be in close partnership with the best labels and artists in the world. We want to help.â
The music industry at large has been hit hard by the ongoing pandemic. The live music industry has indefinitely been put on hold, and many concert tours â as well as major music festivals like Coachella and South by Southwest â have been postponed or canceled. Most musicians rely on live touring revenue, as do venue workers, tour managers and many other live crew members who are now out of work.
The recorded music business has been impacted as well. Access to recording studios while under lockdown can be challenging, and with much of the country at home because of physical distancing recommendations, music streaming is down and artists are pushing back release dates for upcoming albums.
Appleâs initiative is just the latest industry power player move to bolster the struggling business. The Recording Academy started a $2 million COVID-19 Relief Fund with its non-profit arm MusiCares, and itâs gotten several million dollars more in donations from high-profile music companies including Spotify, StubHub, Universal Music Group and Warner Music Group. Promotion giant Live Nation committed $10 million to its new relief fund Crew Nation to help live workers currently out of a job.
Apple is also one of several media platforms set to air Global Citizen and the World Health Organizationâs One World: Together at Home broadcast, which will feature performances from Elton John, Billie Joe Armstrong and Billie Eilish among several others.
Read a full copy of the email below :
These are difficult times for the music industry globally. Livelihoods are at risk, with multiple sources of income that our industry relies on vanishing overnight. Apple has a deep, decades-long history with music, and we are proud to be in close partnership with the best labels and artists in the world. We want to help.
Today Apple Music is announcing the creation of a $50 million-plus fund available as advances on future royalties to independent labels, to help them pay artists and maintain operations.
Royalty advances will be offered to independent labels with a direct Apple Music distribution deal who meet a minimum quarterly threshold of $10,000 in Apple Music earnings. Each advance will be based on the labelâs past earnings, and will be recoupable against the labelâs future earnings. This offer is in good faith that labels will channel funds to artists and label operations based on financial need.
Label agreements for the advances will be posted in iTunes Connect, in the Agreements, Tax, and Banking module, on April 10. To receive an advance you will need to accept the Royalty Advance agreement and be on the latest Apple Music distribution agreement before May 8, 2020, at 11:59 p.m. PDT.
We hope that together we can help provide stability for artists by sustaining an enduring and vibrant music sector. If you have additional questions, please contact us.
Thank you and stay safe,
The Apple Music Team
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