Apple Music first appeared almost a year ago and now it is time for an overhaul that will be implemented with the release of iOS 10.
Reports cite multiple sources familiar with the changes, who say that the new Apple Music will be revealed at Apple’s Worldwide Developers Conference in mid-June. The new version will be launched across all Apple devices that currently support Apple Music this fall along with iOS 10.
Work began on updated Apple Music in February
Sources say that Apple had been thinking about making changes since the end of 2015, and work started at the end of February. The new version will have a different user interface, some different functions, reorganization and some simplification of existing features.
The colorful, translucent look of the current version is ditched in favor of black and white backgrounds and text. The user interface will no longer change color according to the color of album artwork, and instead the album artwork will be larger. One source said that the new look is “bolder, yet simpler.”
Apple Music will also use 3D Touch shortcut previews, as well as making it easier to share songs. The social Connect feature is largely unchanged, but it is better promoted.
Better organization and simplified features
The new version will also use Apple’s San Francisco in-house font, which was also made the system font in iOS 9 and El Capitan last year. The font is set to be used in all applications, operating systems, marketing materials, websites and online services run by Apple.
Although the entire Apple Music service is getting an overhaul, the company is paying particular attention to the “For You” feature. This section suggests music that the app thinks you would like, and it will be simplified and better promoted.
While “For You” is promoted, the “New” tab will be done away with. The feature was criticized as being a jumbled list that made little sense. A new section known as “Browse” will be introduced in its place, which better curates the information displayed.
According to a previous report in Bloomberg, Apple Music will get a revamp at WWDC. It will also feature “a few” new features, including better support for song lyrics. This will mean that users no longer have to manual search lyrics and sync them with a track, but rather the words will be automatically integrated. Rollout will be gradual but steady.
Apple Music to be released with iOS 10
The updated version of Apple Music will be released alongside iOS 10 in fall 2016, with a beta due to launch this summer. Public betas of iOS 10 are currently codenamed “Whitetail” after a ski resort in Pennsylvania.
The updates will also be available on Mac via a minor update to iTunes or a new Apple TV app for those who run tvOS.
Apple’s upcoming WWDC event is expected to provide information on a range of developments. It is thought that the company will announce OS X 10.12 and a new version of watchOS.
The latest versions of iOS and OS X are thought to include a new version of Apple Pay that will allow in browser payments at online stores, as well as new Photos apps. The new OS X will include Siri, the first time that Apple’s digital personal assistant has appeared on desktop, and it is expected to integrate with Apple Music. Siri already does so on iOS and tvOS.
