Apple Music Gains New Algorithmic 'Discovery Station'

[MacRumors]

Apple Music today gained a new "Discovery Station," which is located under the "Listen Now" section under Top Picks in the Apple Music app. The customized radio station is paired with the personalized radio station featuring your name, and it has the "Made for You" label.

As noted by AppleInsider, the radio station appears to play songs of a similar style to songs that are in your personal library and that you have listened to and liked in the past, but it chooses songs you don't have in playlists or your library.

There is no documentation on the Discovery Station as of yet, so full details on how the algorithm works to suggest music are unknown. Apple may promote the Discovery Station at some point in the future, but from our testing, it looks like a good way to discover music that is suited to your individual taste.

Article Link: Apple Music Gains New Algorithmic 'Discovery Station'

 

[IceCool]

A welcome improvement! Can’t wait to test it out!

 

[Love-hate 🍏 relationship]

"powered by siri"

 

[Mrkevinfinnerty]

Must've taken them ages to come up with that name.

 

[haruhiko]

I have always had this “X’s station” feature. What’s new about it?

 

[The_Gream]

Mine didn’t show up in top picks. But in a subsection called “Stations for you”

Edit: I listened to it on my way home. Found some good song and hope to find more.
My library is full of j-pop and k-pop plus tons of stuff that would fit at home in epic video games. This algorithm seemed to work fine for me (as long as it doesn’t play Taylor Swift).

Is this a “wow” feature. No. What would “wow” me, is if Apple brought tons of k-drama/action films/shows plus anime to Apple TV, then found out what opening and closing etc songs I like. Plus, add this same ability for apps to share what songs and such were played in the shows/movies I watch. That would make me happy, because then I could listen to great songs at work, without having to remember to look them up myself.

 

[ignatius345]

I have always had this “X’s station” feature. What’s new about it?

I my experience the "[my] Station" playlist has a mix of tracks I have in my library and some I don't. This new one apparently "chooses songs you don't have in playlists or your library". That could make it a good tool for new music discovery.

 

[2540497]

Tried 5 songs and all were unfortunately pants!

 

[maternidad]

Its recommendations are pretty terrible for me. Completely irrelevant to what I listen to. Makes me wonder whether I’m listening to Juli Clover’s? Hahaha

Edit. I saw the station in the app and its recommendations were relevant when I opened it from there.

 

[macvicta]

"powered by siri"

That would certainly explain a few things.

 

[jimbobb24]

The recommendations from apple have always featured basically whatever is pop and right now tangentially related to what I listen to. I dont think I have ever discovered a song through their system. But maybe I messed it all up when I listened to Kanye and now it thinks all I want to hear is rap.

EDIT: Much better than expected. I am pretty eclectic and it is giving me songs I am interested in exploring. Not all interesting but better than my prior experience.

 

[stocklen]

Tried 5 songs and all were unfortunately pants!

... well apparently thats more a reflection of your personal tastes than anything else....

😂

 

[sir1963nz]

Meh, the music I listen to is what I have put on my devices from the CDs I own.

 

[hoodafoo]

Wouldn't it be funny if the "Discovery Station" was nothing more than a pointer to Tim's personal playlist? 😆

 

[klasma]

"powered by siri"

From the AppleInsider article: "It seems that Siri isn't yet aware of this new radio station." No surprise here.

 

[Eradik]

Been listening for about 25 minutes and every song has been a new "Add to library" and "Love" for me. It's SPOT on! Loving it so far!

 

[jakeowens]

I’ve wanted something like this forever. Been listening for the last hour and every song has been amazing. So much good new music today 🔥🔥🔥

 

[timshundo]

I've been growing my library since 2003, literally 20 years, and so far this algo has been pulling from the earliest songs in there and I'm dying. AM I NOT ALLOWED TO CHANGE? Can I make it just look at my newest 200-300 songs???

TIMBALAND - APPOLOGIZE FT ONE REPUBLIC, REALLY????

LOVE DONT COST A THING - JLO?????????

 

[iThom Pro Max]

Its recommendations are pretty terrible for me. Completely irrelevant to what I listen to. Makes me wonder whether I’m listening to Juli Clover’s? Hahaha

Edit. I saw the station in the app and its recommendations were relevant when I opened it from there.

I had the same experience! The station I find in Apple Music is very relevant; the one linked in the article is not. Looks like each person's station has a distinct URL.

 

[klasma]

Must've taken them ages to come up with that name.

YouTube Music has had a Discovery Mix for ages.

 

[TruthWatcher412]

I don’t seem to have this hat on my iPhone

Edit nvm missed the link in the article. First song was a Mariah Carey song 🤮, I’ll pass

 

[snash22]

First four songs are in my personal library. Though the second is labeled “remastered”.

 

[lazyrighteye]

I feel alone on this next statement: when I intentionally play a song in Music, and then allow the algorithm to select subsequent songs afterward, I have been very pleased with what was selected and that I have discovered. YMMV, but for me, it has proven incredibly helpful for music discovery.

How is this different?

 

[Braunschweiger]

Skipped around 40 songs. What the **** is that algorithm?

 

[PixelsMaster]

Found my own station in the app. No surprise, Apple’s music algorithm is the same, terrible system it’s always been.

No other app plays music I’ve disliked or suggests similar songs to my disliked music the way Apple does. There’s so much wrong with Apple Music, they need to fire current leadership and start over with someone that better understands how “discovering” and curating music should work.