Apple Promotes New Apple Music API Introduced in iOS 9.3

[Red Oak]

Slow clap. Apple engineers actual release a public API in 2016. How novel
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Any improvements with Connect?

Connect is an embarrassment. Heads should roll at Apple on how awful it is. Can't believe they made this a key talking point at WWDC last year

 

[ericgtr12]

I'm not trying to be a smartass, but am I missing something? Sure, there is room for improvement, but I use the music app daily and never had to "figure anything out". It's pretty cut and dry. Hell, I can now not even touch my phone and just say, "Hey Siri, play Deftones" from across the room.

Copying songs, playing songs from from my library without all the store integration, etc. Frankly, it's very convoluted and forces you to use a bunch of functions that are overkill for a basic player. Glad it's worked out so well for you but read through the boards here, on Apple and elsewhere, I'm not the only one with this complaint. I downloaded a simple player for $5 and it works like a charm without having to jump through a bunch of unnecessary hoops. IMO they've made this app useless for the average user.

 

[nurban1992]

Apple's own music player is so god awful. Unintuitive, terrible UI...it's almost unusable. Itunes is

There current one is god awful. I don't, for the life of me, understand why they think it's close to ok. It's unintuitive, the UI sucks...half my music is now in the cloud for some reason and not natively on my phone (can't say if that's the app's fault). When advancing through a song it is very annoying to accidentally click the share button. It's soooo bad.

I disagree. I think the Music app is great and is by far the most versatile version they've released yet. It looks sexiest, and offers the most control over how you listen to your music. I, as all of us do, make playlists of music that I like, but sometimes am in the mood for a select few. I even have an order for how I want to listen to them in my head.

For this, the Up Next feature is killer, in my opinion. It's basically like creating a "for the moment" playlist. I use it all the time, and am grateful that they brought it over from the newer release of iTunes. Apple Music integration is also very well focused, only hindered by some sync issues that I'm sure will be buffed out in due time.

It is the most complicated, admittedly, and I can understand how some people may struggle with navigating it. It only took me about 30 mins of playing around with it to figure out what did what. Overall, I feel that Apple Music is better than Spotify because it is baked right into iOS, and feels more natural to me. The Music app itself offers control and functionality that I've never had before in prior versions, and I love it for that. I think it is intuitive, focused, and user-friendly, aside from the brief learning curve. If you don't try to learn it for all that it offers, then yeah, it'll be frustrating.

As for iTunes on OS X, you're definitely right on that one. That application is bloated and is sluggish beyond belief. People are right in suggesting that Apple move Apple Music into its own app, and split off iTunes itself as a shopping platform separately. Videos should have their own app; iBooks syncing and management should be done entirely in the iBooks app, and Podcasts should get its own app, too. Music videos can stay bundled within the Music app, as they are alike by association. All syncing of applications, including downloading and management of iOS apps, should be handled in the App Store application.
Basically, split it off like how it is in iOS and there will be less bloat.

 

[nt5672]

Well, did we ever see an improvement of Ping? I think history will repeat...

IMO Apple's view is not about the app, or if the app works, it is all about the big announcement. Once the announcement is passed, then it's on to the next announcement. This is especially true if the app was not an outstanding first hit that took the world by storm. Face it marketing has moved on, you should to.

 

[bobbie424242]

Another of these brain dead APIs where anything remotely interesting is prohibited.

 

[elmateo487]

Spotify also have an API, with similar terms (no monetisation of any kind).

I understand why they do that - if you subscribe to the service, you shouldn't have to pay extra to use it from other apps. However, this really puts the brakes on anybody wanting to make a good alternative music player.

The official Spotify app is total arse. There are so many better things they could do with the backend service. I think I could make a significantly better music app, but without the ability to monetise it at all (both prohibit ads, Spotify even prohibits optional donation buttons too) and considering the amount of work it would take and other opportunities, it turns out to be a very low priority.

It's such a shame, too, because when I moan about specific problems with the Spotify app, lots of people tend to agree. Lots of people also seem dissatisfied with the official Apple Music app. Neither customers are going to get any better alternatives when 3rd-party players are forbidden from any sort of monetisation.

Even if you think you've found some kind of loophole, they will change the terms and shut it down; the motivation behind them is very clear.

The Spotify SDK is really rough to work with.... And I mean really. And the Apple Music api is extremely limited. There are no good options for developers who want to make full featured apps using streaming services.
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I'm not trying to be a smartass, but am I missing something? Sure, there is room for improvement, but I use the music app daily and never had to "figure anything out". It's pretty cut and dry. Hell, I can now not even touch my phone and just say, "Hey Siri, play Deftones" from across the room.

Yeah seriously. There are a few tricks that will make navigating super easy. I can get anywhere I want to be in a few clicks. Most of them time 2. These people are just whiners.

 

[Mike MA]

IMO Apple's view is not about the app, or if the app works, it is all about the big announcement. Once the announcement is passed, then it's on to the next announcement. This is especially true if the app was not an outstanding first hit that took the world by storm. Face it marketing has moved on, you should to.

Announcements don't earn any money. And Apple needs to earn money to pay its bills. So no.

 

[Juicy Box]

These people are just whiners.

It is sad that valid complaints get these responses.

I find myself using the music app less and less. I really don't like the new UI on it. I barely use it now that iTunes Radio is gone.


Why is the place button so tiny on the music app? It is impossible to press it quickly if you are moving.

 

[elmateo487]

It is sad that valid complaints get these responses.

I find myself using the music app less and less. I really don't like the new UI on it. I barely use it now that iTunes Radio is gone.


Why is the place button so tiny on the music app? It is impossible to press it quickly if you are moving.

What I am saying is. Whine less, complain less, live a happier life with what you have.

Many MANY people love the app, and have found ways around its short comings.

I consider myself a power user, with a GIANT hand tailored selection of my own music on my device. And I find it very easy to do anything I want to do with my music.

Moving while listening to audio? Use the lock screen, or use your headphone button. Or swipe up from the bottom and memorize where that button is on your screen.

 

[CFreymarc]

This really opens up a market for many different music players. Thus, you can have whatever app suits your fancy or workflow. I welcome this.

 

[Juicy Box]

What I am saying is. Whine less, complain less, live a happier life with what you have.

This is just silly when people have valid complaints.

Moving while listening to audio? Use the lock screen, or use your headphone button. Or swipe up from the bottom and memorize where that button is on your screen.

I know of different ways to stop the music from playing. Most of these require multiple presses/keystrokes, or using my headphones. BTW I usually use my earphone button to stop the music. But, if I am holding my phone browsing music and my other hand is full, muting the music quickly is not going to happen.

I just find it kind of weird that Apple added a mini version of the "now playing" screen, but so small that using it is not very user friendly. Even the vibrations from my car while sitting in it sometimes causes me to hit the playlist or another song by accident. Maybe I have fat thumbs.

There are other annoying things about the music app that I could name, but I will sum it up with this: The music app use to be simple and very user friendly, the current app is not as simple or user friendly imo.

 

[elmateo487]

This is just silly when people have valid complaints.



I know of different ways to stop the music from playing. Most of these require multiple presses/keystrokes, or using my headphones. BTW I usually use my earphone button to stop the music. But, if I am holding my phone browsing music and my other hand is full, muting the music quickly is not going to happen.

I just find it kind of weird that Apple added a mini version of the "now playing" screen, but so small that using it is not very user friendly. Even the vibrations from my car while sitting in it sometimes causes me to hit the playlist or another song by accident. Maybe I have fat thumbs.

There are other annoying things about the music app that I could name, but I will sum it up with this: The music app use to be simple and very user friendly, the current app is not as simple or user friendly imo.

Ok I'll agree with you on one point. Adding features like Apple Music, should not add complexity to the user interface. But that is very difficult to do, and I Apple hasn't done the best at that.

Though the things they have added, like Apple Music, and Up Next are things I LOVE. And I hope in the future they can streamline the experience more.

 

[Juicy Box]

Adding features like Apple Music, should not add complexity to the user interface

Agreed, and what is with the huge ads of Beats1 and AM? Adding features then constantly advertising these features are really annoying. Although I think they are not on mine anymore, maybe I disabled them? I can't remember.

Moving while listening to audio? Use the lock screen, or use your headphone button. Or swipe up from the bottom and memorize where that button is on your screen.

BTW I usually use my earphone button to stop the music.

I forgot to say that if I cannot get to my earbud button, you can press the mini "playing now" bar to open the normal playing now screen. I found that out a few weeks ago when I accidentally hit the space next to the play button. I had no idea that was where the paying now feature went to. Although this still is kinda hard to press in motion due to the bar being kinda small. This is on a 6s Plus, so I am sure it is probably harder on smaller devices.

 

[abrasbr]

They need to add a notification system and add collaborative playlists

Any improvements with Connect?

I used these APIs inside my app and will release it next week. It's called SoundShare. It's a Social Music Network that allows every single Apple Music user to see and play what their friends are listening to, like their songs, add a comment, mention another friend, and of course, the most important feature, build collaborative playlists. But it won't stop there. SoundShare will also allow cross platform collaboration and interaction. Meaning that an Apple Music user can collaborate on a playlist with a Spotify user and a Deezer user. It's incredibly powerful.

It's so deeply integrated that you can simply replace the Apple Music app with SoundShare. You'll still have access to all your playlists, will be able to add songs to them, save songs to your library, plus all the benefits I described above.

Below are the two teasers for the app:

Apple Music User:

Spotify User:

Matt

 

[eyeseeyou]

I used these APIs inside my app and will release it next week. It's called SoundShare. It's a Social Music Network that allows every single Apple Music user to see and play what their friends are listening to, like their songs, add a comment, mention another friend, and of course, the most important feature, build collaborative playlists. But it won't stop there. SoundShare will also allow cross platform collaboration and interaction. Meaning that an Apple Music user can collaborate on a playlist with a Spotify user and a Deezer user. It's incredibly powerful.

It's so deeply integrated that you can simply replace the Apple Music app with SoundShare. You'll still have access to all your playlists, will be able to add songs to them, save songs to your library, plus all the benefits I described above.

Below are the two teasers for the app:

Apple Music User:

Spotify User:

Matt

Please keep us updated. Pretty much a no brainer feature set they should've added.

 

[MacFrag]

To much Apple Music/Radio clutter on my iPhone6s trying to play my own (paid) tracks.

I just want to play my own (payed) songs in Music app

 

[load97]

Copying songs, playing songs from from my library without all the store integration, etc. Frankly, it's very convoluted and forces you to use a bunch of functions that are overkill for a basic player. Glad it's worked out so well for you but read through the boards here, on Apple and elsewhere, I'm not the only one with this complaint. I downloaded a simple player for $5 and it works like a charm without having to jump through a bunch of unnecessary hoops. IMO they've made this app useless for the average user.

Got that right. Clunky bloatware app. Dell circa 2002.
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To much Apple Music/Radio clutter on my iPhone6s trying to play my own (paid) tracks.

I just want to play my own (payed) songs in Music app

It's tough, I totally agree.

 

[abrasbr]

Please keep us updated. Pretty much a no brainer feature set they should've added.

The app is out, but I can't post the link to it here. Search for SoundShare on the App Store and you will be able to get it.

 

[eyeseeyou]

The app is out, but I can't post the link to it here. Search for SoundShare on the App Store and you will be able to get it.

Got it.

 

[a_l]

Another of these brain dead APIs where anything remotely interesting is prohibited.

You are right, but it's still better than nothing.
I've recently released a free app called 'New Music - listen to recent albums, EPs & single' that uses Apple Music API for playing tracks. App looks like this (focused on simplicity and usability):



It doesn't require registration (since it's not a social network), you can try it here:
https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/new-music-keep-track-latest/id1104646834