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However enjoyable Apple Music can be, I'd be more than a little hesitant about recommending it to anyone who values their time. There are just too many bugs at this point – show-stopping ones that may have you tearing your hair out. In particular, in my opinion Apple needs to severely overhaul whatever is powering iCloud Music Library. I'm not sure this is anywhere near release-quality never mind what we should expect of Apple.
 
Well ya gotta love the Kygo ad, it's so summery.... and long may the summer last! I think I like this type of pitch, just kinda floating it out there. No pressure. It's a practice game, remember? They got three months to look at what's happening and figure out what to tweak and then how to pitch what we like so we stick with the sub AND maybe buy a track or two or ten million now and then.

I'm personally having a whole lot of fun with Apple Music, but I have it isolated on a separate laptop's iTunes library (starting with nothing in it) and I've dedicated an iPod touch to the experiment as well. I loaded a few of my things in to simulate a more complex setup, just a few CDs' worth of rips and some iTunes purchases I redownloaded onto the spare laptop and/or the iPod touch. That way I have to learn how to manage the iCloud music library's functions and get used to the "all" vs "only offline" views.

I like lots of different kinds of music so I have already really, REALLY enjoyed the range of offerings in the catalog. I'm keeping my subscription for sure. I like being able to tab from my stuff to Apple music stuff to the Store, and I'm hoping some day to be able to bring it to my main devices. But, so far I like keeping it as an isolated setup on the spare laptop and the one iPod touch. No seious complaints that way and no fears of messing up a complex set of iTunes libraries on my main machine.

So.. here I am and not whining about iTunes for once... Write it down!
 
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Software should just be about ease of use and not about being a genius to use it. iTunes on the other hand has always been about how quickly you can go Gray or lose all your hair in the usability stakes but that hasn't stopped the world from using it, and raving about it. So Apple Music can be a big steaming pile of poo to use, but guess what.....

Just means others offering is even smellier (sic) and offers less. So, people choose the less evil for now.
Itunes is 100 times worse than Apple Music. A complete utter mess. But, that's what happens when you put so many functions under one roof. Not even sure there is a proper solution, except maybe offering a newbie mode, a power user mode and and expert mode with a different level of UI reveal. Someone who has meticulously tagged 10K files he actually bought is probably not a newbie use (a power user), but likely not an expert user either. Exposing the whole UI to everyone in this case is generally not a good idea from an usability point of view.
 
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I'm with you on the News app - I think it looks awesome. But maybe you could tell me what it is you think Apple Music will do to destroy Spotify. For the most part, to me, both services are the same: tons and tons of music, a social aspect, custom radio stations, offline listening. Apple Music has curated playlists (Spotify doesn't), which sound cool but whose reviews are spotty so far; that's the big difference I see (besides Dr. Dre) between the two. But Spotify is free, and the ads that play aren't annoying enough to entice me to pay anything. So I ask, why pay?

Right now, I'm just not sure Apple has introduced a service that differentiates itself enough from its competitors (e.g., by offering something compelling and unique and one-of-a-kind, like with the iPhone) to make people like me give it money, when Spotify is the same and free.

It will destroy Spotify because Spotify is in a bad way financially first (Apple doesn't even need to make money directly from this, it's merely a bonus), Apple controls the platform where most Spotify paying customers reside and on that platform it can integrate tightly with it and all devices in the ecosystem.

Right now, this is still tentative, but within a year or two, this integration will make Spotify look like a bad deal on IOS. That's why Spotify was rumored to have Lobbied the FCC and EU to look into Apple.


Spotify's free offering is in jeopardy because its not making money for either Spotify or the labels or the artists.
Why would major artists risk losing most of their sales to a "free" offering? Swift is just the start, premium content will migrate to the paying side. Premium content being any artist that has any clout to demand more money from their music.
 
Apple Music is a BLOODY NIGHTMARE. The content might be very fulfilling but usability-wise it's is an absolute ludicrous joke. iTunes UI makes you wanna hang yourself. I wasn't able to get a single playlist downloaded for offline listening because "Looks like this is no longer available". No number of resetting, logging out and in, restarting changes anything. I resubscribed to Spotify Premium within 10 or so days.

Funny, I think SPotify's UI a total joke, maybe people have very low expectation of Spotify... And yes, Itune is an overblown mess, unlike Apple Music...
 
I'm with you on the News app - I think it looks awesome. But maybe you could tell me what it is you think Apple Music will do to destroy Spotify. For the most part, to me, both services are the same: tons and tons of music, a social aspect, custom radio stations, offline listening. Apple Music has curated playlists (Spotify doesn't), which sound cool but whose reviews are spotty so far; that's the big difference I see (besides Dr. Dre) between the two. But Spotify is free, and the ads that play aren't annoying enough to entice me to pay anything. So I ask, why pay?

Right now, I'm just not sure Apple has introduced a service that differentiates itself enough from its competitors (e.g., by offering something compelling and unique and one-of-a-kind, like with the iPhone) to make people like me give it money, when Spotify is the same and free.

That's how Spotify will be killed.
 
I don't know if Apple Music will be a success or not, but I know it lost a potential subscriber. My daughter decided to go back to using my GM All Access. She said AM was just another music service; one with some problems. Nothing special like she thought it would be. I haven't used it so I can't comment on the quality of the app. My daughter did say the only reason anyone would try it is because they use an iPhone (her opinion of course). Nothing there to make a person change if they already use another music service.
 
Sorry, Apple. Not until you make it a separate app. I was incredibly suspicious of combining my own music with this service even before Jim Dalrymple's troubles. That story certainly didn't help matters.

There's not a single good reason for the two to be merged.
Really? That's the selling point for me. I use iTunes to listen to my music, and being able to add any music I want from Apple Music to my library is incredibly convenient. I don't have to juggle two different programs or even two different interfaces, aside from when I'm searching for or discovering new music.

Apple has a lot of work to do to make Apple Music great, especially in the interface department, but the integration is one thing they got right.
 
If you compare these ads to the ones from years ago for the iPod which featured upbeat, exciting tunes and tons of color, these ads are dull and depressing. If I knew nothing about Apple Music, I don't think these ads would make me want to try it. The narrator in the Discovery ad sounds like he's half asleep.
 
I don't know if Apple Music will be a success or not, but I know it lost a potential subscriber. My daughter decided to go back to using my GM All Access. She said AM was just another music service; one with some problems. Nothing special like she thought it would be. I haven't used it so I can't comment on the quality of the app. My daughter did say the only reason anyone would try it is because they use an iPhone (her opinion of course). Nothing there to make a person change if they already use another music service.
What problems did she have with Apple Music?
 
If you compare these ads to the ones from years ago for the iPod which featured upbeat, exciting tunes and tons of color, these ads are dull and depressing. If I knew nothing about Apple Music, I don't think these ads would make me want to try it. The narrator in the Discovery ad sounds like he's half asleep.
Trent Reznor doing a Jony Ive impression but it doesn't work for Apple Music. Apple Music needs color and upbeat music.
 
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I'd say the "discovery" ad was quite effective. It introduced me to Ibeyi, to whom I'm now listening — on Spotify.
 
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I have a question with Apple music on iOS. Is there a way to get the app to stop phoning home? For instance I have my own music on phone loaded from computer. I'm in another country with a poor cell network. When I try to access my music the iOS app tries to phone home and I can't see any of my music. I turned on airplane mode and it stopped phone home and I still could not see music. This is a bit insane. Happens at work too. Like I need to buy iPod now to see and listen to music? I'm sure the network connection is great in Cupertino???
 
What problems did she have with Apple Music?
App interface not to her liking. App crashed occasionally. AM wasn't the revolutionary new way to listen to music Apple made it out to be. I think that was her biggest disappointment. She thought it was going to be the "next level" of music but it turned out to be just one among many. She was never going to be an AM subscriber for long regardless. After the free trial, I wasn't going to pay for it. She would have to pay for it out of her own money. Sort of made AM an afterthought when I mentioned that. Her group of friends seem to be into Soundcloud now so AM may have been just a passing fad.
 
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And that's the way it's staying.
 
App interface not to her liking. App crashed occasionally. AM wasn't the revolutionary new way to listen to music Apple made it out to be. I think that was her biggest disappointment. She thought it was going to be the "next level" of music but it turned out to be just one among many. She was never going to be an AM subscriber for long regardless. After the free trial, I wasn't going to pay for it. She would have to pay for it out of her own money. Sort of made AM an afterthought when I mentioned that. Her group of friends seem to be into Soundcloud now so AM may have been just a passing fad.
What would make it revolutionary for her?
 
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While I agree that it needs some tweaks on iOS and to become its own Apple Music app for Mac, I've come to love Apple Music.

It feels liberating to not have to worry about restraining yourself to just a few albums a month and instead allow Apple Music to let you discover new music without limits. I'd be perfectly content to never own any music, to never manage a library and to only let Apple Music learn about me and curate music that it knows I'll love.

Just a few weeks into using it, my Apple Music seems to know me so well and I'm starting to discover artists I'd never heard of but instantly like. If a particular song does pop in my head, I can just ask Siri to play it. When I come home, I speak to my Watch: "Hey Siri, play something to chill out" and my home comes to life with relaxing music that I love.

For those criticizing Apple Music because they think it's confusing and are returning to Spotify, I can say the same thing about Spotify. I got curious and tried Spotify after using Apple Music and I find Spotify confusing and difficult to get around. It's a classic case of being used to something and not wanting to change the way you do things. Like anything new, you have to go in with an open mind.

As for this ad, it's on par with some of the best early iPod + iTunes ads. They hit the right tone and send exactly the message I spoke to regarding music being very personal and allowing you to discover new music that you'll love.
 
I actually really liked "Apple Music" as a streaming service. I was introduced to new artists, not through Discovery but through Beats1. The problem, for me, is the integration with iCloud Music Library which thoroughly effed up my library and I had to nuke it and start over. It's great in theory but implementation was very very poor. I just wish they would address it and try to make it better.
 
From the tone of the replies, Apple knows how to repel people who would never use its service in any case.

So far, I'm enjoying Apple Music, especially to play the stuff I don't need to download and save, and for discovery.

Exactly.

People who are more interested in finding bugs and reasons to complain and argue than trying to using the service.

I love what they have made, really good for intruducing you to new genres and new artists.

I didn't listen to hip hop and despite liking electronic music, I didn't knew many artists. Now I know a lot more, putting Spotify on "radio" for my music tracks has nothing on this.

At first, yes, the service wasn't perfect, now it's 99% perfect, didn't take too much time...
 
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It's hilarious to hear people say Apple Music is "complicated". I wonder how many paint chips they ate as children. It's just a few tabs and a couple of menus. Lol! As far as having separate apps for different functions, that's the most ridiculous idea I've ever heard. Simplicity isn't found in having to figure out which app to launch to do different things. Btw, the few bugs that existed were fixed. The whining is being done by Spotify shills.
 
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