Apple's Revamped Apple Music for Artists Icon Leads to Speculation About iOS 15 Design Plans

[MacRumors]

Apple yesterday updated its Apple Music for Artists app with some minor bug fixes and improvements, but also one other notable change -- a new icon.

New icon on the right​

The Apple Music for Artists app now features a simpler, streamlined icon with a pinkish red music logo rather than the multicolored logo that was used before. The icon also has an embossed look that makes it stand out from other Apple icons.

Apple Music for Artists is an app that lets artists know how their music is performing across Apple Music, iTunes, and Shazam, so it's an app with a limited audience and the new icon may seem inconsequential, but it is similar to another app icon change that Apple introduced last year.

App Store Connect in October was updated with a refreshed icon that's similar to the Apple Music for Artists icon, which means Apple has now updated two app icons with this new design.

App Store Connect with old icon on left, new icon on right​

Over on Reddit, users are speculating that the icon changes could perhaps be indicative of more sweeping design changes set to be introduced in iOS 15.

Apple in macOS Big Sur refreshed many of its icons and streamlined their design, so there is a chance that something similar could happen in iOS 15. That said, these could just be one-off updates for Apple's behind the scenes apps for developers and musicians, and not a sign of something to come.

We don't know much at all about iOS 15 at this point, but we could perhaps see some details leaking out as the software's launch date approaches. Apple is expected to debut iOS 15, iPadOS 15, watchOS 8, tvOS 15, and macOS 12 at its keynote event that will be held on June 7.

Article Link: Apple's Revamped Apple Music for Artists Icon Leads to Speculation About iOS 15 Design Plans

 

[AngerDanger]

Nice, Apple found the bevel & emboss tool!

This is really inspiring…

Perfect!

 

[WiseAJ]

I like it, would like to see more of the iOS icons updated with this style.

 

[HeavenDynamic]

Please no.

 

[noraa]

Nice! I like the added depth. Looks like Apple is taking inspiration from the Big Sur icons - which has to be a first, macOS inspiring iOS.

 

[MacDevil7334]

Finally. The flat design trend of the last 8 years has been awful. Glad to see some depth returning to the UI.

All that being said, the shadows on the App Store icon are a bit much. The Music icon looks fantastic though!

 

[Kissmo1980]

I would like to see a drastic drop in saturation. It feels like PowerPuff Girl's UI. So tiering for my eyes.
I don't care for customization of the UI just to have the option at least to drop saturation on those Icons and remove the pure white dominating elements so that my eyes don't get tired so easily when in Light Mode.

 

[LFC2020]

Interesting 🤔 don't mind it.

 

[Internet Enzyme]

I think that the common border between these is the most notable aspect of them.

 

[lazyrighteye]

Wait - is the pending update to macOS really 10.12?

 

[ruka.snow]

Very Web 2.0! I love it.

 

[Dimwhit]

The Bevel and Emboss thing looked great about 15 years ago.

 

[ImSoSad]

yeah, that ultra flat look from like early/mid-2010s is now borderline cringe.

tried way too hard to look ‘new and improved’ — and in 2021 it’s like looking at man bun.

the new style is a throwback to the ‘ugly on purpose’ early 00’s days which comes across now as humble, understated and self-aware.

 

[hot-gril]

So they found a balance between lame flat designs and overdone realistic ones.
Looking good, except they need to tone down the shadows on the App Store icon.

 

[DaneLA]

After Big Sur I’ve felt this was inevitable, my best guess is this has all been in service to the eventual 3D aesthetics of their AR OS.

 

[appleoc]

Gross...this looks like a step backwards....i don't like it.

 

[hot-gril]

I would like to see a drastic drop in saturation. It feels like PowerPuff Girl's UI. So tiering for my eyes.
I don't care for customization of the UI just to have the option at least to drop saturation on those Icons and remove the pure white dominating elements so that my eyes don't get tired so easily when in Light Mode.

Why not just use dark mode?

 

[Villarrealadrian]

I love the design I think they are going back to skeuomorphism, really hated the lazy flat design

 

[Carlson-online]

Apple yesterday updated its Apple Music for Artists app with some minor bug fixes and improvements, but also one other notable change -- a new icon.

New icon on the right​

The Apple Music for Artists app now features a simpler, streamlined icon with a pinkish red music logo rather than the multicolored logo that was used before. The icon also has an embossed look that makes it stand out from other Apple icons.

Apple Music for Artists is an app that lets artists know how their music is performing across Apple Music, iTunes, and Shazam, so it's an app with a limited audience and the new icon may seem inconsequential, but it is similar to another app icon change that Apple introduced last year.

App Store Connect in October was updated with a refreshed icon that's similar to the Apple Music for Artists icon, which means Apple has now updated two app icons with this new design.

App Store Connect with old icon on left, new icon on right​

Over on Reddit, users are speculating that the icon changes could perhaps be indicative of more sweeping design changes set to be introduced in iOS 15.

Apple in macOS Big Sur refreshed many of its icons and streamlined their design, so there is a chance that something similar could happen in iOS 15. That said, these could just be one-off updates for Apple's behind the scenes apps for developers and musicians, and not a sign of something to come.

We don't know much at all about iOS 15 at this point, but we could perhaps see some details leaking out as the software's launch date approaches. Apple is expected to debut iOS 15, iPadOS 15, watchOS 8, tvOS 15, and macOS 12 at its keynote event that will be held on June 7.

Article Link: Apple's Revamped Apple Music for Artists Icon Leads to Speculation About iOS 15 Design Plans

The Reddit link does not link to Reddit, it links to a previous news article here

 

[iDento]

When it comes to asthetics, whatever you do, people will complain.

 

[MumbleOwl2232]

Wait - is the pending update to macOS really 10.12?

No, it wouldn’t be 10.12, it would be 12.0. 10.12 already happened, back in 2016. The current version of macOS is 11.0 (the actual current as of writing this reply being 11.2.3), so the next version of macOS, would most likely be macOS 12.0

 

[Anson_431]

My guess: they’re adopting dark mode for default app icons in iOS 15

Or, at least I hope they would be🤪

 

[nt5672]

Gross...this looks like a step backwards....i don't like it.

Sorry, but I am don't think Apple could go down from Big Sur. I see anything as an improvement.

 

[HackMacDaddy]

I wish they would finally make DARK MODE versions of the icons. I hate how the UI is dark and pretty but many icons just burn my retina because they are as bright as day.

 

[AppliedVisual]

We went from skeuomorphic to flat now this is neumorphic... As the cool kids are calling it.