iOS 17.1 Adds Custom Playlist Art Options to Apple Music

[MacRumors]

Apple added a new feature to the Apple Music app in the first beta of iOS 17.1 that offers a selection of color-matched playlist artwork options for the first time.

As of beta one, Apple provides eight different artwork styles featuring geometric shapes and gradients, with the title of the playlist in the top left corner. The colors used in the artwork are picked from the album artwork of whatever song is first in the playlist. The default artwork continues to be the tiled album artwork of the first four songs in a playlist and the ability to choose a custom image from Photos or Files remains.

Previously, users had to keep the basic tiled image or upload a custom image. Since not all users have custom graphics or photos they want to use for playlists and the default artwork is relatively simple, playlists can be difficult to identify and look fairly generic. Now, users can quickly and easily set a unique appearance for each playlist that fits in with Apple Music's UI.

Other Apple Music changes and improvements in iOS 17.1 include favoriting songs from the Lock Screen and suggested songs in playlists. The ability for multiple users to collaborate on and add to the same playlist and Apple Music SharePlay for CarPlay are also expected to be added in a future update. iOS 17.1 introduces a host of new features, including NameDrop to Apple Watch, UK bank balances in the Wallet app, and more.

Article Link: iOS 17.1 Adds Custom Playlist Art Options to Apple Music

 

[MrENGLISH]

Honestly surprised it has taken this long for such a basic feature.

 

[phenste]

has anyone found any use for favoriting songs in Apple Music?

 

[DaPizzaMan]

It's just crazy how these features are tied to an OS update. There's no reason this can't work with all versions of Apple Music.

Edit: This is one of the big reasons I will NEVER use Apple Music.

 

[morphineseason]

Didn't they decouple all the stock apps from iOS years ago so they could update the apps via App Store whenever they wanted? So why do they remain tied to iOS updates? Makes no sense to me. iOS updates should be for actual OS updates and features, not for their apps. Really just makes it seem like they've run out of ideas with every major iOS release.

 

[NMBob]

Does it take as many clicks to do this as it does to change search engines?

 

[Beatrix Kiddo]

This, along with a couple of essential features, always keeps me from switching from Spotify to Apple Music.

Though I'll admit that "Spotify's family account being super cheap" plays a huge part as well.

 

[zach-coleman]

Pretty cool feature. I wonder if it'll sync with Tesla's AM client or if it won't. It will only pull playlist covers if you set a custom image before.

has anyone found any use for favoriting songs in Apple Music?

Nope, because you can't re-order your favorites playlist. I favorite some songs assuming it will help my recommendations, but for all I know that's a placebo. My actual "favorites" playlist is one I manually created.

 

[DaPizzaMan]

This, along with a couple of essential features, always keeps me from switching from Spotify to Apple Music.

Though I'll admit that "Spotify's family account being super cheap" plays a huge part as well.

Spotify family and Apple Music family plans are the same price.

 

[talkingheads]

What about letting us customize the Music app home screen more than we can now? I would love to be able to remove the recently added music section from the home screen.
Also would love to be able to assign album artwork of my own to the artist section, which is missing a lot of artwork/covers. And no way to add them.

 

[zach-coleman]

What about letting us customize the Music app home screen more than we can now? I would love to be able to remove the recently added music section from the home screen.
Also would love to be able to assign album artwork of my own to the artist section, which is missing a lot of artwork/covers. And no way to add them.

Bring back the old app design where you could customize the bottom navbar please. I wish I could just go straight into playlists…

 

[talkingheads]

Bring back the old app design where you could customize the bottom navbar please. I wish I could just go straight into playlists…

Yes please Apple bring it back.
The Music app on the Mac has the same problems that I mentioned above.
We need more customization options on both OS’s.

 

[ignatius345]

What I'm really wanting these days is the ability to TAG a song or an artist however I choose (say "driving music" or "upbeat" or "solo artist") so I could assemble smart playlists based on tags. Playlists are all well and good (and definitely have their place), but the concept has not really evolved past the mixtape paradigm.

 

[ignatius345]

has anyone found any use for favoriting songs in Apple Music?

Absolutely. I made a smart playlist in Music based on songs I've favorited, and sometimes if I don't know what to listen to, I'll shuffle through that. It's also possible (on the Mac, anyway) to make a smart playlist that's got favorited tracks plus other attributes -- so, "favorited Miles Davis tracks" for instance.

 

[telecomm]

That this is considered an article-worthy development shows just how terrible the Music app really is.

 

[phuklok1]

After 17 revisions of IOS, can we get some simple things for Music like custom EQ? remembering EQ and mono/stereo settings for each bluetooth device (headphones, car, portable, etc) and maybe swipe left right for next or previous songs? LOL. I would also like to see some apps separated from the OS updates so they can be revised more frequently or updated on older devices. Like Safari, Music, even messages (they will never do that one).

 

[missingar]

This, along with a couple of essential features, always keeps me from switching from Spotify to Apple Music.

Though I'll admit that "Spotify's family account being super cheap" plays a huge part as well.

Spotify is great if you don’t listen to any music that isn’t commercially available. And god forbid an artists catalog get removed, or a song become unavailable and not only will you lose access to it, you’ll also have no idea it was ever in your library. This is why I will never stop using iCloud Music Library + Apple Music.

 

[CygnusTC]

Apple Music is the WORST music management system out there. Years and Years of problems with syncing (decades old concept still in use today), dropped tracks, dropped artwork, wrong artwork, try moving your collection to another drive and all those issues are amplified!. The whole concept is a Junior High School Computer class project yet Apple continues to leave it as a HUGE EPIC FAIL which is beyond mind blowing and quite embarrassing for a company in the state they are. Wait though....as long as you ONLY buy Apple Music or stream then funny how everything seems to work fine. Add if your LEGAL music ripped from obscure CDs, etc that are not available on AM or anywhere then all hell breaks loose. I would LOVE to sit with Craig F. and discuss this...

 

[!!!]

Add if your LEGAL music ripped from obscure CDs, etc that are not available on AM or anywhere then all hell breaks loose.

I've never had issues with having my CD rips with Apple Music. They just upload and sync to my phone from my computer.

 

[diskrisk]

has anyone found any use for favoriting songs in Apple Music?

I made a smart playlist that automatically groups all of them

 

[diskrisk]

Apple Music is the WORST music management system out there.

Spotify's moronic decision to replace the library with "Liked Songs" would like a word about this

 

[drcre8tive]

I used apple music for many years, but then got a Spotify account. I've got to say, Spotify affords so much more ease of use and customization in playlist creation (upload your own image,? sure why not.) I'm amazed Apple just can't grock how to make this kind of thing work... but then again, hocky-puck mouse.

 

[ignatius345]

I've never had issues with having my CD rips with Apple Music. They just upload and sync to my phone from my computer.

This is the main reason I switched over from Spotify. I've got a fair bit of music that's not on any streaming service, like that De La Soul album that was so rife with samples they could never clear it for streaming. I've also got some mashup stuff that's just blatantly illegal and will never see the light of day on legit streaming. No problem streaming all that on my phone without manually syncing it to my Mac like I used to have to do in the iTunes days. It's a huge plus!

 

[tomtad]

Honestly surprised it has taken this long for such a basic feature.

Are you new to Apple Music?

 

[JippaLippa]

Still much needed, but finally apple is updating Music, allbeit slowly.