Apple Music: answers to the most popular questions

On Tuesday, Apple released the final version of iOS 8.4 and officially launched its new music service called Apple Music. In fact, it consists of several large parts - a streaming service, Beats 1 24/7 online radio, a social network called Connect, where users and musicians can communicate with each other, and so on. In this article, we decided to collect answers to all the most frequently asked questions regarding Apple Music.

What is Apple Music?

Apple Music is a new music service that gives you access to both your music library and the massive iTunes music catalog. Thanks to this, users can create their own playlists, listen to specific artists or rely on the taste of Apple's editors.

As mentioned above, Apple Music includes Beats 1, an internet radio station that broadcasts 24/7, and a social network for musicians called Connect.

What devices does Apple Music work on?

Earlier this week, Apple Music became available to owners of iPhone, iPad, iPod touch, Apple Watch, Mac and PC. And this fall, the service will launch on Android and Apple TV.

In which countries is Apple Music available?

As part of the WWDC 2015 conference, representatives of the apple company announced that the new music service will work in more than 100 countries around the world. True, there is one caveat. In some regions, access to some Apple Music features is somewhat limited. For example, the Beats 1 radio does not work.

A complete list of countries in which Apple Music is already available can be found on the official website of the apple company.

Do I need to pay for Apple Music?

In essence, the service is paid. But Apple decided to give users a gift. All iPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac and PC owners can enjoy Apple Music for free for three months. After that, you will need to subscribe.

In Russia, the cost of a monthly subscription for one person is 169 rubles. If you wish, you can apply for a special family tariff, which costs 269 rubles per month. It will allow six members of your family to use the service. You don't have to have the same Apple ID to do this, just connect iCloud Family Sharing.

Free trial period starts June 30th, or can I start any day?

You can start using the service for free immediately after registration - it does not matter if it is June 30 or December 30. It is important to note that at the end of the free period, the subscription to the service will be automatically renewed. You can disable auto-renewal in the settings.

What do I get when I sign up for Apple Music?

With a paid subscription (or during a trial period), Apple Music users get:

• Access to content (play, save and subscribe to interesting pages) in Connect.
• Ability to listen to Apple Music radio stations.
• Unlimited access to your Apple Music library.
• Ability to save tracks for listening offline.
• Recommendations from music experts.
• Ability to add tracks from Apple Music to your library.

What happens if I don't renew my subscription after the end of the trial period?

Without an active subscription:

• Streaming music added to the library from the Apple Music catalog will no longer be available.
• Access to content in Connect will be closed.
• The ability to skip songs indefinitely on Apple Music radio will be disabled.
• Without an active iTunes Match subscription, you will be blocked from streaming previously downloaded tracks to your devices.

Why should I switch to Apple Music if I'm already using one of the popular services?

First of all, Apple Music is free to try right now. The new apple service stands out not only for its rather impressive functionality, but also for one of the largest music libraries.

However, the main advantage of Apple Music is the integration with other services of the company. Users don't need to install any additional software, and they can use their Apple ID to pay for the subscription.

What do you need to try Apple Music?

• One of the currently supported devices is iPhone, iPad, iPod touch, Apple Watch, Mac, and PC.
• In the case of mobile devices, iOS 8.4 is installed (you can update to the current version of iOS either through iTunes by connecting the device to a computer, or “over the air” by going to Settings - General - Software Update).
• On PC and Mac, you'll need the latest version of Apple's iTunes media processor. You can download it on the official website or simply update an already installed application.

Does Apple Music work in iOS 9 beta?

Not at the moment. However, the other day, Apple Senior Vice President of Software Eddie Cue tweeted that iOS 9 beta 3 will be available next week, which provides access to Apple Music.

What will happen to other Apple services after the launch of Music?

iTunes Radio will change the most. In fact, it is being replaced by Beats 1 (and Apple Music radio stations, which are manually controlled by Apple curators).

As for the iTunes Store, it still remains one of the largest online music stores.

iTunes Match, which allows users to listen to ad-free radio and access their music library via iCloud, duplicates some of Apple Music's features. However, if you don't need an extensive library of the new music service, you can only pay for Match, saving more than 1,000 rubles a year.

Apple Music will know what kind of music I like?

After launching Apple Music for the first time, the app will ask the user to indicate their favorite artists and music genres they like. In addition, the service will constantly study the music being played.

Also, when playing a track, users can press and hold the "Favorites" key to "ask" the service to play similar songs more or less often.

The "New" tab, or why Apple Music is studying musical tastes

With the launch of Apple Music, a new section called "New" has appeared in the Music app and iTunes, which should help in finding new interesting music. Its content is selected based on the user's musical tastes.

Apple Music has support for Twitter, Facebook, and iMessage, so users can share playlists, albums, and videos with their friends.

Apple has replaced iTunes Radio. Why is new better?

By and large, the radio in Apple Music is an improved version of the old radio. Its key feature is radio stations, playlists for which are created manually. Among them: Music 2.0, Mixtape, On the dance floor, Pop hits, Street rhythms, etc.

It's also worth mentioning Beats 1 - it's a 24-hour radio station where you can hear music, exclusive interviews, special programs, new singles and much more. Especially for Beats 1, the Cupertino team invited several live presenters - Zane Lowe, a popular British radio host and DJ, Ebro Darden, former vice president of WQHT Hot 97 and Julia Adenuga.

In addition, there will be no replays on Beats 1. The broadcast is live.

Can you start your own radio?

As before, users can create their own stations. To do this, select a song, artist or album and click on the "Create Station" button. Apple Music will do the rest.

Will there be any exclusive content on Apple Music?

So far, there is not much information about the availability of exclusive content in Apple Music. However, the Cupertinites are undoubtedly preparing something interesting.

At the moment, two exclusives are known:

- The track Freedom by Pharrell Williams and the album Dr. Dre The Chronic.
- Album "1989" by Taylor Swift.

In addition, Beats 1 Radio will feature a variety of special shows on a regular basis, featuring exclusive interviews and extraordinary guests for music lovers. However, all broadcasting is in English.

What is Connect?

Connect is a new social network designed to help musicians connect with their fans and peers. In this section of Apple Music, users can find interesting links, photos, lyrics, various videos (no longer than 8 minutes), clippings from songs, etc. In the case of an active subscription, users can not only view, but also download this information.

As noted by Apple, Connect is similar to the group page on MySpace, only taking into account the realities of the 21st century.

Outcome

To summarize, the Cupertino people managed to create an interesting music service that is definitely worth a try. Today, there are already several different opinions on the web regarding Apple Music. In general, feedback from both users and reviewers is positive.

However, some doubt that such wide possibilities are needed by most users. It is possible that they will scare away some of the audience and push potential users to other streaming services. In addition, some of those who have already tried Apple Music talk about a rather “confusing” interface, which you will definitely have to get used to.