The Ying-Yang Relationship of the Smart Music Industry

I bash a lot on the HomePod and often compare it to the Google Home and the Amazon Echo. I think a lot of people see it as a failure that has a lot of obvious flaws. It's easy the point out the obvious when it comes to HomePod and its competition. So, in the smart speaker market, Apple is floundering compared to its competitors. But things get interesting when we look at the opposite of a smart speaker: smart headphones. AirPods has been absolutely dominating this market, becoming an icon in modern culture. AirPods are instantly recognizable and have had constant press for the two years they've been on the market. Meanwhile, it's hard to name one single competitor. With rumors of Amazon potentially making their own competitor, it will be interesting if they will take off like the Amazon Echo did, or flop into an endless sea of AirPods competitors.

Dedicated Music App May Finally Come to macOS

iTunes has had an identity crisis these past few years, and hasn't done the best job at integrating with Apple Music. It's not bad, but it certainly could be better. With the announcement that Apple will be bringing the TV app to macOS, it only makes sense to have Music and Podcasts apps as well. And it would make sense with the new UIKit functionality being implemented in future versions of macOS. Steve Troughton-Smith on Twitter says we have reason to believe this will be the case. Based on public evidence, it makes perfect sense, and I'm open to it. That being said, breaking up iTunes would be the end of an era, as it revolutionized how we listened to music alongside the iPod, even if it will be there in spirit for the Music app.

I am now fairly confident based on evidence I don't wish to make public at this point that Apple is planning new (likely UIKit) Music, Podcasts, perhaps even Books, apps for macOS, to join the new TV app. I expect the four to be the next wave of Marzipan apps. Grain of salt, etc

— Steve Troughton-Smith (@stroughtonsmith) April 5, 2019

Apple Music Now Available on Amazon Fire TV

The Amazon Fire TV is the Amazon Echo's less-popular TV counterpart. Now, Apple Music subscribers can ask Alexa on their Amazon Fire TVs to play music from Apple Music [Source: CNBC]. Three months ago, Apple also allowed Apple Music to be streamed through Amazon Echo devices, so users of both will get the benefits of Apple Music on both devices. If you own an Amazon Echo with Apple Music set up, there is no need to do any additional setup for it to work with Amazon Fire TV. With all of the additional Alexa devices being created, maybe Alexa could be expanded to those as well.

Music Streaming Leads U.S. Music Revenue

The music industry has changed vastly thanks to Apple Music and Spotify over the past few years. Digital downloads was king not too long ago, but today, streaming has generated 75% of the U.S.'s music industry revenue [Source: RIAA]. That's up 30% from last year. Physical releases are in second place with a mere 12%. It speaks volumes of the appeal of streaming and could put in question the fate of the iTunes Store.

Google Says Apple Music Not Coming to Google Home

The other day, a MacRumors reader found Apple Music references in the Google Home app, heavily suggesting that the streaming service would be making its way to Google Home speakers. Now, Google has told Bloomberg that the Apple Music reference was a result of a bug and that they have nothing to announce regarding Apple Music on Google Home. Considering how bugs work, we can safely assume that Apple Music is likely coming to Google Home. Given that Apple Music was listed under streaming service logins, with a logo and everything, most people find it unlikely that this was a bug.

Apple Music Could Be Coming to Google Home Devices

Apple Music has bridged out to multiple third-party streaming mediums now. Sonos, Amazon Echo, and Android devices. However, Apple Music could be adding their streaming to Google Home devices [Source: MacRumors]. Apple Music has been seen in a screenshot for the Google Home app, however, the sign in feature is currently disabled. It would make total sense for Apple to do this, especially with Apple Music available on Android and Amazon Echo speakers. Apple has established that they're willing to reach out to third parties to get more people to join the streaming service. It can be a smart move for people who switch from an iPhone, but don't want to go to the trouble of migrating their Apple Music library.

Image Credit: MacRumors

The Music App Needs An Overhaul

I am a loyal Apple Music subscriber. Yes, I do have occasional gripes with the service, but for the most part, it gets the job done. I think the general rule of thumb is if you use iOS, use Apple Music. Otherwise, use Spotify. There are some key differences in the services, but most people will not notice them. The biggest difference between the two that everyone will notice is design.

Apple Music has this weird pink and white blend while Spotify has their iconic green and black design. I genuinely cannot figure out how Apple thought this design was good, nor how they haven't fixed it yet. The previous design was so much better, but was so short-lived (I think it lasted about two years). Most people have moved on to using darker primary colors with light accents. It's modern and so much easier on the eyes. I think a black and blue color scheme would work way better, blue as a subtle nod to the old iTunes logo. I would've said orange, since it references the old Music icon pre-iOS 7, but black and orange gives off a weird Halloween vibe.

Aside from this, a new Music app should revolve around a proper centralized "start screen." It should be modular, like an Apple Watch watch face (I think several apps could benefit from this idea). When I open the Music app, show me this page. It will have a row of music that I have picked myself. This row can consist of playlists, albums, artists, and so on. Think of it as a quick access area. Another row will have recently played music. Then, an audio source row. This row has all audio devices my iPhone can AirPlay to. Apple TVs, Smart TVs, HomePods, Amazon Echos, AirPods, Beats, the iPhone's speaker, and so on. This list changes based on what devices are powered on, nearby, and available. A checkmark appears on the audio source that will play music if you tap a song. Finally, a row for Apple's curated playlists. These can cycle throughout the day. Road-trip playlists, workout playlists, and so on.

You may notice some of these elements are similar to the "For You" tab in Apple Music, but that tab feels so static. It's not really "for me." It's one interface for every user. Yes, the music that appears is different, but not everyone cares about Artist Spotlights or "Heavy Rotation." The point with my idea is that it's fully customizable. You can add and remove different rows at a whim. What I described was just an example, but I would imagine there being way more rows to pick and choose from.

In short, my ideas may not be for everyone. But, I do believe that Apple Music and its users would greatly benefit from a major overhaul to the design and interface of the Music app. Hopefully, we get some news like this for iOS 13 at WWDC this year.

Apple Music Subscribers Getting Referral Links to Send to Friends

The Apple Music social features have been something Apple has been pushing lately. And I'm sure that Apple wants to attract potential subscribers to the service, so it seems only natural Apple would want to do something like this. Apple is sending notifications to Apple Music subscribers asking them to send a referral link to one of their friends who doesn't have Apple Music yet. It's a one month free trial of the service. Because Apple Music has a three month free trial to new subscribers, this bumps it up to four free months (only if the three month trial hasn't been used yet). If the three month trial has been used already, it's just a one month free trial. Apple seems to be rolling this out, so if you're a subscriber and haven't gotten the notification yet, it may come in the next few days.

Apple Sending Unsolicited Notifications

One of Apple's guidelines for notifications is that developers may not use them for advertising or promotional purposes, however, it seems that Apple's own Music app is now guilty of that. Many users have reported getting notifications regarding new episodes of Carpool Karaoke and Amazon Echo support for Apple Music. Not all users got these notifications, but many of those who did were upset. iOS has always been free of ads on the base operating system, and to see an ad for something like Carpool Karaoke can easily be seen as a desperate attempt by Apple to get more people to watch the show. Apple needs to ensure that their entire team is aware of their own guidelines and find better ways to communicate their marketing materials.

Apple Music Now Available on Alexa

Earlier this month, it was announced that Apple Music would be available on Alexa starting the week of December 17. It seems that plans have changed, as the Alexa skill is already available. I've already tried it and it works pretty well. It can play my playlists synced through Apple Music. It can even play music that I added manually (not through the Apple Music catalog). To get started, just add the Apple Music skill to your Alexa device through the Amazon Alexa app.

Apple Music Connect To Shut Down

Apple Music Connect was a very small feature in Apple Music. It was similar to iTunes Ping, shut down in 2012. iTunes Ping tried to make iTunes a social experience. Apple Music Connect added artist's posts and tweets into Apple Music. Apple has tried to make music a social experience for too long. I think most people just want a way to get notified if their favorite artists release a new album. Connect content will be searchable until May 24, 2019.

Apple Music and Amazon Alexa

For anyone looking for another reason to not buy HomePod, Apple and Amazon announced today that Apple Music is coming to Amazon Alexa. Starting the week of December 17, you'll be able to ask Alexa to play a song using Apple Music. It's almost poetic that Apple Music as the most popular music streaming service in the U.S. is available on one of the most popular smart speakers. But it does speak of Apple's position on HomePod. Amazon won't sell HomePod because it's technically a competing product, which is being generous calling it that. I've lost almost any reason to buy a HomePod with this news.

Apple and iHeartMedia

iHeartRadio has been the Frankenstein of music streaming. It tried AM/FM streaming, Pandora style-streaming, and Apple Music-style streaming all at the same time, but ended up failing. With iHeartMedia filing for bankruptcy, Apple is taking a look at buying a stake in the group [Source: Financial Times]. My opinion will vary based on how Apple implemented this, but I think it would be good for Apple to have some stake in iHeartMedia. I live in Arizona for university, but I enjoy listening to old fashioned AM/FM radio from California. I can listen to it through iHeartRadio, but I don't enjoy using their app. I think if Apple took iHeartMedia's stations and put them into the Apple Music's radio section, they could strike gold. Asking Siri to play a specific station with HomePod would certainly intrigue me more. Android users would have more incentive to download the Apple Music app and listen to their favorite stations at no cost. iHeartMedia, though bankrupt, could do a lot for Apple.

Spotify Coming to Apple Watch

With the Apple Watch becoming more and more independent, Spotify can only benefit with an Apple Watch app. There are certainly apps that work better than others on Apple Watch, but I think we can agree that a music app is a smarter pick than something like Twitter or Day One. Spotify’s Apple Watch app is still in public beta, but I’m sure we’ll see it hit the public soon. 

Shazam App Acknowledges Apple Acquisition

Apple is finally able to begin taking steps to overhaul Shazam to their liking after their acquisition. The first step is a new Shazam privacy policy [Source: iGeneration]. The privacy policy simply states that all Shazam data is now under ownership of Apple. That's not a huge concern considering Apple is Apple and not Google. In the future, we can expect better integration between Shazam and Apple Music, which sounds exciting.

Apple Fully Acquires Shazam

After many months, Apple's acquisition of Shazam is complete. I first learned about Shazam in an iPhone 3GS commercial. Apple and Shazam have been associated with each other for so long, it will be interesting to see what Apple does with it. With the acquisition complete, Shazam will soon become ad-free. 

Apple Music and Verizon

Apple Music is no stranger to free trials. Apple is now giving six months of Apple Music for free to new and existing Verizon Wireless customers with an unlimited plan. In addition, new and existing Apple Music users are eligible. Existing users will have to cancel and reactivate to take advantage. Definitely a nice perk to get in on if you're an unlimited Verizon customer.

'Today at Apple' Playlist

Apple Stores will play a variety of songs throughout the business day. While it may seem like they're just playing a random playlist or something, they're actually streaming from an official Apple Music playlist. Going to "Browse" in the Music app will eventually lead you to a "Today at Apple" playlist. The playlist contains all of the songs played at Apple Stores currently. It's a nice way of showing off Apple Music and how Apple Stores operate behind the scenes.

Apple Music Surpasses Spotify

Reports have been going around all year that Apple Music was expected to surpass Spotify in paying subscribers this summer. They seem to be true. According to Digital Music News, Apple Music now has more subscribers than Spotify. This is huge, since Spotify was leading the way for some time, acting as one of their main selling points. In addition, while Apple Music is technically available on Android, Apple Music is targeted at Apple users. This can speak a lot about how many people are actively using their Apple products as opposed to just owning one, whether for business or as a simple phone that happens to run Android. Overall, this is great news for Apple Music and the momentum will hopefully continue with this news.

A New Apple Subscription

Apple is planning to create a subscription that encapsulates Apple Music, original TV shows, and news according to The Information. News would be provided in conjunction with Texture, which provides access to over 200 magazines. I've never been a fan of any of Apple's TV programming on Apple Music and I don't plan to be. If they can throw in some other shows, like Silicon Valley or something, then I'd be intrigued. The idea here is to take existing Apple Music members and incentivize them to bundle their subscription. Maybe throw in some more iCloud storage while they're at it. The sky is the limit.