iOS 8.4 Released with Apple Music, Beats 1 and Revamped Music App
- Thread starter Europa
- Start date
As expected, Apple has released iOS 8.4. The big news here is the release of the redesigned Music app, namely the inclusion of Apple Music. The new streaming music service debuts today, bringing with it many of the features in the soon to be defunct Beats Music. To help spur adoption and ultimately subscriptions, everyone gets a 3-month free trial. It being summer, it would seem the trial will come at a good time. After that, subscriptions are $9.99 for individuals and $14.99 for families.
Please use this thread to discuss the iOS 8.4 release. If you have specific questions regarding Music and/or comments, I'd welcome those in the form of new threads. You can leave those here in the iOS 8 forum and if there is a need, we'll move them to an Apple Music forum.
Please use this thread to discuss the iOS 8.4 release. If you have specific questions regarding Music and/or comments, I'd welcome those in the form of new threads. You can leave those here in the iOS 8 forum and if there is a need, we'll move them to an Apple Music forum.
Europa, no new separate app for the new music features! Just as I had hoped. This is cause for celebration. ♫ ♪ *doin' a little dance, makin' a little love, gettin' down tonight… gettin' down tonight!* ♬ And again, everybody now!
Apple Music Streaming Service/Beats1 Radio Station features were neatly incorporated into the existing Music app. The app's icon received a minor makeover—no big surprise there.
I wonder if OS X El Capitan will change its iTunes icon to match the new iOS Music app icon:
Apple Music Streaming Service/Beats1 Radio Station features were neatly incorporated into the existing Music app. The app's icon received a minor makeover—no big surprise there.
I wonder if OS X El Capitan will change its iTunes icon to match the new iOS Music app icon:
I can't see myself listening to Beats 1. It seems much of what I liked about Beats is in Music. With Sonos support coming, count me among those seriously considering it. I'll need those 90 days, since I won't get a chance to demo it as much as I'd like. Most of my listening comes at home and using Sonos.
It's coming to iOS 9, so it's up to you on what's most important. Music is similar to Beats. And when you do subscribe, you'll get 90 days.
The lovely folks at Apple have added a new feature to facilitate/encourage impulse purchasing of songs: a Buy button for the currently playing song on iTunes Radio right there in the Control Center! That is so absolutely nice of them! 
Although I would probably like the streaming service, I can't see paying $14.99 per month while having to switch to Family Sharing. My Wife and I have shared an iTunes ID for over a year and it works great. Maybe later sometime. But I'm good with free Spotify. I don't like Beats 1 radio. It's mostly hip hop and pop. I'll pass. TuneIn Radio Pro suites my needs better. The iTunes radio stations seem a bit messy. It took a while to figure some of it out. I lost several stations I had. And there's no replacement for one in particular. When iOS 8 began, several stations vanished. I found 2 online and added them back. It didn't work this time. But there's enough music there. Southern Rock is a narrow genre. Creating a station doesn't work well. You end up with a station that plays your genre, but every 3rd song is of the artist the station was created from. If there's a better way, I don't see it. I'm glad many users will enjoy Apple Music.
Try the free three-month trial, then…
Here's how to CANCEL/STOP Apple Music Subscriptions from automatic renewal after three months.
There's no reason not to try it. Win-win. You get your free three months' worth of the service, Taylor Swift gets her royalties, and everybody lives happily ever after.
PS: The red bubbles pouring into the screen where you select the genres, then the artists that interest you was totally worth signing up for this thing. But now that I've experienced this incredibly awesome piece of UI artwork, I think I'm ready to cancel after three months… unless they come up with another totally awesome red bubble animation to keep me subscribed.
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No need to wait that long. I just updated my Mac to OS X 10.10.4, and iTunes 12.2, which includes the matching icon.
I have a quick question about the new Music app on iOS 8.4. Ars Technica's article "A quick tour of iOS 8.4’s new Music app and the Apple Music setup process," quite disappointingly, failed to address the question I have.
To quote Ars Teechnica's article, "You can minimize the Now Playing window to a persistent strip that hangs out as you tap around the rest of the Music app." That's nice. It's quite persistent, indeed.
How do I get rid of it once I'm done with it? I've tried swiping left, right, down, and up. Up is the only swipe that has any effect… it "maximizes" that strip back to a full-size window. Tapping on the "…" on the extreme right of that strip reveals several options, none of which removes the strip.
Here's a screenshot to help ensure my question is clear:
To quote Ars Teechnica's article, "You can minimize the Now Playing window to a persistent strip that hangs out as you tap around the rest of the Music app." That's nice. It's quite persistent, indeed.
How do I get rid of it once I'm done with it? I've tried swiping left, right, down, and up. Up is the only swipe that has any effect… it "maximizes" that strip back to a full-size window. Tapping on the "…" on the extreme right of that strip reveals several options, none of which removes the strip.
Here's a screenshot to help ensure my question is clear:
I don't think you can. I don't really have a problem with it since everything is so readily available. I've explored Apple Music for only a few minutes and actually find it kinda nice. I don't know if I'd want to pay $9.99/month for it, though.
It's a screenshot of the stock Music app.
As far as the annotations/markups, I used an app called Skitch for those. Tremendously useful.
Skitch on iOS: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/skitch-snap.-mark-up.-send./id490505997?mt=8
Skitch on OS X: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/skitch-snap.-mark-up.-share./id425955336?mt=12
With a free Evernote account, you can keep your creations synced between your iOS and your OS X apps.
Yes, annotations/markups, that is what I was talking about. I already downloaded and tried out. Thank you so much, I always wonder how people did that : ) I really appreciate it, thank you, I am so exited!!!
