Apple is planning to reboot the Apple Music streaming service just one year after launch, a new report claims.
Bloomberg reports that Apple is planning “sweeping changes” to the service in response to the “tepid reviews” Apple Music has received so far.
It’s said that Apple will unveil its newly revamped Apple Music at the company’s annual Worldwide Developer Conference in June.
The changes are tipped to include:
- Altering the UI of Apple Music to make it more intuitive
- Better integration of streaming and downloading businesses
- Expansion of online radio service
Bloomberg cites its source for the information as “people familiar with the product”, and notes that: “The changes will be accompanied by a marketing blitz to lure more customers to the $10-per-month streaming service.”
Colin Gillis, an industry analyst, was quoted as saying:
“When it comes to software, Apple performs with less elegance than it does when it comes to hardware. Apple Music is underwhelming. They have subscribers because of their platform. If you have that kind of subscriber base, you should have millions of subscribers.”
Related: Best Music Streaming Service 2016
In our review, Apple Music scored 7/10, with criticisms including the clunky My Music section, issues with playlists and the offline mode, and an “overwhelming” app UI.
The new look of Apple Music is said to be headed up by Apple content head Robert Kondrk, and Nine Inch Nails’ Trent Reznor. Jone Ive, Apple’s chief of design, is also reported as having had “input”, as well as Eddy Cue, Apple’s senior VP of services.
Apple Music launched to the public on June 30, 2015, and now serves over 13 million subscribers globally. That’s short of Spotify’s 75 million active users, 30 million of which are paying subscribers.
Alongside an Apple Music relaunch, Apple is expected to announce a new version of Mac OS, iOS 10, a new tvOS update, and possibly the Apple Watch 2 at this year’s WWDC.
Watch our iPhone SE review:
What would you like to change about Apple Music? Let us know in the comments.
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Editorial independence
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.