Apple To Retune Its Music Store In June | TechTree.com

Apple To Retune Its Music Store In June

Rumors suggest a retro design and inclusion of lyrics in karaoke style.

 

Almost to the year, Apple had launched its new music subscription service at the worldwide developers’ conference (WWDC). The new service was brimming with features, ranging from a massive library of 30 million songs to a 24/7 Beats One radio station and much more.

The Cupertino-based technology giant made quite a song and dance of the launch – getting Jimmy Iovine and Drake to perform on the occasion. After close to 12 months, rumors are rife that things aren’t actually in symphony for the new service despite a three-month free subscription that the company offered.

Now, Tim Cook and his gang of merry people are reportedly coming up with a revamp aimed at shoring up sagging revenues from the iTunes bucket, hampered by the arrival of rival streaming services from Pandora, Tidal and Spotify.

So, what’s new here?

So, what’s in store for Music Store users this June? A report published in 9to5Mac.com suggests a redesigned user interface, some new functions on top of a reorganization and simplification of the existing features. The article (read it here) says that the UI would replace the colorful and translucent look to a more retro feel with back and white backgrounds and text.

However, the company will not ditch the focus on the album artwork, which if anything, would occupy a larger part of the interface so that the dull background does not mess up with the user’s delight.

The article also mentions use of 3D Touch shortcut previews and better capability to promote and share songs. The emphasis is reportedly on the ‘For You’ tab that recommends songs, albums, artists and music videos. Engineers have simplified this feature and would present it at this year’s WWDC.

The new version is slated for release as part of the iOS10 this winter with the beta launch slated for the summer. It is also scheduled to update on the Mac via a minor iTunes update, the website says. The release of iTunes version 12.4 has been delayed, ostensibly due to these changes, and may happen later this summer.

The Future of Apple Music?

Is it really enough?

The question uppermost on Apple watchers’ mind is quite simple. Would these changes really help regenerate interest in Apple Music? It may be recalled that the company had received 11 million sign-ups during the free trial period, of which close to 48% decided to cancel, even before the USD10 monthly fee was initiated.

So, what would draw customers to the Music Store another time round? Here is what Dan Tynan of The Guardian thinks:

  • Apple Music’s interface lacks the simplicity that has been the hallmark of all products from the company. So, fewer options on the screen would be a welcome move.
  • More free radio stations could be the order of the day, especially after Apple restricted access to only its paid subscribers, leaving only the Beats One Radio as a free service.
  • Take a leaf out of Spotify’s book and offer a free ad-supported version, which gave the rivals 50 million users in addition to the 20 million, paid ones.
  • Since artists around the world have largely ignored the “Connect” feature, that allows them to connect with fans, Apple might as well get rid of this piece of furniture on the UI.
  • Better desktop connectivity to allow seamless listening on non-handheld devices such as the Mac or via web clients. Also, it would be a good idea for Apple to stop pushing personalized suggestions in the absence of a facility that lets users tell the company about their choice.

Though news about the impending revamp is indeed welcome, it remains to be seen whether Tim Cook will take the bull by its horns and come up with an easier to use and simplified service or whether he will stick with his brand of incrementalization that was abhorrent to his predecessor Steve Jobs.


TAGS: Apple Music

 
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