On June 30th 2015, Apple released its long awaited music streaming service, Apple Music. The new service arrived as part of iOS 8.4 and will be free for the first 3 months. After that, those who like what they see and hear will have to pay a monthly fee of $9.99. Apple has taken the backbone of Beats Music, coupled it with their own version of features made popular by other streaming services, and created something that is uniquely Apple.
There are four basic parts to the new Apple Music streaming service. The heart of the service is Beats 1, which features live radio stations, as well as genre specific and user created stations. A new feature, is the curated playlists that feature new artists and new albums. There's a "For You," feature that recommends playlists that are based on a users artist or genre preferences or iTunes library. Last but not least, there's Connect, which is a social media site where artists and their fans can interact.
The Apple Music service seamlessly integrates with the music in a users iTunes library, allowing for the creation of mixed playlists that consist of songs that a users has bought, with those that they stream. Many of the curated playlists are done so by up to 300 human editors that include employees from Apple, Rolling Stone, Downbeat, and Pitchfork. There's also a family plan that offers somewhat of a price cut. For $15 a month, six people can be subscribers, with each of them having their own experience.
For those wishing to try Apple Music on their PCs, you will need to download the new version of iTunes, 12.2.
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