How would you change Apple Music?

Apple Music is Apple's attempt to move from the old buy-and-download model of iTunes to the fun-filled future of subscription streaming. It... got off to a rough start. The free three month trial was great, the utter confusion surrounding iTunes Match, versioning, and DRM, and the overloaded app, not so much.

Last year, Apple Music got refocused and redesigned. The service, at least ostensibly, got simpler and the app, bigger, bolder, and more beautiful. It made Apple Music better, inarguably, but did it make it better enough?

If Eddy Cue, Jimmy Iovine, Trent Reznor, Boz, and the rest of the Apple Music brain trust asked you what you wanted to see from the subscription service in 2017, what would you tell them?

  • Continuity handoff so you can start listening on one device and seamlessly continue on another.
  • Apple Music for iCloud so you can access all your music from any browser.
  • Separate Apple Music app for the Mac. (And thumbs up/down from Touch Bar on the Mac!)
  • Beats 2: Classical, Beats 3: Country, Beats 4: Sports!
  • Increased device limit for family plan (four people times three devices = pain!)
  • Social sharing for playlists — let everyone become an all-star DJ!
  • More original programing like Netflix!
  • Apple Music built into AirPods 2!

In other words, what would it take to get you to subscribe to Apple Music, and nothing else, for all your streaming needs?

Rene Ritchie
Contributor

Rene Ritchie is one of the most respected Apple analysts in the business, reaching a combined audience of over 40 million readers a month. His YouTube channel, Vector, has over 90 thousand subscribers and 14 million views and his podcasts, including Debug, have been downloaded over 20 million times. He also regularly co-hosts MacBreak Weekly for the TWiT network and co-hosted CES Live! and Talk Mobile. Based in Montreal, Rene is a former director of product marketing, web developer, and graphic designer. He's authored several books and appeared on numerous television and radio segments to discuss Apple and the technology industry. When not working, he likes to cook, grapple, and spend time with his friends and family.