Apple Music Sing debuts with iOS 16.2 with limited iPhone, iPad, and Apple TV compatibility

Apple Music Sing on iPhone, iPad, and TV
(Image credit: Apple)

Apple announced a new karaoke feature coming to Apple Music earlier this week, and now we know it will be part of the iOS 16.2 update, likely to arrive next week.

The feature, Apple Music Sing, is already embedded in the iOS 16.2, iPadOS 16.2, and tvOS 16.2 Release Candidates that are now available for developers to download. That means that the feature will likely be with everyone who installs the new updates as soon as next week, with an expected mid-December release.

However, not everyone will be able to use Apple Music Sing, with only modern iPhones and iPads supported and the brand-new Apple TV 4K.

Sounds good, but not for everyone

Even when everyone downloads iOS 16.2 next week, some won't be able to use the feature because they don't have the proper hardware. Apple Music Sing will require an iPhone 11 or later, while all iPad Pro models are supported. The fourth-gen iPad Air or newer, ninth-gen iPad or newer, and sixth-gen iPad mini are all supported. You'll also need the very latest Apple TV 4K, meaning those with older models are out of luck.

Apple had previously said that Apple Music Sing would be available later in December but didn't provide a release date for the feature. So now we have a feel for when people can sing along to their favorite tunes.

The Apple Music Sing feature is compatible with millions of songs, with Apple also sharing 50 different playlists that include several songs well suited to karaoke.

You will need an Apple Music subscription to join in with Apple Music Sing. Prices start at $10.99 per month for an individual plan and go to $16.99 per month for those taking advantage of the family plan. Apple Music is also available as part of the Apple One subscription bundle.

Oliver Haslam
Contributor

Oliver Haslam has written about Apple and the wider technology business for more than a decade with bylines on How-To Geek, PC Mag, iDownloadBlog, and many more. He has also been published in print for Macworld, including cover stories. At iMore, Oliver is involved in daily news coverage and, not being short of opinions, has been known to 'explain' those thoughts in more detail, too. Having grown up using PCs and spending far too much money on graphics card and flashy RAM, Oliver switched to the Mac with a G5 iMac and hasn't looked back. Since then he's seen the growth of the smartphone world, backed by iPhone, and new product categories come and go. Current expertise includes iOS, macOS, streaming services, and pretty much anything that has a battery or plugs into a wall. Oliver also covers mobile gaming for iMore, with Apple Arcade a particular focus. He's been gaming since the Atari 2600 days and still struggles to comprehend the fact he can play console quality titles on his pocket computer.