Apple Has Increased The Cost Of Music And TV+ Subscriptions

 Apple has raised the pricing of Apple Music and Apple TV+. In the United States, music now costs $11 per month for individual plans (up from $10), or $109 per year. The Family plan is now $17 per month rather than $15. TV+ has had the greatest proportional price rise, rising from $5 per month to $7, and from $50 per year to $69.

As a result, Apple has raised the cost of its multi-service One bundles. Individual plans now cost $17 per month, up from $15 before. Family users now pay $23 per month instead of $20, while Premier customers now pay $33 per month instead of $30.

Apple TV And Music Apps Are Coming To Windows Next Year

Microsoft has announced that Apple TV and Apple Music will be coming to Windows next year. You'll be able to see previews of them on the Microsoft Store before the end of the year. As a result, users of Apple's services will no longer need to rely on a web app or iTunes to access Apple Music or Apple TV on a Windows PC.

Meanwhile, Xbox users may now download an Apple Music app, a year after the service debuted on the PS5. Since late 2020, Apple TV has been accessible on Xbox systems.

Apple Music Voice Plan Coming To iOS 15.2

Apple launches the release candidate version of iOS 15.2 to developers today for testing, and according to the release notes, the new Apple Music Voice Plan will be available alongside the update. The Voice Plan is a new tier for ‌Apple Music‌ that is priced more affordably than a standard ‌Apple Music‌ plan. It's $4.99 instead of $9.99, and is designed around Siri.

With the Voice Plan, users can access and play songs, playlists, and albums on their Apple devices solely through ‌Siri‌ requests. The plan does not offer the standard ‌Apple Music‌ user interface, instead offering a customized in-app experience with suggestions based on music preferences.

Despite the fact that Apple Music Voice Plan is limited to voice-based music playing, it still gives you access to all of your Apple Music songs, playlists, and stations. Just Ask Siri recommends music based on listening history and likes or dislikes, while Play it Again gives users access to a selection of previously played songs. iOS 15.2 is expected to be released next week, and it is currently available to developers and public beta testers.

Apple Music Is Now Available On PS5

Spotify is no longer the only service PlayStation 5 owners can stream music from while playing games. You can use Apple Music as well.

The PS5 is the first console with Apple Music integration. Subscribers can access the service's library of more than 90 million songs, playlists, Apple Music Radio and 4K music videos on a PS5. You'll also see music recommendations for the game you're playing.

Now Playing: Apple Music comes to PS5 today 🎵

Listen to your favorite albums, playlists, music videos and more in the background while you play. Details: https://t.co/7vdaLUVueq pic.twitter.com/sMkCVcJfK6

— PlayStation (@PlayStation) October 27, 2021

Apple Music Coming To PS4 And PS5 Soon?

It looks like Apple is bringing the Apple Music app to PlayStation 5. According to a post on Reddit, the Apple Music app has been showing up in the PlayStation 5’s music menu. However, at least for now, there’s no way to download the app as an error message says it’s not available. Expect Apple Music to e available on PS4 and PS5 in the future. 

Apple Introduces Three New Colors For The HomePod Mini

Apple has introduced HomePod mini in three new colors: yellow, orange, and blue. The HomePod mini will be available in these
new colors, along with white and space gray, with color-matched details throughout, including the tinted touch surface, mesh fabric, volume icons, and woven power cable, starting in November for US$99.

Apple Introduces A Voice Plan For Apple Music

Apple has announced the Apple Music Voice Plan, a new subscription tier for Apple Music designed around the power of Siri. 

The Apple Music Voice Plan offers subscribers access to the service’s catalog of 90 million songs; tens of thousands of playlists, including hundreds of brand new mood and activity playlists, personalized mixes, and genre stations; as well as the award-winning Apple Music Radio, all through Siri for just $4.99 per month.

“Apple Music and Siri are natural partners and already work seamlessly together,” said Oliver Schusser, Apple’s vice president of Apple Music and Beats, in a press release. “With Siri actively used on hundreds of millions of devices worldwide, we are thrilled to add this new plan that delivers an effortless music experience just by using your voice and makes Apple Music accessible to even more people around the world.”

Users can subscribe to the Apple Music Voice Plan through Siri by saying “Hey Siri, start my Apple Music Voice trial,” or by signing up through the Apple Music app. Once subscribed to the Apple Music Voice Plan, users can request music be played across all of their Siri-enabled devices, including HomePod mini, AirPods, iPhone, or any other Apple device, and when using CarPlay.

Apple Music is also adding hundreds of new mood and activity playlists created by Apple Music’s editorial experts that are fully optimized just for voice. Subscribers can ask Siri to “Play the dinner party playlist,” “Play something chill,” or even “Play more like this” for a truly personalized music experience. These new playlists are available to every subscriber of any Apple Music plan — and make using Apple Music, together with Siri, even better. Subscribers to the Apple Music Voice Plan will also have access to Apple Music’s entire lineup of playlists, including favorites like New Music Daily, Rap Life, Today’s Hits, Today’s Country, A-List Pop, R&B Now, and more.

The Apple Music Voice Plan will be available later this fall in 17 countries and regions, including Australia, Austria, Canada, China, France, Germany, Hong Kong, India, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Mexico, New Zealand, Spain, Taiwan, the United Kingdom, and the United States.

Apple Music Voice Plan subscribers will get a customized in-app experience with suggestions based on the listener’s music preferences and a queue of recently played music through Siri. Within the app there will also be a dedicated section called “Just Ask Siri” where subscribers can learn tips to optimize Siri for Apple Music.

Apple Acquires Classical Music Streaming Primephonic

Apple has acquired Primephonic, the classical music streaming service that offers search and browse functionality optimized for classical, premium-quality audio, handpicked expert recommendations, and extensive contextual details on repertoire and recordings. Details of the acquisition haven’t been revealed.

Apple says that with the addition of Primephonic, Apple Music subscribers will get a significantly improved classical music experience beginning with Primephonic playlists and exclusive audio content. In the coming months, Apple Music Classical fans will get a dedicated experience with the best features of Primephonic, including better browsing and search capabilities by composer and by repertoire, detailed displays of classical music metadata, plus new features and benefits.

“We love and have a deep respect for classical music, and Primephonic has become a fan favorite for classical enthusiasts,” said Oliver Schusser, Apple’s vice president of Apple Music and Beats, in a press release. “Together, we’re bringing great new classical features to Apple Music, and in the near future, we’ll deliver a dedicated classical experience that will truly be the best in the world.”

Thomas Steffens, Primephonic’s co-founder and CEO, added: “Bringing the best of Primephonic to Apple Music subscribers is a tremendous development for the classical music industry. Artists love the Primephonic service and what we’ve done in classical, and now we have the ability to join with Apple to deliver the absolute best experience to millions of listeners. We get to bring classical music to the mainstream and connect a new generation of musicians with the next generation of audience.”

Primephonic is no longer available for new subscribers and will be taken offline beginning September 7. Apple Music plans to launch a dedicated classical music app next year combining Primephonic’s classical user interface with more added features. In the meantime, current Primephonic subscribers will receive six months of Apple Music for free. 

AirPods Pro/Max Won’t Support Apple Music Lossless Audio

 Apple has announced that it’s adding “Lossless” and “Hi-Resolution Lossless” streaming options to Apple Music in June 2021 for no extra charge, as well as offering Dolby Atmos “Spatial Audio” 3D music, too. However, the tech giant has confirmed to T3 that this equipment, sadly, doesn’t include the AirPods Pro or AirPods Max.

In Apple’s terminology, Lossless is CD quality, from 16-bit 44.1kHz playback up to 24-bit 48kHz, while Hi-Res Lossless delivers up to 24-bit 192kHz. Both of Apple’s elite (and expensive) headphone models only use the Bluetooth AAC codec when connected to an iPhone, which means they can’t receive the full quality of the Apple Music Lossless files, which will be encoded as ALAC (Apple Lossless Audio Codec) files.

Apple Music Pays Artists More Per Stream Than Spotify

Apple Music told artists it pays a penny per stream in a letter reviewed by The Wall Street Journal. Apple’s penny-per-stream payment structure—which music-industry experts say can dip lower (roughly double what Spotify).

The Wall Street Journal says Spotify pays an average of about one-third to one-half penny per stream, however, its larger user base generates many more streams. Apple’s payments come out of monthly subscription revenue from users.

In June 2019 Apple said it had more than 60 million Music subscribers. Spotify has 155 million paid subscribers — and 355 total when you figure in those who listen to the ad-supported version.  Apple Music doesn’t offer a free, ad-supported option. Both Apple Music and Spotify Premium subscriptions are $9.99 a month. 

Apple Music Is Now Available On Nest Audio Deceives

Apple Music is rolling out to Google Assistant-enabled devices like Nest Audio, Nest Hub Max, Nest Mini, and more. To play music from Apple Music, first link your Apple Music account in the Google Home app. You can also select Apple Music as your default music streaming service. Then, all you have to do is say, “Hey Google, play New Music Daily playlist,” or “Hey Google, play Rap Life playlist.”

You can ask Google Assistant to play any specific song, artist or playlist available on Apple Music. You can also play your liked songs from your Apple Music library by saying, “Hey Google, play my songs” or “Hey Google, play my library.” If you have more than one compatible smart speaker or display, you can use the multi-room control feature in the Google Home app or on a Nest smart display to dynamically move your music from one device to the other, and even play music on all of the devices in your home by saying, “Hey Google, play music on all my speakers.” 

Apple Music began rolling out Monday on Nest and other Assistant-enabled smart speakers and displays in the U.S., U.K., France, Germany and Japan. 

Apple One Is A Bundle Of Apple’s Subscription Services

Apple announced Apple One, a new bundle of their services including Apple Music, Apple TV+, Apple Arcade, iCloud, Apple News+ and Apple Fitness+ at a discounted price. The Family and Premier plans can be shared between up to 6 family members.

Apple One, the easiest way to get all of Apple’s subscription services in one simple plan, including Apple Music, Apple TV+, Apple Arcade, Apple News+, Apple Fitness+, and iCloud. With a single subscription, customers in over 100 countries and regions can enjoy their favorite Apple services across their favorite devices, including iPhone, iPad, iPod touch, Apple TV, and Mac.

“Apple One makes enjoying Apple subscription services easier than ever, including Apple Music, Apple TV+, Apple Arcade, iCloud, and more,” said Eddy Cue, Apple’s senior vice president of Internet Software and Services. “With Apple One, you can access the best of Apple entertainment across all your favorite devices with one simple subscription.”

Starting this fall, customers with Apple subscriptions will be recommended the right Apple One plan for them so they can sign up with a tap from any Apple device and get even more for less.

• Individual includes Apple Music, Apple TV+, Apple Arcade, and 50GB of iCloud storage for $14.95 per month.
• Family includes Apple Music, Apple TV+, Apple Arcade, and 200GB of iCloud storage for $19.95 per month, and can be shared among up to six family members. 
• Premier, where available, includes Apple Music, Apple TV+, Apple Arcade, Apple News+, Apple Fitness+, and 2TB of iCloud storage for $29.95 per month, and can be shared among up to six family members.

Apple One includes a 30-day free trial for any services that customers do not already have. With Apple One, customers will receive only one invoice each month, and they can easily change or cancel their Apple One plan at any time. With the Family and Premier plans, up to six family members can access all the included services with their own personal accounts and preferences.

With Apple One, customers gain access to the best in entertainment, news, fitness, and cloud storage, including:

• Apple Music, with over 70 million songs, thousands of playlists, daily selections from the world’s best music experts, the groundbreaking Apple Music radio, and innovative features like time-synced lyrics.
• Apple TV+, home to Apple Originals from today’s most imaginative and respected creators. Apple TV+ has already earned over 100 awards recognitions, including 18 Emmy nominations, for its originals — more than any other streaming service in its first 10 months.
• Apple Arcade, which gives players unlimited access to more than 100 incredibly fun games across iPhone, iPad, iPod touch, Mac, and Apple TV, all with no ads or in-app purchases.
• Apple News+, which provides premium access to leading newspapers and hundreds of magazines.
• Apple Fitness+, the first fitness experience built for Apple Watch, arriving later this year. Apple Fitness+ intelligently incorporates metrics from Apple Watch for users to visualize right on their iPhone, iPad, or Apple TV, offering a first-of-its-kind personalized workout experience. Everyone from beginners to committed exercisers can access studio-style workouts delivered by inspiring world-class trainers and underscored by motivating music from renowned artists.
• iCloud, which keeps customers’ photos, videos, files, and more safely stored and available across their devices.

Apple Rumored To Offer “Apple One” Bundle Of Subscription Services

It appears Apple is preparing a series of bundles that will let customers subscribe to several of the company’s digital services at a lower monthly price, according to a report by Bloomberg's Mark Gurman.

Quoting unnamed “people with knowledge of the matter,” the usually-reliable Gurman says the bundles, dubbed “Apple One” will launch as early as October alongside the “iPhone 12” announced. There will purportedly be different tiers.

A basic package will include Apple Music and Apple TV+, while a more expensive variation will have those two services and the Apple Arcade gaming service. The next tier will add Apple News+, followed by a pricier bundle with extra iCloud storage for files and photos.

Apple Music App Coming To Some Samsung Smart TVs

Apple and Samsung are teaming up to launch an Apple Music app for Samsung smart TVs, according to The Verge. This is the first time Apple has offered an Apple Music app for any smart TV platform other than its own Apple TV set-top box.

The Verge says the app appears to be similar to the Apple Music app on the Apple TV, with access to the full range of Apple Music content, including playlists, videos, radio stations, and more. The app is available now on Samsung’s most recent TV models from its 2018, 2019, and 2020 lineups.

Apple Introduces The Apple Music Awards

Apple has introduced the Apple Music Awards, “a celebration of the best and boldest musicians of 2019 and the enormous impact they have had on global culture this year.” The Apple Music Awards honor achievements in music across five distinct categories and winners are chosen through a process that “reflects the service’s editorial perspective, combined with what customers around the world are loving most.”

The winners for Global Artist of the Year, Songwriter of the Year and Breakthrough Artist of the Year were hand-selected by Apple Music’s global editorial team of experts and tastemakers and given to artists “who have true passion for their craft, who boldly defy conventions in the category and who embody a sense of humanity, where listeners are drawn as much to who they are as to their music.” The awards for Album of the Year and Song of the Year are based on streaming data and reflective of what Apple Music customers have been listening to (on repeat) this year.

“The Apple Music Awards are designed to recognize the passion, energy and creativity of the world’s favorite artists,” says Oliver Schusser, Apple’s vice president of Apple Music and International Content. “The musically diverse group of inaugural winners have sparked deep social conversation, influenced culture and inspired our customers around the world. We couldn’t be more excited to celebrate them.” 

The winners are:

• Artist of the Year: Billie Ellish;
  
• Breakthrough Artist of the Year: Lizzo
  
• Song of the Year: “Old Town Road" by Lil Nas X

Apple, Spotify And Others To Fund New Music Royalties Collective

Apple, Spotify and other major music streaming services have agreed to fund a new licensing collective created by the Music Modernization Act to collect and distribute so-called mechanical royalties to songwriters and publishers, reports Law360 (you need a subscription to read the article).

The collective will collect royalties from streaming services such as Apple Music and Spotify and distribute the money to songwriters, publishers, and other music copyright holders.The streamers will pay $33.5 million for startup costs and anticipates $28.5 million for costs in 2021, the first year that the Mechanical Licensing Collective (MLC) will be active, the collective and the streamers, represented by a newly designated nonprofit Digital Licensee Coordinator.

Bloomberg Law says this is a critical step toward ensuring rights holders receive their share of streaming revenue, which now composes 63% of all music revenue, according to the Recording Industry Association of America. The existing system, where streaming services must seek permission from individual rights holders to use their songs, created a trail of unpaid musicians and lawsuits.

Apple Launches Beta Version Of Apple Music Browser

Apple has launched a beta version of the Apple Music browser that’s available forApple Music subscribers.

Like the macOS Apple Music app, it provides dedicated "For You," "Browse," and Radio" sections, along with playlists, recommendations, “must haves,” “music by mood,” and more.

According to TechCrunch, Apple will be soliciting feedback from customers as it works on the product to help it streamline features and squash any bugs. Later new users will be able to sign up for Apple Music through the website. For now, you have to be an existing subscriber who signed up elsewhere. To use the Apple Music web version, subscribers can visit the link beta.music.apple.com and sign in with their Apple ID.

Apple Has Launched Apple Digital Masters

Apple Music has launched Apple Digital Masters, a new initiative by the Apple that combines all of its “Mastered for iTunes” offerings into one global catalog for higher quality music. Billboard reports that this is the company’s first public acknowledgement of the initiative, which it has been quietly unveiling for some time.

The goal of the “Mastered for iTunes” program is to create studio-quality sound files virtually identical to the original master recordings (aka "lossless" audio), which were then placed in a special “Mastered for iTunes” section on the app.

In order for a release to be branded “Mastered for iTunes” in the iTunes music store, aAudio must be delivered at 24-bit resolution as a WAV file. Acceptable sample rates are 44.1, 48, 88.2, and 96 kHz. Masters must have been created by a mastering house on the "Mastered for iTunes Provider List.” There are other requirements that can be found by clicking here.

Billboard says that, per Apple, the majority of top releases on Apple Music currently are Apple Digital Masters, with about 75% of the Top 100 in the U.S. and 71% of the Top 100 globally created under the program.

Apple Releases Apple Music For Artists

Apple has released Apple Music for Artists, a dashboard designed to provide acts with hundreds of data points that provide analytical insight into their fans’ listening and buying habits. The navigable dashboard’s home page provides artists with their current number of plays, spins, song purchases and album purchases. The user can specify the time period ranging from the past 24 hours to the 2015 launch of Apple Music. An Insights panel showcases key milestones via bullet points that highlight such information as all-time number of plays and purchases for specific songs or cumulatively. 

Apple Music Has 60 Million Users

Apple Music has 60 million users, according to Eddy Cue, Apple’s senior vice president of Services, as reported by Music Business Worldwide.

In December it was reported that Apple Music had 56 million subscribers. It still has a ways to go to catch Spotify, which claims to have 100 million subscribers. Although, in April, Apple Music was beating Spotify in terms of paid subscribers for the U.S., leading at the time with 28 million subscribers to Spotify's 26 million based o