Apple’s music streaming service is pretty intuitive, but let’s make sure you’re getting your money’s worth by tapping into these essential features.
Apple Music is one of largest music-streaming services, with over 100 million songs available in its catalog. It serves as an alternative to Spotify or YouTube Music, both of which also have vast libraries. Unlike Spotify, however, Apple Music doesn’t currently offer a free tier. The upside is that there are no ads to wade through and streaming music is unlimited, even for Spatial Audio with Dolby Atmos and high-resolution lossless tracks.
Apple offers free trials of varying length (get a three-month trial when purchasing certain Apple devices, for example), after which it’s $10.99 a month. A family account for up to six people is $16.99, students can stream for $5.99 a month, and Apple Music is also available via Apple One.
Like Spotify, Apple Music has a wealth of features and capabilities. These tips and tricks should help you get the most out of your paid subscription.1. Use Apple Music Everywhere
Most people will use the iOS Apple Music app on their iPhones. But that’s not the only way to stream songs. There are Apple Music apps available for the Mac (shown above), Apple TV, Vision Pro, Android, Windows, and in a web browser. Whether you’re listening from a work computer or decide to swap in iPhone for a Samsung Galaxy phone, you should still be able to access your Apple Music library from nearly any device. Be aware that not all app versions have the same features, even though they’re comparable across platforms.2. You Can Get Classical, Too
Speaking of available apps, an Apple Music Subscription includes access to the company’s dedicated Classical app. You can stream the same classical music in both of Apple’s apps, but its Classical option offers better discovery and sorting options for a variety of renditions. Both music apps are intertwined enough that any classical titles you’ve saved in one will appear in your library on the other. You can download the Classical app from Apple’s App Store.3. Share Your Playlists
Want to share your favs (or keep some listening private)? From the Home tab in Apple Music, select the circle profile icon in the top-right corner. Select View Profile > Edit, scroll down, and determine whether everyone can see your activity or only people you allow. Scroll down even further, and you can decide which playlists are shown publicly and available in searches and which ones are private.4. Collaborate on Playlists
If you want to expand your horizons or turn playlists into a communal experience, then you can let other people add songs, reorder, and edit them. Tap the icon with a person and a plus sign at the top of a playlist to get started. You can choose to either approve collaborators or open it to anyone who has the link.5. Share With People Nearby
For an even more intimate way to share music, your music be discoverable by nearby contacts. This feature is meant for car rides or while you’re in the same location. So, if you’re listening to something through a speaker in your living room, others in the immediate vicinity can participate in the curation experience. Head to Settings > Apps > Music > Shared Listening and toggle Discoverable by Nearby Contacts to on.6. Fine-Tune Your Library Organization
When you tap on the library section of Apple Music, you may find some sorting categories that don’t appeal to you.
