Apple to Unveil Apple Music Revamp at WWDC

[Maura]

Bloomberg reports that Apple is set to reveal extensive changes to its Apple Music streaming service at next month’s WWDC in San Francisco, California. The changes have apparently been prompted by criticisms and comments from certain quarters, as well as by the departure of several executives who had been recruited to try and improve the service.

Bloomberg says that according to sources who are familiar with Apple’s plans, the company intends to re-design the Apple Music interface to make it more intuitive to use. Also reporting on the story, 9to5 Mac says that it has heard from its own sources that the new version of Apple Music will replace the more colourful, translucent look of the current design with a simpler black and white design. For example, the album view interface will now avoid the colour changes of the past that altered to fit in with the colour scheme of each individual album’s artwork. Instead, much more emphasis will now be placed on the album artwork itself, which will be “huge,” and “bolder, yet simpler.” Apple’s own San Francisco font will also be made more use of in the menus and tabs text.

3D Touch shortcut previews will also be included in the new interface, with song sharing emphasized.

Apple is also intending to improve the integration of its streaming and downloading businesses, and to expand the radio arm of Apple Music.

At the same time as the new and improved Apple Music is unveiled at WWDC in June, Apple will also launch a publicity campaign in a bid to attract more users to pay the $10 per month fee to sign up to the streaming service.

Sources: Apple to Revamp Streaming Music Service After Mixed Reviews, Departures

Apple Music’s iOS 10 overhaul detailed: black & white UI, ‘huge artwork’, lyrics integration