Apple Music facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Apple Music

Developer	Apple Inc.
Key people	Oliver Schusser (VP, Apple Music & International Content) Brian Bumbery (director, Apple Music Publicity)
Launch date	June 30, 2015; 9 years ago (2015-06-30)
Platform(s)	List of platforms macOS iOS iPadOS tvOS watchOS CarPlay HomePod visionOS Windows Android ChromeOS Google Nest Amazon Echo Sonos PlayStation 5 Xbox Tesla Web
Pricing model	Student: US$5.99/month Individual: US$10.99/month Family: US$16.99/month
Availability	167 countries; widely available in the Americas, Europe, Asia, and Oceania, and in parts of Africa and the Middle East
Website	Home Page: Web Player:

Apple Music is a popular online service from Apple Inc. It lets you listen to millions of songs and watch music videos. You can choose exactly what you want to hear, or pick from ready-made playlists.

The service also has live internet radio stations. These include Apple Music 1, Apple Music Hits, and Apple Music Country. They broadcast live all day, every day, to over 200 countries.

Apple Music was first announced on June 8, 2015, and launched on June 30, 2015. When you first sign up, you might get a free trial. After that, you pay a monthly fee to keep listening.

At first, Apple Music was just for music. But in 2016, it started adding videos too. Apple wants it to be a "one-stop shop for pop culture." This means they are adding lots of music videos, concert films, and even TV shows.

When Apple Music first came out for iOS devices, some people found it a bit tricky to use. But they loved the playlists and the huge library of songs. It also worked really well with other Apple devices. Later, the app got a big update in iOS 10. This new design was much easier to use and looked cleaner.

Apple Music quickly became very popular. It reached 10 million paid users in just six months. By October 2022, Apple Music had over 100 million songs available to stream.

The most streamed song ever on Apple Music is "Shape of You" by Ed Sheeran. It has been played over 930 million times worldwide as of May 2023.

In November 2023, Taylor Swift was named the most streamed female artist in Apple Music's history. Her album Midnights also became the biggest album by a female artist for first-day and first-week streams. She was also the most listened-to artist in 2023, setting a new record for listeners in a single year.

What is Apple Music?

The Apple Music home screen on an iPhone, showing recommended songs and playlists.

Apple Music lets you stream over 100 million songs. You can listen to them whenever you want on your device. The service also offers special playlists made by music experts. It also suggests music based on what you like to listen to.

There are three live radio stations that play music 24 hours a day:

• Apple Music 1 (formerly Beats 1), hosted by DJ Zane Lowe.
• Apple Music Hits.
• Apple Music Country.

These radio stations are available in over 100 countries. You can listen to Apple Music Radio for free, even without a paid subscription.

Apple Music users can create a profile to share music with friends. You can follow others to see what songs they are enjoying. The service uses iCloud to combine your own music library with Apple Music's songs. This means all your music is in one place.

Apple Music also works well with other Apple features. These include Siri, Apple's voice assistant, and AirPlay, which lets you stream audio and video wirelessly. You can also use Apple Music through a web browser on your computer.

How to use the app

The Apple Music app has five main sections: "Library", "Home", "Browse", "Radio", and "Search".

• The "Library" section shows all the music you own or have added. You can see your songs organized by "Playlists", "Artists", "Albums", "Songs", or "Downloaded Music". It also shows music you've recently added.
• The "Home" section suggests music for you. These suggestions are based on what you've listened to before. You can "Like" or "Dislike" songs to help the app learn your tastes even better.
• The "Browse" section helps you discover new music. It shows new album releases, playlists made by the Apple Music team, and upcoming albums. You can also explore music by "Genres", "Moods", "Top Charts", and "Music Videos".
• The "Radio" section includes the live Apple Music Radio stations. It also has other radio stations that play specific types of music or songs by certain artists. You can skip songs, see what played before, and what's coming next.
• The "Search" section lets you find artists, albums, other users, or songs. You can search by name or even by lyrics. It also shows your recent searches and popular searches on the service.

When a song is playing, a "Now Playing" bar appears at the bottom. Tapping it opens the full "Now Playing" screen. Here, you can:

• Add the song to your library.
• Download it to your device.
• Like or dislike the song to improve future suggestions.
• Control what music plays next.
• Shuffle or repeat songs.
• View live lyrics that move with the song as it plays.

Each artist has their own page. It includes a banner and a "Play" button to start a radio station based on that artist. Artist pages also show their albums, singles, top songs, and a short biography.

You can create your own profile on Apple Music. This lets you follow friends and see what music they are listening to.

Apple Music Replay

Apple Music also has a cool feature called Apple Music Replay. It shows you your most played songs, artists, and albums for the whole year. You can find this on the "Listen Now" tab. It even tells you how many minutes you listened to specific songs or artists. The feature also shows you your top genres and creates a fun animation that recaps your listening year.

Where can you use Apple Music?

Apple Music works on many different devices:

• Apple devices like iPhones, iPads, Macs, Apple Watches, Apple TVs, and HomePods.
• Cars with CarPlay.
• Computers running Windows (with iTunes or the new Apple Music app).
• Android phones and tablets.
• ChromeOS devices.
• Smart speakers like Amazon Echo and Google Nest.
• Sonos speakers.
• Gaming consoles like PlayStation 5 and Xbox.
• Tesla cars.
• You can also use a web player in your internet browser.

History of Apple Music

Getting Ready

Before Apple Music, Apple's iPod and iTunes changed how people listened to digital music. The former Apple CEO, Steve Jobs, wasn't a fan of music subscription services.

In 2014, Apple bought a company called Beats Electronics. This purchase included Beats' own music service, Beats Music. Apple then put the head of Beats Music in charge of their iTunes Radio service. There were rumors that Apple planned to combine these services. Apple also hired famous DJ Zane Lowe to help pick music for the new service.

Just before Apple Music was announced, a music company CEO, Doug Morris, confirmed it was coming. He believed Apple Music would help more people start streaming music. He also pointed out that Apple had a lot of money and many credit cards linked to iTunes. This meant Apple could promote the service widely, which would help the whole music streaming industry grow.

Paying Artists

Before Apple Music launched, singer Taylor Swift spoke out. She was upset that Apple wasn't going to pay artists during the free trial period. She said this was unfair and decided not to put her album 1989 on the service. Other record labels also shared her concerns.

The very next day, Apple changed its mind! An Apple executive announced that Apple Music would pay artists even during the free trial. Taylor Swift then happily agreed to put her album 1989 on Apple Music.

Launching the Service

Apple Music was officially announced at an Apple event. Rapper Drake even appeared on stage to talk about how artists could share their music on the platform.

Apple Music launched on June 30, 2015, in 100 countries. At first, new users got a three-month free trial. Now, the trial is usually one month. There's also a family plan that lets up to six people share a subscription at a lower price.

A special song by Pharrell Williams called "Freedom" was released only on Apple Music when it launched. Also, when Apple Music started, the old Beats Music service was closed down, and its users and playlists were moved over.

In May 2016, Apple introduced a student membership. This cut the price of a subscription by 50% for eligible students. It started in a few countries and then expanded to many more.

By April 2020, Apple Music was available in 167 countries around the world.

How Apple Music Grew

Apple Music grew very quickly. In January 2016, just six months after launching, it had 10 million paying users. This was a big achievement, as it took a competing service, Spotify, six years to reach the same number.

The number of users kept growing:

• 11 million in February 2016
• 15 million in June 2016
• 20 million in December 2016
• 36 million in February 2018
• 50 million in May 2018
• 60 million in June 2019

By July 2018, Apple Music had more paying users than Spotify in the United States.

Adding Videos and Shows

Apple Music started adding more video content in 2015.

• In October 2015, Drake released his music video for "Hotline Bling" only on Apple Music.
• In December, Apple Music released an exclusive documentary about Taylor Swift's tour, called The 1989 World Tour.
• In 2016, Apple bought the rights to Carpool Karaoke from The Late Late Show with James Corden. This popular segment became a TV series on Apple Music in August 2017.

Apple also started making its own TV shows. In February 2017, an Apple Music executive said they wanted to make Apple Music a "cultural platform." They hired people from other TV companies to help create new shows and movies.

Some of the shows they made include:

• Planet of the Apps, a reality show where app developers pitch their ideas.
• Up Next, a series that focuses on new and rising music artists.

In October 2020, Apple launched Apple Music TV. This is a free, 24/7 channel that plays music videos, original documentaries, live events, and chart countdowns. It's like the early days of MTV!

Changes to Plans and Prices

In October 2021, Apple introduced a cheaper plan called Apple Music Voice. It cost $4.99/month, but you could only control it using Siri. This plan was stopped in November 2023.

In June 2022, the student plan price went up slightly in some countries. Then, in October 2022, Apple increased the prices for its standard Individual and Family plans.

Other Important Updates

• In November 2015, Apple Music launched its app for Android devices.
• In November 2018, Apple Music became available on Amazon Echo smart speakers.
• In September 2019, Apple released a web player, so you can use Apple Music in your internet browser.
• In January 2023, a new Apple Music app for Windows 11 was released.
• Apple added personalized playlists like "My New Music Mix" and "My Chill Mix" to help users discover new songs.
• In November 2019, Apple launched Apple Music Replay, which is a year-end playlist showing your favorite songs, similar to Spotify Wrapped.
• In May 2021, Apple announced that Apple Music would offer lossless audio and music mixed in Dolby Atmos. This means even higher quality sound, at no extra cost! By December 2021, almost all of Apple Music's songs had lossless audio.
• In September 2022, Apple Music became the main sponsor for the Super Bowl halftime show.
• In December 2022, Apple added a karaoke feature called "Apple Music Sing." It shows real-time lyrics and lets you adjust the volume of the vocals in a song.

Apple Music Classical

In August 2021, Apple bought a classical music streaming service called Primephonic. They announced plans to create a new Apple Music app just for classical music.

The Apple Music Classical app was released for iPhones in March 2023, for Android phones in May 2023, and for iPads in November 2023. It is available in several languages.

This app is only for Apple Music subscribers. It lets you explore classical music in a special way. You can browse by:

• Individual pieces and movements.
• Composers.
• Performers (like soloists, orchestras, and conductors).
• Time periods.
• Instruments.

The app also has biographies of composers and special playlists. Many recordings are also being updated for spatial audio, which gives a more immersive sound experience.

Apple Music Awards

Apple Music also hosts its own awards to celebrate top artists and songs.

See also

• Apple Music 1 – Apple Music's live radio station
• iTunes Radio – Apple's discontinued free radio service within the Music app
• Comparison of music streaming services
• List of Internet radio stations
• List of online music databases