The rivalry between Apple Music and Spotify has divided music listeners around the world for years. Apple entered Spotify seven years after him, but it continues to release compelling features for the streaming service, making it a worthy contender.
Apple has not hesitated to take Spotify’s most popular features, such as Spotify Wrapped, and rebrand it on its own platform.
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At WWDC, Apple announced some Spotify-inspired updates to Apple Music on iOS 17, as well as a few unique tricks. This strengthens the platform and closes the gap with Spotify’s core features.
It works so well that I can’t imagine leaving Apple Music anymore. See below for details.
cross fade
When you’re listening to your favorite song, the gap between the end of one song and the start of the next one ruins the atmosphere. With iOS 17, users will be able to select a crossfade option to smoothly transition between playing songs.
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This feature is a staple of Spotify’s music platform and one that Apple Music iOS users have been waiting for.
Users of the Apple Music app on Android have been using the Crossfade feature since 2020, so the iOS integration of this feature has been long awaited.
collaborative playlist
Whether it’s concerts, parties, or restaurants, music is fun when it’s a shared experience. With iOS 17, users can now share their favorite music picks with others via collaborative playlists.
This feature has been on Spotify since 2020, making it a fun activity for friends, family and even colleagues and classmates. This is especially useful when choosing music for a particular mood or event, such as a party or workout playlist.
You could already make friends on Apple Music, but until this update the service didn’t support collaborative playlists.
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Apple says users can also use emojis to react to other people’s song choices.
Other new features
Apple also announced other new features coming to Apple Music. These aren’t necessarily carbon copies of Spotify, but they improve the platform.
The company is extending its shared music experience through SharePlay, allowing anyone in the car to participate in a listening session and queue up what songs to play next.
Apple Music song credits will allow fans to see a comprehensive list of their favorite song contributors. For example, listeners will be able to see who is playing each instrument.
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Finally, users will be able to stream the entire catalog of Apple Music radio shows on Apple Podcasts.
