With iOS 8.3 already released and adopted, it was inevitable that Apple would soon come up with the developer preview of the next iteration, the iOS 8.4. And so, here it is. What’s interesting in the iOS 8.4 developer preview though, is Apple’s fully revamped Music App with a complete design overhaul.
Various independent reports had already pegged at a fully revamped music app launch with the upcoming iOS version. Moreover, it also syncs well with Apple’s reported plans to debut its own Music streaming service in its annual WWDC developer conference in June this year.
The seed for developers is available via the Apple Developer Center website.
Here are the release notes from Apple for the new app:
– All-New Design. Music app has a beautiful new design that makes exploring your music collection easier and more fun. Personalize playlists by adding your own image and description. Enjoy stunning pictures of your favorite artists in the Artists view. Start playing an album right from the album list. The music you love is never more than a tap away.
– Recently Added. Albums and playlists you’ve recently added are now at the top of your library, making it effortless to find something new to play. Simply tap play on the artwork to listen.
– Streamlined iTunes Radio. Discovering music with iTunes Radio is easier than ever. You can now quickly return to your favorite stations in Recently Played. Choose from a selection of hand-curated stations in Featured Stations, or start a new one from your favorite artist or song.
– New MiniPlayer. With the new MiniPlayer, you can see what’s playing and control playback while browsing your music collection. To open Now Playing, just tap on the MiniPlayer.
– Improved Now Playing. Now Playing has a stunning new design that showcases your album artwork the way it was meant to be. In addition, you can begin wirelessly streaming your music using AirPlay without leaving Now Playing.
– Up Next. It’s now simple to find out which songs from your library will play next — just tap the Up Next icon in Now Playing. You can even reorder, add, or skip songs whenever you like.
– Global Search. You can now search from anywhere in the Music app — just tap the magnifying glass. Search results are conveniently organized to help you quickly find that perfect song. You can even start an iTunes Radio station right from Search.
Summing it up for you, iOS 8.4 includes a fully revamped Music app, with a major design overhaul. It give you the ability to customize playlists with images from your library, along with a new Artists view that features random imagery of musicians while browsing.
9TO5 Mac further notes that the new preview features an improved iTunes Radio functionality, a new Recently Added page and more on top of the new design.
However, the most visible design overhaul can be seen on the iPad, where in the new App now features a new split-screen mode.
