iOS’ Now Playing interface showcases any music you’re listening to and includes controls for adjusting your playback settings, but there are so many ways the interface could be improved.
A new jailbreak tweak called Sinatra by iOS developer candoizo takes some first steps towards improving the Now Playing interface in Control Center while still maintaining an Apple-esque design standard.
Apple is looking to reduce record label's share of revenue from streaming, reports Bloomberg. Citing people familiar with the matter, the outlet says the negotiations are part of a larger plan to revise the company's overall relationship with the music industry.
The record labels's current deals regarding Apple Music expire at the end of June, although they are likely to be extended if new terms can't be reached. Apple is trying to negotiate new deals that would bring their rates closer to what Spotify pays out.
Under Apple’s current deal, record labels at first received about 58 percent of revenue from Apple Music subscribers, a higher cut than from other major streaming services including Spotify, the largest paid music-streaming service in the world. Spotify reduced its rate to 52 percent from 55 percent in recent negotiations with labels, tied to certain guarantees on subscriber growth. The labels are open to a reduction in Apple’s rate -- provided it’s also able to expand subscriber rolls and meet other requirements, the people said.
Initially, Apple overpaid a bit to appease the labels, who were concerned its entry into the streaming space would cannibalize iTunes sales—a major source of their revenue. But as it turns out, Apple Music hasn't been as damaging to iTunes as originally feared.
Bloomberg adds that labels have asked Apple to commit to promoting iTunes, and music in general, in countries where streaming isn't as prevalent. Apple announced earlier this month that Apple Music now has 27 million paid subscribers.
Source: Bloomberg
It appears Apple has quietly added a new annual subscription option for its Apple Music service. TechCrunch points to the new plan, which costs just $99 for 12-months of access to the 20 million+ track library and loads of exclusive content.
This is good for a $20 savings over the standard $9.99/month plan, but Apple doesn't make it easy to find. You have to go into iTunes or the App Store and tap on Apple ID > Subscriptions > Apple Music. It also looks like the price is only available to current users.
Of course Apple has long offered 12-month Apple Music gift cards for $99, and the $4.99/month student plan is still the cheapest. Apple Music offers on-demand access to all of your favorite songs, albums, custom playlists, exclusive videos and much more.
Source: TechCrunch
Spotify is perhaps one of the largest names in the music-streaming industry, and while Apple Music is indeed catching up, a large number of iPhone users are still using the third-party alternative.
Despite its popularity, many Spotify users aren’t fond of the persistent Behind the Lyrics feature that interrupts your view of the album artwork whenever music is playing.
When listening to your songs in the Spotify Music app, the album artwork is typically scaled down slightly so that there’s a bit of empty space in between it and the edge of the display.
A new free jailbreak tweak dubbed SpotifyFullScreenArtworkUI by iOS developer theo78825 scales up the album artwork a little bit more so it fills the whole top half of the screen.
iOS 11 reportedly brings native support for lossless audio encoded in the popular FLAC format to iPhone, iPad and iPod touch. As discovered by Reddit users, Apple has included full playback support for FLAC audio files on iOS 11. iTunes and iOS 10 currently lack built-in support for the FLAC codec, though people can use a third-party app to enjoy FLAC audio.
At this stage, only the new Files app has support for lossless playback of FLAC-encoded audio files. Of course, things could change in subsequent beats as Apple continues to refine iOS 11 ahead of its fall release, at which point iTunes could be updated with full playback support for the popular format.
As things currently stand, any FLAC files synced to an iOS device through iCloud Drive, Dropbox or Box can be played from within the Files app. FLAC files are currently unsupported via the Music app on iOS 11.
For what it's worth, I tried sending an FLAC audio file to my iOS 11-enabled iPhone through AirDrop, to no avail. My iPhone didn't know what to do with the file, putting up the standard prompt offering to download an app from App Store.
No matter how you look at it, this is a big win for music lovers and audiophiles.
The FLAC format bring the full quality of the original recording. FLAC, or Free Lossless Audio Codec, features lossless compression of digital audio which can reduce the size of the audio file to between 50 percent and 60 percent of its original size, without degrading audio quality of the original.
iOS 10 currently supports the AAC, Protected AAC, HE-AAC, MP3, MP3 VBR, Dolby Digital (AC-3), Dolby Digital Plus (E-AC-3), Audible (formats 2, 3, 4, Audible Enhanced Audio, AAX and AAX+), Apple Lossless, AIFF and WAV audio formats.
The ability to play lossless FLAC audio on an iPhone, iPad or iPod touch with iOS 11 could also signify that HomePod, Apple's upcoming smart speaker, may support high-quality FLAC audio.
One of the little things in iOS 11 includes the ability to set up the AirPods double-tap action to skip forwards and backwards between tracks, cancelling the need to invoke Siri to change songs. As iDownloadBlog reader Harshit Yadav has discovered and shared with us, you can also get this next/previous track control functionality to work on your iPhone, iPad or iPod touch with iOS 10, here's how.
First of all, your AirPods must be running the firmware version 3.7.2 or later, which enables you to customize double taps independently for both the earbuds. To find out your AirPods current firmware version, go to Settings → General → About → AirPods on your iPhone.
Your AirPods must be connected to your iPhone to appear there.
TUTORIAL: How to install software updates for your AirPods
To ensure your AirPods have the latest available firmware, put both the earbuds inside their charging case, then close the case and connect it to a charger or a USB port on your computer. Your iPhone must be paired with your AirPods and connected to Wi-Fi in order for the firmware to download and install.
With the 3.7.2 firmware installed on your AirPods, do the following:
1) Connect your AirPods to an iOS device running iOS 11. This is very important that your AirPods be connected to an iOS 11 device. If not, the option to customize Left and Right ear will not appear.
2) Go to Settings → Bluetooth on your iOS 11 device.
3) Tap the “i” next to your AirPods.
4) Tap Left underneath the Double Tap on AirPod heading, then choose Previous Track from the list of double-tap actions for your left earbud.
5) Tap Right underneath the Double Tap on AirPod heading, then choose Next Track from the list of double-tap actions for your right earbud.
6) Close out the Settings app and play some music to verify that double-tapping either AirPod takes you to the next or previous track.
7) You're done.
With your AirPods updated to the firmware version 3.7.2 and the double-tap action set to next/previous track, you can now pair them back to an iOS 10 device and they will continue to work.
It's important to note that attempting to change your AirPods settings on iOS 10 will overwrite any changes made on your iOS 11 device, meaning you'll loose the next/previous track functionality.
Let us know in the comment section below how it went for you.
Spotify users rocking jailbroken iOS 10 devices are going to feel right at home with a new jailbreak tweak release dubbed Apace by iOS developer Andreas Henriksson.
This tweak is a replacement for the popular iOS 9-only tweak dubbed Quickify and lets you add Now Playing music to existing Spotify music playlists or collections right from Control Center or the Lock screen.
Have you ever tried to play a music collection or playlist from your iPhone or iPad only to find that some of the music wouldn’t be appropriate for the current circumstances?
A new free jailbreak tweak dubbed SkipME by iOS developer candoizo lets you filter certain music from your listening experience to tune your entertainment for certain moods or for sensitive audiences.
Apple is taking a new responsibility in the world of delivering music to your home by unveiling the HomePod, a new wireless speaker and assistant for your house.
This intelligent new wireless speaker uses similar technology to what’s available in the AirPods, except it’s incredibly more advanced on both the software and hardware ends of things.
“Carpool Karaoke: The Series,” Apple's first original show based on the popular segment on “The Late Late Show” with James Corden, will premiere August 8 on Apple Music. The news was revealed in today's tweet by Eddy Cue, Apple's chief of Internet Software and Services.
The show was originally supposed to air on Apple Music beginning April 2017, but the iPhone maker was forced to postpone its arrival due to tight production schedule.
All sixteen episodes will debut on Tuesdays, available only to Apple Music members.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n2fipKCrV3I
Featuring a different host every episode, Apple's version of “Carpool Karaoke” replaces the show's regular host James Corden with actors, comedians, athletes and other celebrities, who will be seen riding along in a car together as they're singing different tunes.
Some of the confirmed celebrities that will appear on the show include Will Smith, Billy Eichner, Metallica, Alicia Keys, John Legend, Ariana Grande, Seth MacFarlane, Chelsea Handler, Blake Shelton, Michael Strahan, John Cena and Shaquille O’Neal.
“Planet of the Apps,” Apple's show about apps and their creators, is coming this year. Apple wrapped up filming of that one back in February 2017, but it's unclear when exactly the company might release it on Apple Music.
The rhythmic souls out there who listen to their songs on a daily basis generally like to talk about and share their music with other connoisseurs.
Fortunately, a new free jailbreak tweak dubbed NPTweet by iOS developer ichitaso is now available that makes it super easy to Tweet a Now Playing track from anywhere in iOS by calling upon the help of Flipswitch.