Apple is working on “sweeping changes” to the year-old service, Bloomberg reported today. The company is developing a new user interface that is more intuitive to use, addressing a common complaint since the launch of the app.
Apple Music has received criticism for a number of bugs, interface issues and functionality problems. Key controls are obscured in the app and the service has been known to corrupt users’ music libraries. Apple has previously admitted there is “a bit of homework to be done” before Apple Music becomes the streaming service it was supposed to be, capable of convincing Spotify users to switch.
Apple is also working on new features for Apple Music. The app hasn’t seen any major updates since its launch last year as the company has been focused on fixing the various bugs. The new version of the app will include an expanded radio feature and improved download options, according to the Bloomberg report.
The interface redesign will be accompanied by a “marketing blitz” to attempt to attract new customers to Apple Music. Apple will be aggressively promoting the service, aiming to be noticed by current users of rival streaming services.
Apple Music currently has 13 million subscribers, little more than a third of Spotify’s 30 million. After introducing the app, Apple claimed 11 million people had signed up for the three-month free trial. Subscriber numbers are now only two million above the initial adopter number.
The service has even failed to win over dedicated fans as Apple watcher Jim Dalrymple cancelled his subscription last year and branded Apple Music a “nightmare.” The service allegedly deleted over 4,700 of his previously bought songs.
“At some point, enough is enough,” Dalrymple wrote in a blog post. “That time has come for me – Apple Music is just too much of a hassle to be bothered with. Nobody I’ve spoken at Apple or outside the company has any idea how to fix it, so the chances of a positive outcome seem slim to none.”
Apple has also faced controversy over its payments to artists. Last year, it was forced to change the way it pays royalties for music played during the free Apple Music trial offered to new subscribers. Popular artists including Taylor Swift criticised Apple’s original plan which did not pay royalties for songs listened to while on a trial subscription.
Apple is said to be planning to unveil the new Apple Music during its WWDC developers conference next month. Access to the service costs $10 a month, in-line with the cost of a subscription to main rival Spotify.
