I don‘t know about you, but I absolutely live for music – my headphones are essentially glued into my ears whenever I‘m commuting, exercising, working and frankly existing. So when Apple Music burst onto the scene back in 2015 as an expansive on-demand streaming platform for tunes, I was instantly intrigued.
Over the past 7+ years, I‘ve watched Apple Music grow exponentially while also using it personally across my devices. Through endless listening sessions, I‘ve familiarized myself with the service‘s symbols, icons and advanced capabilities that allow access to its catalog of over 100 million songs!
But to a newcomer, I realize Apple Music‘s array of icons can seem overwhelming initially. The icons dotting its clean interface aim to simplify music discovery and playback across the platform but aren‘t the most intuitive at first glance.
As a passionate Apple Music fan eager to spread the joy of world-class music streaming, let me serve as your friendly guide to demystifying the platform‘s icons. Learning what each one means is key to unlocking the full Apple Music experience!
We‘ll explore:
- What Apple Music offers to music lovers compared to rivals
- The icons within the main app sections (Home, Library, Radio)
- All of the Library menu‘s icons uncovered
- How to use icons in the Edit and Playback menus
- Breaking down Apple Music subscription plans
- Master tips for extracting max value from Apple Music!
Let‘s get our music knowledge groove on! 🕺
A Bird‘s Eye View of Apple Music
Before diving headfirst into those icons, let‘s quickly back up and survey exactly what Apple Music offers. Understanding the landscape sets needed context!
In a 2022 Fortune interview, Apple Music‘s Global Head Oliver Schusser shared that Apple Music has now "passed 100 million songs" available in its streaming catalog and is adding "over 20,000 new songs every day" from artists striving for their big break. 🤯
Beyond just song quantity, Apple Music delivers tremendous discovery through:
- Streaming radio stations from Apple and partners
- Playlists mood-matched to activities, genres etc.
- Customization of your personal music library
- Downloads enabling offline listening
- Voice-controlled music via Siri
- Access across Apple devices and Android/PC
Now over 100 million people globally subscribe to Apple Music. Meanwhile, approximately 75 million more use the Apple TV app making it the world‘s most popular music streaming choice!
| Apple Music Users | Spotify Premium Users | |
|---|---|---|
| Global Total | 172 million | 183 million |
| U.S. Based |
So in under a decade, Apple Music has skyrocketed into the stratosphere, offering immense value. But how do we tap into its full potential? Well, learning those icons dotted around the interface is step 1!
Onwards we go…
Navigating Apple Music‘s Main Sections
Let‘s acquaint ourselves with the 4 key sections in Apple Music and what lives in each via their representative icons:
| Section | Icon | What You‘ll Find | Usage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Library |  |
Your saved music | Organizing & playing your personal music collection |
| Radio |  |
Streaming stations | Discovering new tunes from Apple Music‘s radio channels |
| Search |  |
Apple Music catalog | Actively hunting for specific artists, songs etc. |
| Now Playing |  |
Your tunes | Controlling music playback |
Familiarizing yourself with the icons for Library, Radio, Search and Now Playing is essential for navigation. Memorize their location!
Now, let‘s explore the Library in more detail since that icon shops your personal music collection.
Inside Your Apple Music Library 🎶
Think of Library as your musical treasure chest on Apple Music, storing all the artists, albums, songs and playlists you‘ve saved for quick access. It may be the most frequently used section!
Your Library fills via:
- Adding albums, playlists etc. directly
- Liking songs while playing Apple Music
- Downloading content
The Library home menu then presents various icons to filter this content:
| Icon | Filters Library By | Usage |
|---|---|---|
| 📃 Playlists | Your created playlists | Grouping songs for certain moods/ settings |
| 🎤 Artists | Artist name A-Z | When you know the artist but not the song name |
 Albums |
Album name A-Z | Finding full albums to play |
| 🎵 Songs | Song title A-Z | Locating specific song tracks |
| 🎬 Music Videos | Your saved music videos | Watching your fave music videos |
| 🎸 Genres | Music genre | When you know what music you want – Jazz, Pop etc. |
| Compilations |
Multi-artist albums | Viewing compilation albums |
| 🎼 Composers | Creating composer | Sorting by the musician/song creator |
| ⬇️ Downloaded | Your offline downloads | Playing downloads without WiFi |
Tapping those icons filters your collection on the fly. But with so much music flooding the Library, customization helps.
Tailoring Your Library‘s Look
The Edit menu within Library features helpful icons for trimming down and organizing your Library‘s layout to preference:
| Icon | Action | Usage |
|---|---|---|
| ⚪️❌ Deselect | Hides Library categories | Remove clutter by hiding unused categories |
| 🟦✅️ Select | Shows Library categories | Choose to view other categories |
| 🕸️ Reorder | Reorders Library layout | Drag sections into your preferred order |
For instance, I have no saved Composers or Music Videos. Deselecting them streamlines my Library view to just essential categories.
I also constantly organize downloaded playlists for upcoming trips, so I drag Downloads to the top spot for convenience!
Optimizing your Library icons saves hunting time as your music collection grows.
Playback Icons Uncovered
We‘ve toured Library‘s icons, but what about controlling music playback once songs are pumping?
Enter the Now Playing screen accessible during playback. Hit these icons to:
| Icon | Action | Usage |
|---|---|---|
| 📑 Menu | Delete/Like/Dislike | Curates suggestions by your tastes |
| ⬇️ Download | Download the playing song | Enables offline listening |
| ▶️ Play | Play the selected song | Start listening! |
| ⏸️ Pause | Pause playback | Great for interruptions 😄 |
| 🔀 Shuffle | Randomize song order | When you want surprise "radio" |
| ⏮️ Previous Track | Play previous song | Rewind if you weren‘t feeling the last song |
| ⏭️ Next Track | Play next queued song | Skip forward into your playlist or album |
So whether I‘m liking a track to better Apple Music‘s suggestions, downloading a song to entertain my niece, or shuffling summer hits for our patio party, those icons deliver playback control from A to Z!
Apple Music vs. iTunes Music Purchases
I still receive questions on Apple Music‘s relationship with the iTunes Music Store, which offers song/album purchases instead of streaming. Let‘s clarify!
| Apple Music | iTunes Music Store | |
|---|---|---|
| Type | Subscription Streaming | Permanent Purchases |
| Price | $4.99-$16.99/month plans | $0.69-$1.29 per song |
| Library | Access expiring songs during subscription | Own rights forever |
| Listening | Online and offline | Sync downloads across devices |
So in summary:
-
Apple Music: Rent millions of streamable songs via monthly plans
-
iTunes Store: Buy individual songs to own long-term
I like maintaining an iTunes Song library of my forever favorites, while Apple Music facilitates discovering new genres and artists! The best of both worlds.
Reviewing Apple Music Subscription Options
Okay, so Apple Music makes the world‘s music accessible through streaming. But which plan is best aligned to your listening habits? Let‘s decode the plans:
| Plan | Price | Best For | Perks |
|---|---|---|---|
| 👤 Individual | $10.99/month | Solo listeners | Unlimited, ad-free music |
| 👪 Family | $16.99/month | Households | 6 premium accounts |
| 🎓️ Student | $5.99/month | University students | Discount for students |
| 🎤 Voice | $4.99/month | Voice-first listeners | Siri access only |
The standard Individual Plan suits most people well with unlimited downloads and listening across devices.
But for bigger households, grabbing the Family Plan at just $3 more per month gifts 6 people premium Apple Music – an incredible value!
Students on a budget will appreciate slicing Individual Plan costs in half. And voice-first listeners wanting affordable Siri access withoutdownloads can‘t beat the Voice tier.
Evaluate your situation, because the right Apple Music plan nurtures a lifetime of musical discovery!
💡 Pro Tips for Apple Music Mastery
After years using Apple Music daily through the highs and lows, I‘ve discovered some pro pointers for extracting maximum value:
🤵 Actively Follow Playlist Curators
Through public profiles, you can follow world-class playlist creators like celebrities and music experts to enjoy endless perfectly-tuned playlists. I adore Zane Lowe‘s playlists matching vibes like driving down the coast!
🧳 Prepare Downloads Beforehand
Rather than scrambling for offline listening, proactively download your Apple Music over WiFi in advance whether for plane rides, road trips or nights out to dodge streaming hiccups. The less buffered circles the better!
⏲️ Use Siri for Eyes-Free Listening
Apple Music‘s Siri integration means you can request playback hands-free while cooking, exercising, stargazing and living life! Just say "Hey Siri, play funky jazz playlists" and she‘ll DJ stunning soundtracks.
🤝 Share Your Taste via Profile
Craft a public Apple Music profile to proudly showcase your top artists, playlists created and listening trends. You can even discover music mutually loved among friends!
And through this musical journey together so far, I hope explaining Apple Music‘s icons helps you better unlock its capabilities for infinite playlists supplying life‘s soundtracks.
Stream on! 🎧
