Apple Releases iOS 8.4 Beta with New Revamped Music App

Apple released the beta version of the new iOS 8.4 last night. The beta version likely contains some fixes and upgrades (not present in the release notes), but most importantly, it features the completely redesigned Music App.

The new Music App adds a host of new features, as well as a complete aesthetic redesign. According to leaked release notes, the new app allows users to add personalized images descriptions of playlists, as well as reorder, add, or skip songs in your playlist via the new “up next” icon. A Recently Added section places new albums and playlists at the top automatically, and iTunes Radio has been redesigned with a Recently Played section, as well as the addition of hand-curated Featured Stations. A new MiniPlayer allows users to control playback while browsing the music library. These features, along with an improved search function, and more, make the new Music App a huge upgrade to previous iterations.

Missing from the new Music App is integration of the hotly-anticipated new streaming service, a re-tooling of the old Beats Music app. Apple is expected to unveil the new streaming service in June at the annual Worldwide Developers Conference, along with a revamped Apple TV and a subscription TV service. OS X 10.11 and iOS 9 are also expected to be on display, the former of which may contain the new streaming service bundled in its release.

To get a glimpse at the new Music App, take a look at this video from The Apple Leaf.