Apple Music is Apple’s music and video streaming service that allows users to access over 90 million songs ad-free, watch music videos, and more. The service is deeply integrated into Apple’s products and services, especially their iOS devices like the iPhone and iPad. With each new version of iOS, Apple Music typically gets some updates and new features to improve the user experience.
As of November 2023, the current version of iOS is iOS 16 which was released in September 2022. iOS 17 will likely be the next major version of iOS launching in September 2024. So while details on iOS 17 are still limited this far out from its expected release, there has been some speculation about what updates Apple Music could get with this future software update.
iOS Update History and Apple Music
Looking back at previous iOS updates provides clues on how Apple continuously improves and adds new functionality to Apple Music.
When iOS 15 was released in 2021, Apple Music received new features like Spatial Audio with Dolby Atmos, Lossless Audio, and SharePlay integration. iOS 16 brought personalised spatial audio along with improvements to playlist sharing and notifications.
So while not every iOS update brings massive changes to Apple Music, Apple does consistently integrate new capabilities even if small. The iOS development cycle also allows time for Apple to develop more meaningful enhancements to Apple Music that can drive subscriber growth.
Apple Music Subscription Growth
In terms of business strategy, Apple has a lot of incentive to make Apple Music better with each iOS update.
As of January 2023, Apple Music had over 100 million paying subscribers according to Apple CEO Tim Cook. However, Spotify still leads the music streaming market with 188 million subscribers as of September 2022.
So Apple likely views improving Apple Music as important for driving more paid subscriptions to close the gap with Spotify. Integrating exclusive new features into iOS updates is an opportunity to convince more iPhone/iPad owners to pay for Apple Music.
Potential iOS 17 Apple Music Features
While Apple has not shared any concrete details on changes coming to Apple Music with iOS 17, we can speculate on some potential updates based on rumors, market trends, and looking at Apple’s priorities.
Here are 5 possible Apple Music features we might see launch with iOS 17:
Lossless Audio Over Cellular
One common request from Apple Music users is the ability to stream lossless quality audio over a cellular data connection. Currently lossless is limited to WiFi due to bandwidth constraints. With 5G expanding, Apple may remove this limitation to allow lossless songs to be enjoyed anywhere.
Apple Classical
There have been reports that Apple is planning to launch a dedicated classical music app called Apple Classical. iOS 17 could integrate this into the core Apple Music experience to better showcase classical content.
Expanded Voice Control
Apple continues to enhance Voice Control accessibility on iOS. Apple Music voice commands could be improved to support more robust handsfree control for listening to music.
Personalised Playlists with AI
Competitors like Spotify are leveraging AI to create personalised playlists tailored to user taste. Apple could enhance Apple Music’s algorithmic playlists with its own AI to better customize recommendations.
Expanded Support for Third-Party Hardware
Apple Music is currently limited to Apple’s own ecosystem of devices. Opening the service further to third-party smart speakers, streaming devices, and other platforms could grow Apple Music’s reach.
Will iOS 17 Bring Big Changes for Apple Music?
While new Apple Music features that improve recommendations, sound quality, accessibility, and breadth of content would be welcome, it’s unclear if iOS 17 will drive any truly groundbreaking changes compared to refinements.
Some limitations Apple Music faces like lack of a web player and limited integration outside Apple devices may take longer to address than a single iOS update cycle.
However, Apple’s increased investment in Apple Music content like original shows, livestreams, and exclusive partnerships does indicate Apple is serious about dominating music streaming long-term.
So even if iOS 17 alone doesn’t massively move the needle for Apple Music, the trajectory is pointed toward Apple Music playing an even larger role across Apple’s ecosystem over time as iOS continues evolving.
Analyst Predictions on Apple Music Updates
Industry analysts who closely follow Apple and iOS development can provide helpful predictions on how impactful iOS 17 could be for Apple Music based on Apple’s roadmap.
Here are some key analyst perspectives on anticipated Apple Music changes with iOS 17:
“Apple has primed music fans to always expect something new with iOS updates. While iOS 17 may not represent a total revolution for Apple Music, we anticipate at least a handful of compelling upgrades continuing Apple’s focus on promoting music discovery and retention.”
Mark Gurman, Bloomberg
“The big missing features that Apple Music subscribers have asked for like lossless streaming over cell service and integration with more smart home devices aren’t things Apple can easily address with just iOS 17. It may be smart to temper expectations for Apple Music’s leap forward next year.”
Philip Elmer-DeWitt, Apple 3.0
“Apple Music still lags Spotify in key areas like social sharing and personalisation. iOS updates are an opportunity to change that, but Apple needs to prioritize closing those feature gaps first before trying flashier changes.”
Gene Munster, Loup Ventures
While not certain, analysts generally agree iOS 17 alone won’t radically transform Apple Music. Instead, Apple is likely to use iOS 17 as one step in a broader multi-year effort to keep Apple Music competitive.
What Apple Music Fans Hope to See with iOS 17
Looking beyond analysts to real Apple Music subscribers provides another valuable perspective on what improvements users want iOS 17 to bring.
Some of the most commonly requested features and enhancements Apple Music fans hope to see with iOS 17 include:
– Lossless audio streaming over mobile data
– Unlimited skips and replays in stations
– Ability to gift songs/albums to others
– Better Siri integration
– Enhanced parental controls
– Duet karaoke mode
– Apple Classical integration
– More exclusive live concert streams
– Algorithmic playlists for moods/activities
– Support for third-party devices like Echo and Chromecast
Satisfying these user asks could go a long way in boosting engagement and growing Apple Music subscribers. With Spotify continuing to rapidly innovate, the pressure is on Apple to deliver a compelling iOS 17 update for Apple Music.
Potential Barriers to Major Apple Music Changes in iOS 17
However, there are also some realistic barriers that likely limit how ambitious Apple can get with Apple Music in iOS 17 specifically. Some of these potential hurdles include:
– Development Resources: Apple has to balance dividing engineering resources between all iOS features. Music may not get as much priority as core user-facing changes.
– Licensing: Adding new content or functionality could require deals with record labels that take time to finalize.
– Battery/Performance Impact: Offline lossless audio or complex new features may impact battery life and performance which Apple is sensitive about.
– Non-iOS Dependencies: Some user requests rely on back-end cloud infrastructure that can’t be fixed through iOS alone.
– Pushback on App Cannibalization: iOS updates usually focus more on Apple’s first party apps which limits how much iOS 17 could promote a hypothetical Apple Classical app.
While these challenges exist, Apple has worked around similar platform limitations before to keep Apple Music innovating. But iOS 17 may still only represent an incremental step forward for Apple Music rather than a revolutionary leap.
Conclusion
The history of Apple Music integration with iOS, Apple’s business incentives, analyst predictions, and user requests all point to Apple Music getting some notable improvements with iOS 17 in 2024 even if not groundbreaking.
Apple needs to keep making Apple Music’s features more competitive as music streaming grows more central to iOS. Simple upgrades like lossless streaming over cell service, better personalisation, and UI changes seem likely.
Bigger hoped-for features like Apple Classical integration, gifted songs, and third-party device support may not make the iOS 17 cutoff. But they could be on Apple’s roadmap for subsequent iOS updates or separate app releases.
While iOS 17 may be just one incremental step forward, it is part of a long-term Apple Music evolution. Where Apple Music ends up years down the road depends on Apple’s commitment to sustained innovation across iOS updates, new apps, content, and services.
The next year will reveal more concrete details of Apple’s iOS 17 changes as Apple Music aims to continue growing its over 100 million subscribers in service of leading music streaming. iOS 17 appears poised to help, even if Apple Music fans’ wishlist for the update exceeds what Apple can likely accomplish all at once. But Apple Music’s future looks bright across iOS iterations still to come.