Apple Music's Android app officially ready to rock
The Android version of Apple's Spotify rival hits the stage after wrapping up a months-long sound check (aka beta testing). It's now available through Google Play.
The Apple Music app for Android is all tuned up and ready to riff.
Apple Music is now available as a fully fledged app and service for owners of Android smartphones.
A test version of Apple's streaming-music service had been up for grabs for Android since last November. But now Apple must feel the product is ready for the masses as the official edition landed in the Google Play store on Wednesday.
The Android flavor is similar to its iPhone counterpart in that you can stream more than 30 million songs, check out on-demand curated radio stations with your favorite music, listen to playlists created by music experts and tune into the 24-7 Beats 1 radio station to hear music selected by DJs from around the world.
The Android version also includes new equalizer settings as well as unnamed performance, playback and stability improvements, Apple said in its description of the app.
Offering something to owners of Android devices is a rare move for Apple, which typically restricts its services to users of the iPhone and iPad. But Apple Music faces such rivals as Spotify, Pandora, Amazon Music and Google Play Music for a slice of the growing music-streaming business. Expanding the potential user base to such a large audience is one way for Apple Music to grow and perhaps convince some Android users to switch to iOS as a way to purchase music from iTunes.
The Android app's equalizer settings let you adjust the bass and other levels as well as choose certain preset music types, such as classical or rock. Apple Music for Android also offers a home screen widget from which you can play music as well as an option to download music to an SD card, according to The Verge.
Apple Music has gradually swept up more people. In June 2016, Apple announced that the service had signed up 15 million paid subscribers a year after its launch. That's not bad, but it's still half the 30 million subscribers who pay for Spotify. Still, Spotify had a hefty head start, having officially launched in 2008.
Both Apple Music and Spotify offer free trials, though Apple gives you three months while Spotify doles out just a month. However, you can listen to the basic version of Spotify for free, while Apple Music is strictly a paid service, costing $9.99 a month for an individual and $14.99 for a family of as many as six people.