Relaunched Apple Music 'beta' web player features new 'Listen Now' tab

Apple this week relaunched a beta version of the Apple Music web player with a few tweaks that bring the service in line with corresponding app versions set to debut as part of iOS 14 and macOS Big Sur.

The updated beta site includes a new content navigation section called "Listen Now," which replaces the "For You" tab currently seen on the public-facing Apple Music web player.

"Listen Now" operates in a similar manner to the content suggestion feature that will ship with iOS 14, iPadOS 14 and macOS Big Sur this fall. A "For You" page replacement, the new category offers personalized song and album recommendations, curated playlists and other targeted content to better suit user listening tastes.

"Listen Now" is also the new home for Apple Music Replay lists, which collect subscribers' most-played tracks for the year in browsable playlists. The feature aggregates annual listening data back to 2015.

In addition to "Listen Now," the beta version of Apple Music's web player sports a redesigned interface that takes cues from the Apple Music app set to debut this fall. Red line drawings replace colorful icons for "Browse," "Radio" and content library playlists, while large preview panels populate the "Top Picks" section in "Listen Now." Animated art draws the eye to special "Mix" playlists.

The relaunched beta site was spotted by 9to5Mac earlier today.

Apple Music's web portal first launched in beta form nearly one year ago before exiting testing in April 2020. The online service provides subscriber flexible access to content libraries, curated recommendations, streaming radio and more without a dedicated app.

13 Comments

heli0s 10 Years · 65 comments

About 4 years ago

Why is there a Apple Music website that nobody uses but there isn’t Apple Music on Nest Home devices that millions of people have in their homes? This Apple-Google war is great....for Spotify

I'm genuinely curious why Apple thought they should devote resources to creating this web portal for Apple Music.

Beats 4 Years · 3073 comments

heli0s said:

Why is there a Apple Music website that nobody uses but there isn’t Apple Music on Nest Home devices that millions of people have in their homes? This Apple-Google war is great....for Spotify

You can listen to music on thermometers?

Beats said:

heli0s said:

Why is there a Apple Music website that nobody uses but there isn’t Apple Music on Nest Home devices that millions of people have in their homes? This Apple-Google war is great....for Spotify

You can listen to music on thermometers?

It's "thermostats" and Nest is now the new name for Google Home devices.

ihatescreennames 19 Years · 1977 comments

heli0s said:

I'm genuinely curious why Apple thought they should devote resources to creating this web portal for Apple Music.

It’s an expected feature of a streaming music service. I used to work with a guy who would log into his Spotify account through their web site first thing upon arriving at work. It was a shared computer and anyone could use his account from then on. I expect similar uses for the AM web player.

Gotta love all the double standards around Apple. “Apple Music sucks because they don’t have a web player like Spotify” “Apple wasted money by making a Apple Music web player because nobody will use it.”

Basically, if Apple doesn’t offer X feature, people complain that Apple doesn’t provide it. When Apple provides X feature people complain that it sucks compared to third party offerings. When Apple improves X feature people complain that they are screwing over third party developers.