UPDATED 21:55 EDT / MAY 04 2016

NEWS

Report: Apple Music to get radical overhaul following lackluster reviews and stagnant growth

Apple, Inc. is said to be preparing a radical overhaul of the interface of its music streaming service following lackluster reviews and stagnant growth, two reports claimed Wednesday.

Bloomberg, quoting people familiar with the matter, describes the changes as “sweeping” with an emphasis on making it more intuitive to use, including a redesigned user-interface, new functions, including wide-ranging support for song lyrics, and reorganization and simplification of existing features.

According to 9to5Mac quoting their own sources, the new user interface abandons the current colorful and translucent look in favor of a simpler design that emphasizes black and white backgrounds and text similar to competitor Spotify AB, including album artwork becoming “huge” and a larger part of the interface to avoid a “dull black and white look.”

Along with the changes to the interface, the new version of Apple Music will also receive improved 3D Touch support including shortcut previews and better promote the ability to share songs.

In additional to the interface changes, Apple is also planning to better integrate its streaming and download businesses and expand its online radio service.

Dysfunction

The Bloomberg report goes further than simply describing the changes to Apple Music itself, and delves into the dysfunctional development history surrounding the product since Apple acquired Beats Music, the platform on which Apple Music is built, in 2014.

Among other allegations, the report claims that multiple Beats staff quit after being forced to work on projects outside of Apple Music itself, despite them all being offered incentive bonuses for staying at the company for one year.

Apple’s marketing decisions in relation to the service are also questioned, with the claim that Apple has been reluctant to promote the streaming service to iTunes customers who currently purchase songs a la carte, as the business remains profitable, and also gives them the opportunity to sell songs from artists who do not make their songs available to streaming services, as is the case with famed singer Adele.

The structure of the division is also spotlighted, with an apparent conflict of minds at a management level between the Beats team, Apple Los Angeles, and Apple head office.

Whatever the ultimate reason for the position Apple Music is in today, the overhaul of the interface may be a chance for Apple to deal itself back into the streaming music space as a serious competitor.

The new interface, Apple Music 2.0 if you like, is expected to be unveiled at Apple’s World Wide Developer Conference in June.

Image credit: freestocks/Flickr/CC by 2.0

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