Shortly after releasing iOS 8.3 early in April, Apple seeded the first iOS 8.4 beta to developers. To date, Apple has released four iOS 8.4 betas, including three public betas. iOS 8.4 is largely focused on a revamped music experience and with the launch of Apple Music due at the end of June, it is likely we will see the general public release of iOS 8.4 in the coming weeks.

iOS 8.4 release date

Apple has set a firm date – June 30 – for the worldwide launch of its new streaming music service, Apple Music. As Apple Music forms part of iOS 8.4, Apple will have to roll out the update on or before June 30.

iOS 8.4 standout features

It’s all about the music in iOS 8.4

As mentioned, iOS 8.4 focuses mainly on an improved music experience and Apple Music is by far the biggest new feature to come to iOS.

At $9.99 per month, or $14.99 for a family subscription, Apple Music users can stream music from a catalog of more than 30 million songs and access their iTunes libraries from one app. Apple also touts playlists curated by music experts and custom playlists compiled by issuing commands to Siri.

Apple Music also features 24/7 live radio, dubbed Beats 1, anchored by celebrity DJs in three cities.

The app also has a social aspect – Apple Music Connect – allowing fans to access and interact with exclusive content shared by artists.

With the first iOS 8.4 beta, we also got to see a redesigned Music app with all-new functionality. Along with a new MiniPlayer, there is a new look for Now Playing, global search from anywhere in the app, streamline iTunes Radio, and more.

In the second iOS 8.4 beta, the global search added a list of trending searches to make discovering new music easier.

By the third beta, the Music app in iOS 8.4 gained a toggle switch to show music available offline and more iTunes Radio tweaks.

Audiobooks are more accessible

In iOS 8.4, audiobooks are no longer part of the Music app but have been added to the iBooks app, combining print and audiobooks.

Another change to audiobooks in iOS 8.4 is the addition of an Audiobooks app for CarPlay, making it easier for drivers to listen to audiobooks on the go.

iOS 8.4 will be available as a free update for all Apple mobile devices capable of running iOS 8. For iPhone users, that the iPhone 4s and later.

Image via apple.com