The Apple Music app is finally coming to Xbox! It was recently announced by Microsoft at the 2022 Surface Event. It was previously possible to install the Apple TV streaming platform via the Xbox Store, but this wasn’t the case for Apple Music. This has now changed. Players now have access to over 100 million songs and 30,000 playlists. The music streaming app has been added to the Microsoft catalog for the following consoles: Xbox One, Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S. It is now free to download.
As a reminder, Apple Music has been available on the Sony PlayStation 5 console since October 2021. This app can also be downloaded on different TVs, such as the Samsung The Frame QE32LS03B QLED TV or the large Samsung UE55BU8005 4K UHD TV. Apple Music is also accessible via the Apple TV 4K network player, but also through the Amazon Echo Show 8 (2nd generation) and Google Nest Audio connected speakers. Note that the user interface of Apple Music on Xbox is identical to the one on smart TVs.
Listening to music while playing
Once installed via the Microsoft Store, the application requires a subscription (between €4.99 and €14.99 per month) to operate. Like Spotify, Apple Music allows you to listen to the various tracks, playlists, radios and podcasts available. The Apple platform can also display synchronized lyrics, and allows you to search for tracks using lyrics, as well create personalized playlists. The goal is to offer users easy access to music without having to use the web player. This is a more intuitive method that allows the player to enjoy gaming-friendly features.
In particular, you can play music in the background during gaming sessions. The many games offered in the Xbox Game Pass directory can be played while enjoying the music of your choice. Naturally, a slider allows you to set the volume of the music played and that of the video game. This is in addition to the sound improvement efforts on Xbox consoles and follows the latest Xbox update that includes automatic noise cancelling.
The Xbox app supports music videos in a resolutio up to 4K, but does not support Dolby Atmos music and lossless quality, both of which are supported by Apple Music on the Apple TV 4K box.
Over 100 million available songs
Apple Music announced that it passed the 100 million track milestone in early October 2022. In addition, the platform has recently added new features such as dynamic head tracking or adding artists to your favorites for more pertinent suggestions. Rachel Newman, global head of editorial for the service adds, “It’s our job to help you discover new favorites and rediscover forgotten gems, whether it’s one of our expert radio hosts lighting your way, or a handcrafted playlist.
Microsoft added that music and video streaming applications will also be available on Windows over the next year. The company also plans to integrate photos stored on iCloud into the “Photos” app on Windows 11 PCs. Demo versions should be available soon.
