Apple Music will receive updates that improve the app's performance in iOS 18 and macOS 15 later this year, according to a report. The company's upcoming operating system updates are expected to bring revamped versions of Apple Music and QuickTime, the company's audio and video playback apps. Apple Music could improve compatibility with its existing crossfade feature. Meanwhile, the iPhone maker is also testing a new “Passthrough” that is said to be available on compatible devices later this year.
An AppleInsider report, citing people familiar with the company's plans, claims that new versions of the Apple Music and QuickTime apps are currently being tested internally. These apps are said to offer improvements to media playback and are expected to be introduced later this year when the company releases its iOS 18 and macOS 15 software updates to eligible iPhone models and Mac computers.
The first feature reported in Apple Music with iOS 18 and macOS 15 is called “smart song transitions”. It's said to be an improved version of the existing crossfade feature for Apple Music that lowers the volume of a track a few seconds before it ends, while the next song starts playing and increases the volume so there's no silence between the two tracks
The “smart” transitions feature in Apple Music
Photo credit: AppleInsider
While users can already adjust Apple Music's crossfade settings to a higher or lower value (in seconds) to increase or decrease the amount of time spent switching smoothly between tracks, it's possible that Smart Transitions of songs can dynamically adjust the transition time between tracks. A screenshot of the alleged Apple Music for iOS feature also shows a new “smart” transition option on top of the existing crossfade slider that offers up to 12 seconds to seamlessly switch to the next track.
According to the report, the “Passthrough” feature that is said to be coming to iOS 18 and macOS 18 will only be accessible on specific models. While there's no word on what the feature does, or if it's a rebrand of an existing feature like Spatial Audio or Transparency mode, the post claims that “it will only be available on supported hardware.”
We can expect to hear more about Apple's upcoming software features at its annual Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC 2024) which is scheduled to begin on June 10. This year, the company is said to be working on integrating various AI features into its iOS, iPadOS. , and macOS operating systems for iPhone, iPad, and Mac computers, respectively.
