Is Apple Music Easy or Hard to Use – For Beginners? (Explained)

You’d be hard pushed to find many people who don’t love having music in their lives, and one of the best ways to ensure you’re never without your favorite artist is to sign up with one of the many music streaming services.

Apple Music is a big player in the world of music streaming and already has a huge number of happy users; however, if you’re new to Apple Music or are unsure about whether to sign up, you may want to know how easy it is to use.

In this article, we remove the stress that beginners may face by taking a look at whether or not Apple Music is easy or hard to use.

Here’s How Easy Apple Music is to Use:

Beginners who are familiar with Apple products may find the process of navigating Apple Music’s interface easier. Apple Music is available on multiple devices; users can learn the app on the device they feel most comfortable with. Beginners can start with a free trial to see if it is right for them.

Apple Store interior with new Apple MacBook Air laptop featuring Apple Music service on the Retina display screen with back of musician

Is Apple Music Easy for Beginners?

One of the major hurdles for beginners when they come to use any new app or service is to understand exactly what the platform does and how to get the most out of it.

Apple Music may well be a household name, but if you’re a complete beginner to music streaming services, it may feel like a daunting task to grapple with everything that Apple Music has to offer.

To begin with, you should understand what Apple Music offers you as a customer:

Now that you understand the basics of what Apple Music does and how it works, it’s time to explain how to get started.

If you’re a complete beginner to Apple Music, then your best bet is to start with a free trial.

Taking advantage of Apple Music’s free trial is a no-brainer as it allows beginners to start exploring the many facets of what both the app and the service are like for a monthly subscriber.

During your 1 month-free trial you can get familiar with the app’s layout and interface, begin making your own personal playlists, stream and download tracks, check out radio stations like Apple Music 1, and much more.

Here’s a Beginners Guide to Starting a Free Trial with Apple Music:

  1. Begin by opening the Apple Music app (download it if you don’t already have it pre-installed).
    • Alternatively, you can head over to music.apple.com
  2. Choose the option to ‘Listen Now’
  3. Now select the free trial.
    • A free trial is only available for first-time users, and only one trial can be used per person or per family.
  4. Select which subscription plan you want to try out.
    • You have a choice between Family, Student, and Individual.
  5. Next, you must sign in using your Apple ID and associated password.
    • No Apple ID? Simply select ‘Choose New Apple ID’ to get one.
  6. Enter your payment details and billing information.
  7. Finally, click or tap ‘Join’

You’ll now begin your one-month trial without paying a cent, but remember, you will be billed if you do not cancel the subscription before the trial runs its course.

Check out our article about Apple Music’s subscription options!

Is Apple Music Easier for Beginners than other Music Streaming Services?

The music streaming platform that you choose to use is a personal choice, and, moreover, how easy it is to use will depend on what you have used in the past.

Spotify and Google Play Music are two of the big contenders that may draw your attention away from Apple Music – and for good reason.

It would be fair to say that Apple Music got off to a bumpy start when it first launched, with criticism leveled at its complex music management options.

At the time, Spotify ruled supreme in the music streaming world and was considered to have a far simpler user interface.

However, as time has gone on, Apple Music has continued to grow and improve. In some areas, it seems to have mimicked Spotify’s simplicity.

However, despite those improvements, there are some users who still feel Spotify has the edge.

“When it comes to music streaming apps, Spotify has the best user interface—which is surprising considering Apple is typically the king when it comes to design. In this case, Spotify’s app layout is much cleaner and better organized than Apple Music.”

[Source:Soundguys.com]

Apple is known for its sleek and innovative designs, and Apple Music definitely reflects the brand’s aesthetic; however, there’s no doubt that beginners can be overwhelmed by the multitude of tabs in the app.

The Apple Music interface, therefore, leans more toward the aesthetically pleasing rather than streamlined and user-friendly. But if you give it time, you may well join the masses who prefer it to Apple Music’s competitors.

Moreover, if you’re somebody who is used to using Apple devices and apps, then you’ll probably find that the layout and user interface feels natural to you.

It is important to note that Apple Music and iTunes are not the same. There are a few fundamental differences that you need to know about. Check out our article answering the question, is Apple’s music app the same as iTunes to learn more. 

Does Apple Music Work the Same Way Across Your Devices?

One of the biggest concerns that beginners have when trying to figure out whether a music streaming platform is right for them is what’s going to happen when they switch devices.

Apple Music allows you to access your music library and all of the fantastic features that Apple Music offers, all on multiple devices. In fact, you can use Apple Music on 6 devices, all signed in to the same Apple ID. These do not all have to be Apple devices.

It really is as simple as that.

All of the carefully created playlists you made can be accessed wherever you have the Apple Music app installed, it’s just a case of signing in on your different devices.

To make things even easier, you can also access Apple Music on your web browser and jump straight into your personal music library without even needing the app!

Does Apple Music Have Helpful Tutorials?

Sometimes a little help goes a long way, and Apple has ensured that beginners can find simple ways to get started on their Apple Music experience.

If you head over to Apple’s support page, you can find the Apple Music user guide.

The Apple Music user guide offers simple tutorials to teach you the basics of the app with the aim of helping users to maximize their understanding of what the service offers.

You can find tutorials that explain:

  • How to search for music.
  • How to stream recommended songs.
  • How to play tracks from your personal library.
  • How to get started on Apple Music’s radio stations.

The user guide also has a specific section of tutorials all about how to ‘Customise your music experience’, with articles ranging from how to modify your playback settings to creating playlists and letting Apple Music know what music you really love.

How Long does it Take to Learn?

Defining the time of a learning curve is a complex matter that is determined by an individual’s aptitude for grappling with new apps.

Apple Music has a lot of features packed in that allow its users to do more than simply tune in to a radio station.

From using the search function to find the artists you enjoy to sharing music with your friends and building playlists, there’s a fair amount to learn.

However, you don’t necessarily have to become a master of the app overnight.

Most beginners will dip their toes in by trying the free trial and then signing up for a monthly subscription, and during these first few months, they will slowly uncover more of what the app does over time.

It’s best to take your time learning how to do the things on the app that really matter to you first.

If you’ve come to Apple Music because you want to rediscover some of your favorite albums, then getting familiar with how to use the search function will be key.

However, if you’re keen to discover brand-new music you may head over to Apple Music’s renowned radio stations and also learn how to create your own custom playlists.

The time it takes for you to learn how to use all of Apple Music’s features and functions will depend largely on how interested you are in exploring the app in its entirety and what sparks your interest.

Remember, there’s no rush or pressure to be an Apple Music aficionado, just take your time and learn at your own pace.

Please also read our article about how Apple Music’s Family Plan works

Good Tips For & Easy Start with Apple Music:

In this section, you’ll find some of the most important guides to give you a running start on your Apple Music experience.

Firstly, we recommend that you ensure your Apple ID and password are secure. Note, Apple Music is safe to use, but there are some things you ought to consider. 

How to Create your First Playlist

One of the main features that all Apple Music users should get to grips with is how to make their first playlist.

Just use this guide below to get started:

  1. Launch the Apple Music app and tap ‘New Playlist’
  2. Enter a name for your new playlist.
  3. Tap ‘Add Music’
  4. Now, find the music that you like and tap the tracks you want on your playlist.
  5. Finally, tap ‘Done’

How to Download Music for Offline Playback

Playing your favorite music without the need for an internet connection is a serious perk; take a look at how to do it below.

  1. First, you need to add music to your library by holding your finger on the content you want and then tapping ‘Add to Library’
  2. Now tap and hold the content that you’ve added to your library.
  3. Finnaly, tap ‘Download’

It is worth noting that Apple Music includes both clean and explicit versions of songs. Keep this in mind when selecting tracks to stream or download.

Ensure Apple Music Knows what you Love

You can train Apple Music to understand your musical tastes in a few ways. This will help Apple Music suggest more music that you’ll enjoy and help you discover new music.

  • Navigate to an artist’s page and select the ‘Favourite’ button.
  • Press and hold down on a track, an album, or a playlist and tap ‘Love’
  • You can also choose to ‘Love’ or ‘Suggest Less Like This’ from the ‘Now Playing’ screen. Choose either of the options by tapping the three dots. 

Sources

Apple Music: Our Complete Guide

Apple Music vs Spotify

The Complete Guide to Apple Music: Get the low down before you Sign Up

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