Apple Music Features Improved Spotify-Like Queue System on iOS 18

[MacRumors]

Apple has revamped the song queuing system in the Music app on iOS 18, and early reaction to the changes has been overwhelmingly positive.

Notable changes include a new "Add Songs to Queue" button at the bottom of the queue, an option to clear the entire queue all at once, and the ability to change the currently playing song without having the queue disappear. In addition, the former "Play Last" menu option has been replaced with "Add to Queue." While listening to a playlist, it is now possible to add a song to the queue for immediate playback after the current song, whereas the song would previously get added to the end of the playlist.

These changes bring Apple Music's queuing system on iPhone more in line with Spotify, and the Android version of the Apple Music app. It also brings Apple Music's queuing system more in line with how it worked back on iOS 9.

iOS 18 is currently available in beta for members of the Apple Developer Program, with a public beta to follow in July. The update should be widely released in September, allowing everyone to try out the new queuing system.

Article Link: Apple Music Features Improved Spotify-Like Queue System on iOS 18

 

[casperghst42]

I would be very happy if I could just play the music I put on my iPhone, without any advertisement or suggestions from Apple. But I guess that would be too much to ask.

 

[kalafalas]

FINALLY!!!!

This is how it worked all the way back in iOS 9 (and on the music app on macOS this whole time). Glad to see they came back around

 

[page3]

I would be very happy if I could just play the music I put on my iPhone, without any advertisement or suggestions from Apple. But I guess that would be too much to ask.

I use PlexAmp for that. It’s amazingly good.

 

[xxray]

Words aren’t enough to express how happy I am about this change. The current/old queuing system is so frustrating, convoluted, and tedious. It’s been my biggest complaint about Apple Music. This upgrade alone makes me tempted to jump on the iOS 18 beta.

 

[MakeAppleAwesomeAgain]

Please fix local music libraries on macOS, it’s so bad you won’t believe it. Navigation is totally broken when searching. Sometimes I wish we’d go back to the latest iTunes version with Cover Flow. I don’t care that it was bloated, it was brilliant for local music libraries.

 

[ShivneelSingh]

OMG finally!! It’s only took ten years but this is soooo useful.

Now Apple Music is perfect.

 

[Alexndar]

Glad to hear that.
I've long returned to local everything though. Gotten tired of subscriptions adding up.

 

[LightProtector]

I would be very happy if I could just play the music I put on my iPhone, without any advertisement or suggestions from Apple. But I guess that would be too much to ask.

If you are complaining about Apple Music, wait until you see Spotify. I get popups when I open the app even though I literally pay for Premium.

 

[arkitect]

If you are complaining about Apple Music, wait until you see Spotify. I get popups when I open the app even though I literally pay for Premium.

Really?
*Opens Spotify Premium*
Nope.
No popups for me…

 

[Steve Job's Cousin]

If you are complaining about Apple Music, wait until you see Spotify. I get popups when I open the app even though I literally pay for Premium.

I've never gotten a single popup on Spotify, I don't know what you're talking about.

 

[Mrkevinfinnerty]

If it works like Spotify this is great news, the queue is one of the things i hate about Apple Music

 

[anthogag]

Spotify can suck my iPhone Pro Max ✍️

 

[phuklok1]

We're up to IOS 18. Can we please have a real custom EQ?! you know with individual frequency bands like they were able to do in the 70s? Can it remember independent settings for each bluetooth device it is attached to? that way you don't have to keep messing with it when you connect to a small bluetooth speaker, a car, or home system? Maybe swipe gestures for skipping tracks? there were JB tweaks for my iphone 4 that could do those things over a decade ago! you know, real simple, usefull and basic things...I think it's time...Please?! LOL

 

[mikeszf]

Cool, at this pace I might be able to switch from spotify by iOS 23

 

[Kottu]

Good. Now it's time to bring a sleep timer within the music app.

 

[RoelJuun]

Finally, the possibility to clear the next-up queue on iOS! Thought the day would never come. My biggest annoyance on iOS.

Now give me the option to turn off all those tabs with Home, Discovery and Radio. I just want MY music and the option to browse the Apple music Library. I don’t need help from Apple in discovering music, that’s what Robert Christgau is for.

 

[ipedro]

"Play Last" was always confusing to me, even though I knew what it meant. Play Next is clear, but "last" wasn't always last. I had to force myself to look at the icons which were more representative of what it did. "Add to Queue" is a better description.

I wouldn't call it "Spotify-like" though. This is how iTunes worked ages ago. Apple messed with a working formula and finally went back to how it used to work.

 

[diego.caraballo]

Not mention of Ai coming to Apple Music, weird.
Would be a safe place to experiment.
I'm really frustrated with the music that AM selects to play after my playlist ends...99% of the songs are nothing similar with those on my playlist.

 

[TapDatApp]

Sounds good, but are we losing the Play Last functionality all together? Does everything added to the queue always go to the top? If so, I don’t understand why this was a replacement and not a new addition.

 

[AppleUser2]

Please fix local music libraries on macOS, it’s so bad you won’t believe it. Navigation is totally broken when searching. Sometimes I wish we’d go back to the latest iTunes version with Cover Flow. I don’t care that it was bloated, it was brilliant for local music libraries.

It can literally take days for my playlists such as 'New Music Daily' to refresh....that plus can they just make Apple Music faster (as fast as Spotify)? That is my only complaint as the rest of it (radio, Lossless etc) is good.

 

[AppleUser2]

We're up to IOS 18. Can we please have a real custom EQ?! you know with individual frequency bands like they were able to do in the 70s? Can it remember independent settings for each bluetooth device it is attached to? that way you don't have to keep messing with it when you connect to a small bluetooth speaker, a car, or home system? Maybe swipe gestures for skipping tracks? there were JB tweaks for my iphone 4 that could do those things over a decade ago! you know, real simple, usefull and basic things...I think it's time...Please?! LOL

That would be so good! What they have at the moment is a joke (and hidden away).

 

[Dwalls90]

Apple really is doing a good job at fixing the little grievances across iOS. With Spotify's price increases, I may just move back to AM this fall.

 

[Unami]

Cool, at this pace I might be able to switch from spotify by iOS 23

Although one can get around this by telling Siri to stop playback in x minutes or setting up a shortcut.

 

[cambookpro]

This feature has single-handedly made me install beta 1 - the queue was a mess in prior versions and made me seriously consider going back to Spotify. Much happier now!