With the upcoming update to iOS, we’ll be able to select our own default music app and I can finally have Spotify instead of Apple’s own music app.
This may not seem like a big deal, but it comes on the back of selecting third-party browsers and mail apps, which is something we never thought Apple would do.
And I can’t wait!
I can’t pin down a single reason, but just like their Podcasts app, I’ve never got to grips with Music. On the one hand, its recommendations engine just doesn’t seem to work for me. It constantly recommends music that I would do anything to avoid. The interface is counter-intuitive and sometimes quite hard to navigate. And finally, it just doesn’t have the selection of music that Spotify has – or at least, it’s not as easy to find.
When iOS 14.5 is made available, we’ll be able to select Spotify as the default music app and Ask Siri to play our playlists without constantly mentioning “…with Spotify”.
Moving from the defaults isn’t for everyone. But for those of us who have fallen in love with another app, allowing us to make it a default removes some quite annoying friction in our everyday use of Apple’s gadgets.
Next up?
Please let us choose third party apps instead of Reminders. I wish my life was simple enough to rely on tech stock Reminders app, but it’s not. So yeah – reminders next, please.
MacPsych on the move 
Apple is making a lot of people happy with the new default flexibilities. I don’t think it will hurt iOS. And I think Apple is doing fine numbers-wise and will continue to do so. Sounds like an all-around win to me.
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I agree, I don’t think it’ll hurt iOS at all. Apple must have decided the same, because they’d never risk all the cash they make on services unless they thought they could afford it! I disagree with our host, however, on the merits of Spotify. I constantly fail to find the music I want, and the interface makes no sense to me, at all. Each to his own!
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Nice, you gave me stuff to think about. Sorry your Spotify experience has been lacking. It took me a long time to “get” either Spotify or Apple Music until I just abandoned my old iTunes library…
So to clarify, two things could be hurt but I don’t think either are. One) Apple Music the service could take a hit if people default to Spotify. Two) iOS could be hurt by the general addition of complexity to the system from being more flexible with defaults. Again, I don’t think those will occur.
As for the services, I’ve used both and like both. Each has a few different music selection pros/cons (at least in the US). Spotify advantage is 3rd party solution can be used across more devices and is more ubiquitous. Apple Music advantage is first party treatment and is the default normally (even though you can now change that).
For me, I found some extra video game music on Apple but not Spotify. And my wife and kids use Apple Music too so we’re all on a Family plan. Finally, I prefer Apple’s stuff that’s built-in. First class treatment, less likely to have bugs.
Anyways, thanks for your comment!
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