Apple Music is now available on various web browsers as the company launched the public beta app on Thursday, Sept. 5.
With this new web interface, users no longer have to download iTunes or the Apple Music app to listen to the music on the platform.
Apple Launches Beta App
All subscribers of Apple Music worldwide will be able to use the beta app by simply signing in to beta.music.apple.com with their existing Apple ID.
With the web app, subscribers can access Apple's entire music catalog on all browsers and devices, including all mobile platforms — even Android. Many of the core features of Apple Music are already available on the beta web platform, including the Library, Search, and Browse sections, the personalized For You section, and radio stations.
The Verge noted that a number of key features are still missing, such as Beats 1 live broadcast, smart playlists, and some of the original music video content. However, Apple says that it will continue to roll out new features over time.
For now, users would need an existing Apple Music account to access it on the browser, but eventually, signing up would be possible on it as well.
Apple will be collecting user feedback during this initial roll out of the beta app, working to fix kinks and improve the features of Apple Music on the web.
Apple Amps Up Streaming Music Service
For users who already have the Apple Music app, it might not seem like a huge step for Apple to make it available online. However, it lets users on other platforms to access Apple Music without the company having to design apps for each platform, such as Chrome OS or Linux.
By making Apple Music more accessible across different platforms, Apple is able to compete on more even ground with rivals such as Spotify, who have had its web platform online for years.
While Apple beats Spotify in the United States, the latter is currently the biggest music platform in the world. Recently, Spotify became the first music streaming service to hit the milestone of 100 million paying subscribers. The service now has a total of 217 million paying and non-paying active users from all over the world.
In contrast, Apple Music hit the 60 million subscribers mark in late June. The company is not just competing with Spotify, but also other streaming services such as Pandora, Amazon Music, and YouTube Music, among others.
