Apple Music
I used Google Play for music for a couple of years, and I have to say I didn’t really care for it. It did the job – I could pick a song and play it, but often the ‘song generated’ playlists (pick a song and start a radio from it) – for lack of a better word – sucked. If I picked a song with a female lead, I got almost all female singers. Pick a Canadian song, and I would get all Canadian songs (really, Stompin’ Tom mixed in with the Headstones? Really??). That kind of thing. If I want a radio based on a rock song, I want rock radio, if I radio Blue Rodeo, I want that Country Rock vibe, not Anne Murray just because she’s Canadian. Come on!
As luck would have it, my credit card company issued me a new credit card, and I forgot to change the billing on my Google Play account. It expired, which initially gave me the brief “Oh NO!” feeling. But then I thought, “Aha! Now I can try out this Apple Music I’ve been hearing about!”
Just to clarify – I am a Google guy. NOT an Apple guy. I have a Note 5, I use Gmail, and I generally scoff at people when they say “Macs never have issues”, or “Macs are way more user-friendly”, or “Macs make my beard nicer”. Yeah, whatever buddy. So I didn’t come pre-packaged with the Mac/Apple bias.
At first, when I installed the app, I was presented with a bubble screen for me to pick what I like – cute, Apple, real cute. Weird, ’cause you never really see bubbles in the interface again. But whatever, someone’s kitty cat-loving single sister picked the feel of that screen or something. Liveable, but weird. What did surprise me however, was the “FOR YOU” section – right away I had “A-List Rock” waiting for me. Gave it a listen…Awesome. Then it hit me with Judas Priest Deep Cuts – AWESOME!! (I’m a bit of a metal-head at times). And everyday since, the “FOR YOU” section has been a little bit of awesomeness. I’m sometimes on the road for hours with my job, and listening to something fresh to me is so cool. Not only playlists, but albums I might be interested in. Again…awesome!
My family & I have a small cabin off-grid, so before we packed up, I downloaded a few playlists to my Note 5 and dumped on some acoustic curated playlists, because I really enjoy acoustic versions of tunes when hanging out, or hanging over. My wife & I played some cards in the evening at the cabin, and the lists were spectacular! I downloaded the “A-List Pop” for my daughter as well, and on the trip to and from the cabin that was a huge hit! – not just the same old same old we hear on the radio, but some fresh tracks (many that we did hear over and over because she fell in love with them, but not Apple’s fault).
So, all in all, I’m very impressed. Will I go back to Google Play? Nope. Apple Music really is that good – and the family pack for $15.99 is very impressive.
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