In the increasingly competitive music streaming landscape, Apple Music is challenging Spotify and other platforms with a series of new features designed to revolutionize the listening experience. Previewed at WWDC in June 2025, the new features will be available with the arrival of iOS 26 and aim to make Apple Music not only a streaming platform, but also an interactive, educational and shared entertainment tool.
Real-time text translation: breaking down language barriers
The most anticipated feature is definitely Lyrics Translation, the automatic translation of music lyrics. Thanks to this new option, users will be able to understand song lyrics in foreign languages without having to look for interpretations on external sites or third-party apps.
The translations currently available cover some of the most requested language combinations:
- English Chinese (Simplified)
- English Japanese
- Korean Chinese (Simplified)
- Korean English
- Korean Japanese
- Spanish English
This is a feature that, in addition to increasing accessibility, also enhances the listener's cultural experience, making it easier to approach genres such as K-pop, Latin music and J-pop.
Lyrics pronunciation and karaoke: Apple Music becomes a singing school
For those who love to sing even in unknown languages, the Lyrics Pronunciation function also arrives, designed to guide the user through the romanized pronunciation of the lyrics. Currently available on a selection of songs, this function supports the following languages:
- Cantonese Jyutping
- Chinese (simplified and traditional) Pinyin
- Hindi Romanized Hindi
- Japanese Romanized Japanese
- Korean Katakana and Romanization
- Punjabi Romanization
A real musical gym, useful not only for karaoke enthusiasts, but also for those studying oriental languages or simply wanting to perform a song in a more correct and engaging way.
Advanced and interactive karaoke: Apple Music focuses on the shared experience
Apple has also thought about group fun: with the arrival of iOS 26, karaoke features will include:
- Lyrics synchronized in real time
- Dynamic visual effects
- Emoji reactions on the screen
- Possibility of singing with multiple people, each with their own iPhone
The goal is to transform Apple Music into a social environment, where singing sessions become shared events, even from a distance. Users will be able to add songs to the queue and interact visually with those who are singing, creating a real “karaoke party digitale” atmosphere.
AutoMix: fluid playlists thanks to artificial intelligence
Among other more technical innovations, Apple has also introduced a function called AutoMix: a mode that allows you to create continuous and seamless playlists, generating fluid transitions between one song and another, thanks to the use of AI for beat-matching and time-stretching.
A technology that replicates the experience of a real DJ, making playlists perfect for training, parties or simply to accompany the day with an uninterrupted musical flow.
New design: more space for content
In addition to the new features, Apple also presented a user interface redesign for its main apps, including Apple Music. The navigation bar is now floating: it dynamically adapts to the user's position, shrinking when scrolling through content to give greater emphasis to central elements, and expanding when you return to the top.
An elegant and modern visual touch, in line with the new UX/UI trends, which makes the app even more fluid and pleasant to use.
Think about the future of your music!
With iOS 26, Apple Music significantly raises the bar for music streaming: not just listening, but engagement, interaction, language learning and quality entertainment. The strategy is clear: to build user loyalty through complete and innovative experiences, going beyond the simple concept of “ascoltare una canzone”.
Are you an artist, a label or a publisher and want to understand how to make the most of these new features to promote your songs on Apple Music?
Schedule a meeting with me now!
Discover how to integrate these tools into your digital promotion campaigns and make your music even more accessible and engaging.
