APPLE MUSIC, WILL YOU CONNECT?

Apple dropped Apple Music today and all its addendum bits and bobs including Beats 1 Radio, Connect and a Garageband 10.1 update that lets users upload songs straight to their Connect account from the DAW. Of course, you’ll need a Connect account for it to work. And Apple are all too willing to help you out.

If you’re not already digitally distributing your music through an aggregator, the Sign Up link takes you to an Apple Music exclusive deal with CD Baby — $29/album, and $9.95/single. Which doesn’t give you a whole lot when compared with CD Baby’s Standard membership — $59/album, and $14.95/single — which includes worldwide digital and CD distribution, the ability to sell music on Facebook, as well as licensing deals for YouTube and more. Or an $89 per album Pro membership, which gives you more collection rights.

In reality, the only real difference is you sign up to CD Baby with the same email you use for your Apple ID. Once you get past that first screen, it seems like it’s CD Baby business as usual. You select what and when you want to upload, as well as the distribution level.

You, of course, don’t have to go with CD Baby. Depending on your territory, there are other preferred aggregators. And if you already distribute on iTunes, you can just request to manage that artist’s Connect account. So far, Connect is pretty sparse and a bit clunky to navigate. Day One has seen the service fully acquit itself yet, but Apple’s play is to entice independent artists on to the platform, into its store, and onto its streaming service, and so far, that integration looks pretty promising.

No word yet on any updates to Logic Pro X on the Connect front, but both the desktop and iOS versions of Garageband have added the instant Connect upload feature. Other than that the majority of music-making updates in the desktop version are geared towards EDM, including:

• 10 new Drummers that produce beats in a variety of electronic music and Hip Hop styles including House, Trap, Techno, Dubstep and more.

• Over 100 EDM and Hip Hop-inspired synthesiser Patches featuring the new Transform Pad Smart Control for sound morphing.

• 1,000 new Apple Loops from a variety of popular instruments and genres including EDM, Hip Hop, Indie, Disco, Funk, and Blues.

And some of the workflow enhancements and bug fixes include:

• Record the movements of software instrument Smart Controls to capture performances of effect and tone adjustments.

• Adds support for Force Touch trackpad.

• Resolves an issue which prevented the export of long recordings.

• Contains multiple enhancements to Accessibility.