Apple Music (for Android)

An official Apple app on your Android device? Yes, it's true. With Apple Music for Android, Cupertino's first real Android app, Apple crosses enemy lines and opens up its new music streaming service to Google partisans. Apple Music for Android maintains most of the iOS original's good parts. However, the same flaws have carried over as well. Furthermore, without the support of the Apple ecosystem, Apple Music is less appealing on Android than on on Apple's mobile devices.

On iPhones and iPads with iOS 9 installed, Apple Music just takes over from the previous music app, but on Android it's a separate download. There's a generous 90-day free trial. After that, subscriptions start at $9.99 per month for individual listeners. Six-person family plans cost $14.99 per month. I was unable to set up new accounts on my test phones: the Moto X$99.99 at Amazon and the Nexus 5$169.99 at Groupon. The loading screen hung whenever I tried to enter a password. I had to create my profile on a Mac instead and then log in through a phone. I hope this annoying, protracted account creation process is fixed soon. Keep in mind that the service is technically still in beta.

For an in-depth analysis of Apple Music's features, such as its curated playlists, exclusive radio stations, and social network functionality, check out my full review of Apple Music for iPhone$9.99 at Apple Store. The experience on Android is largely the same. The music video for "Hotline Bling" by Drake just looked as good, and I didn't notice a drop in sound quality when listening to the Insane Clown Posse. But this also means many of my issues with the original Apple Music remain present in this version. There are still app-crashing bugs, the features are still more gimmicky than actually useful, and there are still holes in the admittedly impressive music library.

Apple Music for Android also can't leverage the Apple ecosystem the same way it can on iOS. Obviously there's no Siri or Apple Watch$699.99 at Apple Store support. Android Owners, unlike most iPhone owners, also won't already have a preexisting library of iTunes songs on their device for Apple Music to complement. If your connection is too poor to stream music, you better have some tracks downloaded for offline listening or you'll be out of luck. 

These new and old problems prevent the service from putting up much of a fight against our Editors' Choice Spotify$0.00 at Amazon.  But Apple's perfectionist spirit shines through. Apple Music on Android has some slight but appreciated interface and graphic design tweaks to make the app look less like an iOS app and more like other, popular Android apps. 

Play It AgainApple Music for iPhone has issues, but it's a fine and convenient built-in service for discovering new iTunes songs and listening to the ones you already have. But the download is a tougher sell on Android. While it features most of the same selling points, the ones that are missing make the weaknesses that much worse. We'll revisit this beta service to see how it develops. For now, if you want to subscribe to the best music streaming services, just stick with Spotify and Slacker$0.00 at iTunes Store.

Apple Music on Android

Apple Music on Android has some new visual flourishes, compared to the iOS version, that bring it in line with other popular Android apps.