Why is Apple Music so damn buggy?!

[striders]

Since I upgraded to iOS 8.4 on all my devices (iPhone 6+ and Mini 3), I have so many problems using the Apple Music app:

1). Playlists created in iPhone 6+ synced with my MacBook iTunes, but not Mini 3. The reverse is true. I only have 3 Playlists and 20 songs total.

2). I created a playlist, put some songs, and select "Make available offline" on the Playlist. After a couple of hours (I only put 10 songs on that list), only ONE song was downloaded (iPhone icon next to the song name). If I put my iPhone in Airplane mode, NONE of the song is available since it was not downloaded. I have to keep doing "Remove Downloads" and then "Make available offline" like 3-4 times before the downloads will stick.

3). I searched for a song, found it and select "Add to Playlist" but it was not added to the Playlist, even though I see the "checkmark". I had to open the Playlist and search and add the song from there --> Playlist --> Edit --> Add Song.

Yes, I did all the obligatory sign-in/out iCloud, reboot and reset. I tested this with 1 other iPhones and 2 iPad, all exhibit the same problems. I created a new iCloud account, same problem.

Right now no. 1 above (no syncing of Playlist among multiple devices) is one I haven't been able to solve.

Anyone have any input on this? Right now I am using Google Play Music until this is sorted out.

 

[jonnyb098]

I for one noticed bugs within about 30 minutes and rolled back to 8.3. Which makes me wonder how on earth this got through QA. While some of the bugs are functional (not show stoppers), it makes me wonder how much other stuff was so horrible they had to get that fixed and leave these issues floating out there. That tells me that the project was a rushed mess.

Now that the honeymoon period has worn off lots of pundits on the web are bashing Apple music. I do feel it should have been its own app so it didn't interfere with our music collections (since they cant get cloud services right anyway). All these bugs are usually whats present in a beta piece of software.

The reason so many say they "don't have issues" is because either A, they aren't actually poking around Apple Music enough to actually use it during different scenarios or B, after iOS 8 they've just become accustomed to bugs which is not a good thing at all. All the bugs are easily reproducible during normal use. These aren't the kind that have avery obscure method of making the bug happen.

And since its part of the OS and not a separate app, updates will take weeks to get out to the public.

Indeed Pandora and Spotify have little to worry about right now.

 

[PinkyMacGodess]

The biggest issue for me is that I used to be able to connect my ear buds to my iPhone, and just click the center on the control, and would have shuffled music while I wander the aisles of the local grocery, and now, I occasionally get music, but seem to be having, more often, to go through the wretched user interface, and try to get music to shuffle...

What the freaking biscuits from Mars happened to the damn idea of 'INTUITIVENESS'? So far, there isn't much freaking INTUITIVE about the new Music app. Or at least that I've been able to find...

I mean, DAMN...

 

[tomekosiowy]

I can live with new Music app, it works OK. The only important thing is to disable Apple Music and iCloud Music Library on all iOS devices and in iTunes on Mac. As an extra bonus it is possible to disable Apple Music Connect (in iTunes preferences and in Restrictions settings of iOS). Only Radio stays from the new Music app stuff. But I know the 1st impression pain (I spend near a month to understand that I have to use iTunes and Music app in the old way).

 

[striders]

I can live with new Music app, it works OK. The only important thing is to disable Apple Music and iCloud Music Library on all iOS devices and in iTunes on Mac. As an extra bonus it is possible to disable Apple Music Connect (in iTunes preferences and in Restrictions settings of iOS). Only Radio stays from the new Music app stuff. But I know the 1st impression pain (I spend near a month to understand that I have to use iTunes and Music app in the old way).

Correct me if I am wrong, but if I disable the iCloud Music Library, wouldn't that disable the Playlist syncing across all the device? That was the problem I had with no. 1 above.

BTW, after multiple login/logout, reset and pulling my hair, the Playlist now synced with my Mini 3. Never figured out what was the problem. Smh...

 

[tomekosiowy]

Correct me if I am wrong, but if I disable the iCloud Music Library, wouldn't that disable the Playlist syncing across all the device? That was the problem I had with no. 1 above.

BTW, after multiple login/logout, reset and pulling my hair, the Playlist now synced with my Mini 3. Never figured out what was the problem. Smh...

The problem is that iCloud syncing feature is available with Apple Music enabled. Can not be used as separated service.
You will sync like before update to iOS 8.4 — with iTunes in fact.

 

[MentalFloss]

I for one noticed bugs within about 30 minutes and rolled back to 8.3. Which makes me wonder how on earth this got through QA.

It didn't. Apple obviously wanted to get something done within a specific amount of time with a specific amount of resources, so they had to sacrifice quality. Nobody at QA ever signed off on Apple Music and stated "This is good enough." They simply released it on the predetermined release date. They certainly could have released a more stable product, but then they would have had to release it several months later. So yes, the words "rushed mess" describe it quite well.

I always wonder about the Apple execs who act in the keynotes as if they actually use these products, like Eddy Cue. If they do, then I'd like to join their meetings with the project staff where they ask them why the hell their playlists aren't syncing.

The reason so many say they "don't have issues" is because either A, they aren't actually poking around Apple Music enough to actually use it during different scenarios or B, after iOS 8 they've just become accustomed to bugs which is not a good thing at all. All the bugs are easily reproducible during normal use. These aren't the kind that have avery obscure method of making the bug happen.

No, not all the bugs are easily reproducible. I consider myself a "power user" of Apple Music, and I seem to be one of the people who has been the luckiest when it comes to bugs. I have encountered quite a few, but only ones that I can deal with. Practically every bug I have encountered had a workaround, so I am quite happy right now with holding out for the fixes. My playlists sync absolutely automagically between all my devices and I don't have any problems with my library being messed up in any way whatsoever. I think it has a lot to do with me never having been an iTunes Match customer. The largest mess seems to revolve around that, so I was lucky.

And no, I am not becoming used to bugs. When I buy an Apple product, I buy a product that is somewhat more expensive, because I have come to expect a certain attention to detail. With iOS 7, iOS 8, Apple Music and some other recent products, Apple has really disappointed me (heck, Safari kept giving me the "A problem occurred with this web page so it was reloaded" again and again today until it finally crashed my whole Mac - no, not acceptable).

But my main complaints actually aren't about the bugs. My main complaints are of a conceptual nature. For example, I added a huge number of songs to playlists (like "Best of 1985" or "Greatest R&B songs", etc.). Now all of these songs are in "My Music" as single "floating" songs. I don't want that. I want only music there that I explicitly added to "My Music". I see a deep lack of understanding at Apple of how people think about their music collection, ast Apple simply throws everything in there, whether people want it or not. Reminds me a bit of the U2 album debacle. This bothers me much more than all the bugs I have encountered so far (though obviously, I can only say that because Apple Music didn't kill my library or any similar catastrophe).

 

[flur]

No, not all the bugs are easily reproducible. I consider myself a "power user" of Apple Music, and I seem to be one of the people who has been the luckiest when it comes to bugs. I have encountered quite a few, but only ones that I can deal with. Practically every bug I have encountered had a workaround, so I am quite happy right now with holding out for the fixes. My playlists sync absolutely automagically between all my devices and I don't have any problems with my library being messed up in any way whatsoever. I think it has a lot to do with me never having been an iTunes Match customer. The largest mess seems to revolve around that, so I was lucky.

I suspect you don't have a lot of songs that appeared on compilations or greatest hits albums, or a lot of live stuff. Those seem to be the ones that mismatch the most. All of mine that mismatched fell into those categories (and no, I never used iTunes Match). So part of your luck likely has to do with what music you happen to own.

 

[zhenya]

I've been a power user of iTunes for years, a Match subscriber since day 1, and I've been fortunate not to get hit with any major bugs. The ones I have mostly happen when connected to my car's factory head unit - getting stuck playing a single song, not able to play the album, playing a different song than selected. I've also had some albums not download even when asked or not show up as available offline.

The big problem is that Apple Music is integrating 3rd party code into the already bloated iTunes interface. Apple does best when they create something simple (iPhone, iPad, Watch) with limited functionality then build slowly on top of that. They need to bite the bullet and deconstruct both iTunes and iCloud so they can do exactly this to both services, but it's hard to see a way forward that would allow them to do that.

 

[PinkyMacGodess]

I've been a power user of iTunes for years, a Match subscriber since day 1, and I've been fortunate not to get hit with any major bugs. The ones I have mostly happen when connected to my car's factory head unit - getting stuck playing a single song, not able to play the album, playing a different song than selected. I've also had some albums not download even when asked or not show up as available offline.

The big problem is that Apple Music is integrating 3rd party code into the already bloated iTunes interface. Apple does best when they create something simple (iPhone, iPad, Watch) with limited functionality then build slowly on top of that. They need to bite the bullet and deconstruct both iTunes and iCloud so they can do exactly this to both services, but it's hard to see a way forward that would allow them to do that.

And given the messes that the rest of Apple software is in, I think they don't want to attempt it for fear that the whole thing would sink into a singularity, and consume Apple, and their customers...

Their software is a mess.

It really needs someone who isn't a programmer to take a critical look at it, and if that 'critical eye' was Steve Jobs, than, dammit, they need another Steve Jobs.

There is far to much left 'flapping in the breeze' with Apple software lately. Some people call them 'bugs', but they are marks of a lack of attention to what Apple once stood for. Two main tenants: 1) Simplicity 2) Elegance.

Something can be very powerful, and be 'Simple'. Something can be very powerful, and be 'Elegant'.

Apple seems to be lost in the details, and also a bit of the archetypal 'Kill The Father'.

It had better grow up fast...