Music app for ios5 is unusable (it's so bad)

I downloaded it and it is awesome! Like you said, the Smart Playlists work great.

My only beef is that you can't rate the songs within the app, but it's so superior to the native iOS Music app that I can't see going back any time soon.

Thanks again for the suggestion - you've made my day!

Glad to help. It's just so dissapointing that we have to find a different music player when the original iPod App worked so well. The Music App should be the "flagship" IMHO, not second-best or worse, something to be shunned.

OTOH the "Playlists" that Groove creates has also reacquainted me with some of my music that I hadn't heard in a long time, so that's a plus.

Anyway, hope Apple gets the Music App back up to speed. At least we can enjoy our music on something else in the meantime.

The question is, can you create and modify playlists using Groove? And does it handle AirPlay?

Oh, and as of today, I guess there's also a question of how it works with iCloud Match.

Trager wrote:

The question is, can you create and modify playlists using Groove? And does it handle AirPlay?

Oh, and as of today, I guess there's also a question of how it works with iCloud Match.

That's two questions. 🙂 The answer to both is "yes". Actually I guess that's three questions. In that case the answers are yes you can create playlists (although they are proprietary and would not "transfer" to iTunes), no you cannot modify an iTunes-created Smart Playlist and yes Groove is capable of AirPlay.

iTunes Match relates to your iTunes library. Groove uses your iTunes library for its database. If you keep your iDevice synced it would have access to any songs in your library. If your question is, can you use Groove to access your iTunes Match content directly then the answer is no.

Everyone seems to be so confused as to why Apple dumbed down the iOS 5 music app on the iPad. The reality is that Apple still sells iPods, and the iPad music player cannibalized their existing product line. By effectively ruining the iPad's music app, someone who wants a dedicated music player will have to choose the iPod, and someone who wants a tablet will have to buy the iPad.

Willbark22: Interesting but unlikely scenario. If true it demonstrates a bizarre lack of marketing understanding which seems far fetched for Apple. More likely is that some novice team of two or three people was given the task and they flubbed it with insufficient time before the release of iOS 5, so Apple released what they had. We'll see if eventually a revised Music app that functions sensibly is released or if Apple alters the SDK so that 3rd parties can implement alternatives. If you're a software developer would you purposely implement a piece of junk for some internecine marketing purpose? I sure wouldn't.

I don't think for one minute think that Apple reduced the functionality of the iPad music app so that more people would buy the iPod as there is a massive price difference anyway and besides most third party speaker hardware tends to be made for the iPod/iPhone rather than the iPad. So I don't think they have done this to sell more iPods.

When the iPad first came out a lot of the reviews praised it for its built in speakers and the same for iPad v2 so reducing the functionality of the music app makes no sense at all. I would suggest that the final music app developed was full of bugs and errors and that it was cut down to the bare minimum to allow iOS5 to roll out in time.

Whatever the reason though, judging by comments on this forum, iPad users (who paid a lot of money for their devices) are not happy with this app - it does not even have apple's 'Cover Flow' view which I consider to be almost a trademark for their music app. I have lodged my complaint about it and lets hope someone on the development team is listening. I would even be happy to go back to the earlier version of the app. That was far better than what we have now.

KGriff wrote:

Whatever the reason though, judging by comments on this forum, iPad users (who paid a lot of money for their devices) are not happy with this app - it does not even have apple's 'Cover Flow' view which I consider to be almost a trademark for their music app. I have lodged my complaint about it and lets hope someone on the development team is listening. I would even be happy to go back to the earlier version of the app. That was far better than what we have now.

Agreed. The Music App on the iPad should be the "flagship", not the stripped-down, kludgy unstable app that it is currently. Hopefully Apple is hard at work on an update that will at least meet the original iPod App's functionality...and ideally deliver a whole lot more.

Only one question from me. Does Groove shuffle music in a playlist? See, just one question! 🙂

Rachael

Rachael Jellicoe wrote:

Only one question from me. Does Groove shuffle music in a playlist? See, just one question! 🙂

Rachael

Oooo...I like the easy ones! 🙂

Yes, it's called "Groovy Mix".

I looked for a solved button, and none was found?? I am a simple girl but not easy.... 🙂

Thanks for the help richsadams.

Rachael

PS: seriouly, where did the helpful and solved buttons go???

You have to be logged in and the original poster to get the helpful and solved buttons.

You have to be logged in and the original poster to get the helpful and solved buttons.

Any word on whether the upcoming 5.1 fixes any of the issues?

iOS 5.1 Gold dev was just released and there's a reference to adding a toggle for iTunes Match over 3G, but nothing about the Music App itself. That could be becuase most folks are looking for improvements to battery life and some other more pressings issues, so it's impossible to say right now.

iOS 5.1 should be pushed out any day now though so we'll see.

http://9to5mac.com/2011/11/28/apple-seeds-first-ios-5-1-beta-xcode-4-3-beta/

http://9to5mac.com/2011/11/29/ios-5-1-roundup-new-iphone-ipad-apple-tv-reference s-minor-tweaks/