Tagged

The Symbols and Icons on Apple Music: What Are They?

Updated: September 24, 2023 by Isabelle Caskey

The icons on Apple Music are supposed to help users navigate the platform. However, they’re not always intuitive.

Unless you’re already familiar with other similar applications, how would you know that you can reorder your library menu by clicking and dragging the three horizontal lines?

If you could benefit from these kinds of insights, read on. In this article, we’ll cover every icon on Apple Music and include some tips on how to get the most from your subscription plan.

Home Screen

When you first open up your application, you’ll see the Home screen.

Library

The Library icon is located in the bottom left corner of the mobile application. It looks like music notes inside a red box.

Clicking this icon will bring you to your library menu which includes options on how to sort through your music.

The Symbols and Icons on Apple Music: What Are They? — *Click on **Library** to view your saved music.*
©History-Computer.com

Radio

The Radio icon looks like a dot with pulse signals.

This feature on Apple Music is useful for discovering different radio stations and new music.

Apple Music has three main radio stations: Apple Music 1, Apple Music Hits, and Apple Music Country. It also provides genre-specific radio stations, such as BBC Radio 1 and ABC Jazz. Users can enjoy live shows, interviews, and music, making it a useful feature for discovering new content.

Search

The Search icon looks like a magnifying glass.

When you click this icon, you’ll be able to browse through your library and search for content by keyword.

Library Menu

The Library menu includes the most important icons on Apple Music. You’ll need to know how to use these to find the music you’re looking for.

Playlists

The Playlists icon looks like a musical note next to three horizontal lines.

Clicking on this will take you to all the playlists you’ve already created and will also give you an option to create a new playlist.

Artists

The Artists icon looks like a microphone.

Clicking on this icon alphabetically sorts your music by artist name.

Albums

The Albums icon looks like a square underneath two horizontal lines.

Clicking on this icon alphabetically sorts your music by album name.

Songs

The Songs icon looks like a musical note.

Clicking on this icon alphabetically sorts your music by song name.

Music Videos

The Music Videos icon looks like a musical note inside a rectangle.

If you click on this icon, you will see all the music videos you have downloaded.

Genres

The Genres icon looks like three guitars.

Clicking on this icon alphabetically sorts your music by genre.

Compilations

The Compilations icon looks like two people inside a square.

A compilation album is a musical release that brings together a variety of artists, similar to collections like Classic Rock Hits or Now That’s What I Call Disco.

Clicking this icon will alphabetically sort all your compilations by album name.

Composers

The Composers icon looks like three musical notes.

Clicking on this icon alphabetically sorts your music by composer.

Downloaded

The Downloaded icon looks like an arrow inside a circle.

If you click this icon, you’ll see a library menu for your downloaded music. This can be very helpful when you don’t have Wi-Fi and you want to browse and listen to music that is already saved on your phone.

Edit Menu

The Edit menu gives you options on how you would like to view your library.

Select/Deselect

The select icon looks like a white check mark inside a red circle. Clicking this icon will turn the icon into an empty circle.

If an item is selected, it will show up on your menu. If it is de-selected, it will not show up on your menu.

This can be helpful if you would like to streamline your menu by eliminating unneeded options. For example, if you haven’t downloaded any music videos, you won’t need an option to view music videos.

Reorder

The Reorder icon looks like three horizontal lines.

If you click this icon, you can drag the item to reorder it.

This can be helpful if you want to prioritize your list based on what you most frequently use. For example, if you frequently sort by genre, you may want to place that icon at the top so that you can find it more easily.

Playing Now

When you select a song or other type of content to play, you will be directed to the Playing Now page.

Download

The Download icon looks like a downward pointing arrow inside a grey circle.

If you want to download content to listen to offline, you’ll need to click this icon. However, since your phone has limited memory, we only recommend downloading content that you anticipate needing offline access to. This will help you manage your device’s storage efficiently while ensuring that your favorite content is available even without an internet connection.

Play

The Play icon looks like a triangle pointing to the right.

Clicking this icon will play your content.

Shuffle

The Shuffle icon looks like two crossing arrows.

Clicking this icon will play your content in a random order.

Pause

The Pause icon looks like two vertical lines.

If you want to pause your content, you’ll need to select this icon.

Next Song

The Next Song icon looks like two triangles pointing to the right.

Selecting this icon will skip the current song and play the next song on your list.

Apple Music vs. iTunes: What’s the Difference?

Apple Music is a subscription-based music streaming service that gives users access to a vast library of songs, playlists, and radio stations for a monthly fee.

While Apple Music offers an incredible amount of content for users to play on demand, this privilege ends once users cancel their subscription plan.

iTunes, on the other hand, provides an online store where users can pay for and download content à la carte. Once you purchase the music, you will be able to play it on your devices indefinitely.

What Plans Does Apple Music Offer?

Apple Music offers the following four plans: Individual, Family, College Student, and Voice.

Let’s explore these in more detail.

Individual

The Individual Plan costs $10.99 per month. It allows users to stream ad-free music and access content on-demand. It also includes access to the Apple Music Classical App which exclusively hosts classical music.

Family

The Family Plan costs $16.99 per month and includes subscription access for up to 6 people. In addition to playing content, Family Plan users each receive personalized recommendations based on the music they stream.

Furthermore, users can also download songs for offline listening, receive higher-quality audio, and use the platform on other non-Apple devices that support the platform.

College Student

The College Student Plan costs $5.99 per month. It offers the same features as the Individual Plan for a discounted rate. Users must be enrolled in a qualifying institution and verify their eligibility before they can subscribe to the College Student Plan.

This plan is limited to 48 months. After that time, the plan will convert to an Individual Plan.

For more info on how to get a student subscription, click here.

Voice

While the Voice Plan is the most budget-friendly plan, it is also the most limited plan. Users pay $4.99 per month for the ability to listen to around 100 million songs.

If you simply want to stream content without the ability to download it for offline listening, this is a good plan for you.

What do the icons on Apple Music mean? — *Opting for Apple Music’s Family Plan can be a cost-effective way to share music with your loved ones.*
©Prostock-studio/Shutterstock.com

How to Get the Most Out of Apple Music

With millions of songs at your fingertips, it can be overwhelming to navigate. However, by following some of our essential tips and best practices, you can maximize your Apple Music experience and make the most of your subscription.

Explore Curated Playlists and Radio Stations

Apple Music offers far more than just song tracks. By taking advantage of their curated playlists and radio stations, you can discover new content and expand your horizons.

Create and Organize Your Playlists

Crafting playlists to match your moods allows you to stay immersed in the moment without the need to constantly select the next song.

Consider creating playlists tailored for various purposes, such as workout sessions, winding down before bedtime, seasonal tunes for festive occasions, and even playlists designed for special events like pool parties or road trips.

Use Siri Integration

Siri can help you select specific content quickly, even if you’re not quite sure what you want to play. For example, you can ask Siri to play some smooth jazz or, if you know exactly what you want, you can give her a command like, “Siri, play Shake it Off by Taylor Swift.”

Up Next:

If you’re interested in learning more about other platforms, check out these similar articles:

The Symbols and Icons on Apple Music: What Are They? FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions)

Can you use Apple Music without a subscription?

Yes. You can use Apple Music without a subscription if you previously downloaded content from iTunes. Additionally, you can listen to Apple Music’s radio stations for free.

Can I still use Apple Music if I cancel my subscription.

Once you end your subscription, Apple deletes the songs you downloaded through Apple Music from your library.

However, if you purchased specific content through your Apple ID, you will retain that music.

Can I use Apple Music on multiple devices?

To access Apple Music on multiple devices, you must sign in with your Apple ID on each device.

However, it’s important to note that simultaneous playback of content using the same ID is not possible. If you start playing content on one device, it will pause playback on another device using the same Apple ID.

Do I need an Apple device to use Apple Music?

No. You do not need an Apple device to use Apple Music.

While Apple Music is designed to work seamlessly with Apple devices like iPhones, iPads, and Macs, it is also accessible on non-Apple devices. You can use Apple Music on Android smartphones and tablets, as well as on the web through a web browser.

Additionally, there is an Apple Music app available for Windows computers.