Apple launches ‘Spotify killer’ music streaming

“We love music,” Tim Cook, Apple’s chief executive, told delegates at the company’s annual World Wide Developers’ Conference in San Francisco ­yesterday

“We’ve had a long relationship with music. And music has had a rich history of change, some of which we’ve played a part in.”

The service will combine music downloads, streaming radio and a streaming music service in a single app. Like most digital services, it promises to learn a customer’s tastes and recommend new songs accordingly.

It can be used on iOS devices and will be available in more than 100 countries with a free three-month trial period before going to a $10 subscription.

Nine Inch Nails’ Trent Reznor, appearing in a video, advertised Apple Music as an artist-friendly place with “an ecosystem that we hope can provide the tools to grow, nurture, and sustain 
careers.”

Last May, Apple paid £1.8bn for Beats Electronics and online music streaming service Beats Music, leading to speculation the tech behemoth was about to take a leading role in the music revolution which has seen plastic discs ditched for downloads.

The company also unveiled the next version of its desktop software, revealing OS X El Capitan – named after a mountain in Yosemite National Park in California, Yosemite having been the name of last year’s update.

The new software will work on Apple’s desktop and laptop range.

A new split-screen feature was shown off, enabling users to organise different programme windows so they can all be seen at once, as well as neatly combine them into a split screen. Apple said the aim is to boost productivity for every day users.

Siri, Apple’s voice assistant, will also become more “proactive” in the update.

Demoed on-stage, the new software was shown to be able to understand context, with music playing when you plug in headphones and start running, and suggest apps based on the users’ habits.

iOS 9 will also automatically add invitations to a user’s calendar sent in email, as well as suggest a possible contact name for unfamiliar numbers. The software’s search feature has also been improved, enabling users to see and jump straight into apps from search results.

Siri can also now be used to voice search for photos on your device. Apple is calling the whole update “Intelligence”.

Apple Maps is getting a much-anticipated update, with public transport systems being added to a host of global cities. As well as adding bus and train routes, station layouts are included which means directions will be more accurate, and send users to the correct exit.

London will be among the original cities included as part of the update.

A Flipboard-rivalling News app was also shown off for the first time.

The new app will include content from the likes of BuzzFeed and Time, and will be rolling out in the UK, US and Australia first, as part of iOS 9.

iOS 9 will also introduce multi-tasking to the iPad for the first time. Users will now be able to use a feature called “slide-over” that will enable you to bring a second app on-screen while using the internet.

A split view will enable users to interact with both apps and windows at the same time.

The feature will support picture-in-picture, so users can watch videos on the corner of the screen while also using another app on their iPad.

The Cupertino-based firm also announced an update to its mobile payment system, Apple Pay, including confirmation the system will come to the UK next month. Apple Pay allows users to buy items by touching their iPhone.