Plex this week announced changes to its media software that will move the service beyond its video roots. Following updates that added online movie trailers and a recommendation engine, the next version of Plex will bring several new music features that Plex Chief Product Officer Scott Olechowski says will challenge iTunes in the music department.

plex-main
As reported by Gigaom and PCMag, Plex users will be able to import their existing iTunes libraries, including playlists, ratings, and smart playlists, into the Plex app using a new one-click import feature. Plex is partnering with music database company Gracenote to add music file recognition and tagging to simplify the organization of this newly imported media.

One a user's music is imported, the service will leverage Gracenote's extensive database to provide Genius-like music recommendations based on a user's personal music collection. Users also will be able to create station-based playlists from a song's selected characteristics such as genre, tempo, or mood.

Plex also is working with Vevo to roll out a premium feature that will match music videos with the songs that are in a user's music library. These Vevo videos will be available to watch without advertisements by Plex Pass subscribers. Plex hopes this new music video option will drive additional users to sign up for its subscription service, which generates about 80 percent of the company's revenue.

The next version of Plex is expected to debut in the coming weeks. Beyond this version, other possible future music features may include music downloads and integration with a music subscription streaming service.

Tag: Plex

Top Rated Comments

richardsonrs Avatar
120 months ago
I love plex.
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
arkmannj Avatar
120 months ago
Plex is pretty great, I just wish AppleTV had a built in App for it (rather than needing to use Airplay from iPhone/iPad)
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
iMerik Avatar
120 months ago
Plex is pretty great, I just wish AppleTV had a built in App for it (rather than needing to use Airplay from iPhone/iPad)
This is literally the only reason I don't even consider getting an AppleTV. I'm sure I'd love what else it has to offer, but this is a deal-breaker for me that keeps me away.
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
kolax Avatar
120 months ago
I love Plex. I built a hackintosh media server and use it for all my TV shows and movies.

As long as they compete with iTunes in a sense and don't actually become iTunes (i.e a bloated piece of crap).
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Kabeyun Avatar
120 months ago
Getting back on topic, this would be great if after import Plex could play DRM content. Which it can't. Bummer. Music video feature could be cool.
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Cyber86 Avatar
120 months ago
Here's how to intercept the "trailers" app on AppleTV and turn it into Plex.

^Been doing this for some time, and it admittedly works pretty well. Nothing, though, would beat a native app / channel for Plex for me. They keep adding all of these worthless channels that I immediately hide; why not add a useful one (yeah, yeah, I know Plex is probably seen by Apple as a competitor to iTunes)?

C'mon Apple. Redeem my faith in the AppleTV...
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Popular Stories

reset password request iphone

Warning: Apple Users Targeted in Phishing Attack Involving Rapid Password Reset Requests

Tuesday March 26, 2024 4:34 pm PDT by
Phishing attacks taking advantage of Apple's password reset feature have become increasingly common, according to a report from KrebsOnSecurity. Multiple Apple users have been targeted in an attack that bombards them with an endless stream of notifications or multi-factor authentication (MFA) messages in an attempt to cause panic so they'll respond favorably to social engineering. An...
Generic iOS 18 Feature Purple

iOS 18: What to Expect From 'Biggest' Update in iPhone's History

Wednesday March 27, 2024 11:10 am PDT by
At least some Apple software engineers continue to believe that iOS 18 will be the "biggest" update in the iPhone's history, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. Below, we recap rumored features and changes for the iPhone. "The iOS 18 update is expected to be the most ambitious overhaul of the iPhone's software in its history, according to people working on the upgrade," wrote Gurman, in a r...
maxresdefault

Apple to Launch New iPad Pro and iPad Air Models in May

Thursday March 28, 2024 11:07 am PDT by
Apple will introduce new iPad Pro and iPad Air models in early May, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. Gurman previously suggested the new iPads would come out in March, and then April, but the timeline has been pushed back once again. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos. Apple is working on updates to both the iPad Pro and iPad Air models. The iPad Pro models will...
maxresdefault

Apple Announces WWDC 2024 Event for June 10 to 14

Tuesday March 26, 2024 10:02 am PDT by
Apple today announced that its 35th annual Worldwide Developers Conference is set to take place from Monday, June 10 to Friday, June 14. As with WWDC events since 2020, WWDC 2024 will be an online event that is open to all developers at no cost. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos. WWDC 2024 will include online sessions and labs so that developers can learn about new...
apple maps 3d feature

Apple Maps May Gain Custom Routes With iOS 18

Tuesday March 26, 2024 3:10 pm PDT by
Apple may be planning to add support for "custom routes" in Apple Maps in iOS 18, according to code reviewed by MacRumors. Apple Maps does not currently offer a way to input self-selected routes, with Maps users limited to Apple's pre-selected options, but that may change in iOS 18. Apple has pushed an iOS 18 file to its maps backend labeled "CustomRouteCreation." While not much is revealed...
General iOS 17 Feature Orange Purple

Apple Releases Revised Versions of iOS 17.4.1 and iPadOS 17.4.1 With Updated Build Number

Wednesday March 27, 2024 5:59 am PDT by
Apple on late Tuesday released revised versions of iOS 17.4.1 and iPadOS 17.4.1 with an updated build number of 21E237, according to MacRumors contributor Aaron Perris. The updates previously had a build number of 21E236. The revised updates are available for all iPhone and iPad models that are compatible with iOS 17 and iPadOS 17, but they can only be installed via the Finder app on macOS...
applephilschiller

Apple's Phil Schiller Works 80 Hours a Week Overseeing App Store

Wednesday March 27, 2024 2:03 pm PDT by
With the App Store and app ecosystem undergoing major changes in the European Union, The Wall Street Journal today shared a profile on App Store chief Phil Schiller, who is responsible for the App Store. Though Schiller transitioned from marketing chief to "Apple Fellow" in 2020 to take a step back from Apple and spend more time on personal projects and friends, he is reportedly working...