iOS 17 Music App Features: Crossfade, Collaborative Playlists, Song Credits and More - MacRumors
Skip to Content

iOS 17 Music App Features: Crossfade, Collaborative Playlists, Song Credits and More

Apple Music in iOS 17 includes several long-requested features, such as collaborative playlists and an option to enable crossfade for a non-stop music experience. This guide highlights everything new that Apple added to the ‌Apple Music‌ app in iOS 17.

iOS 17 Apple Music Feature

Crossfade

Crossfade allows songs that are playing to smoothly transition into one another, eliminating any dead air time between songs.

apple music crossfade length

Collaborative Playlists

With collaborative playlists, friends and family members can add to, reorder, and remove songs from a single ‌Apple Music‌ playlist. You can set up a playlist with several people, and each person can contribute songs and react to songs in the playlist with emoji.

apple music collaborative playlist
Collaborative playlists are not yet implemented and will be coming to an iOS 17 update a bit later this year.

Apple Music SharePlay for CarPlay

iOS 17 brings an ‌Apple Music‌ SharePlay experience to CarPlay, so everyone in the car can play their favorite songs and contribute music. The car owner that has their iPhone connected to the car needs to have an ‌Apple Music‌ subscription for this feature to work, but passengers do not.

shareplay carplay
The ‌Apple Music‌ interface provides a QR code that each person can scan to get access to a playlist where songs can be added to the in-car ‌Apple Music‌ queue.

Interface Updates

Full-screen animated artwork is available for albums that support the option, and album art is also now designed to blend seamlessly into the music player where the controls are located.

apple music ios 17
When the music player is minimized, there is now a hovering effect that adds depth.

Non-synced Lyrics

Song lyrics that are not synced to the music that's playing are shown in a larger, more legible font. This brings the lyric size in line with the lyrics that are synced to an ‌Apple Music‌ song.

Song Credits

Tapping on the three-dot icon next to a song that is playing or in a playlist shows song credits. The credits show the performing artists, composition artists, and those who were involved in production and engineering.

song credits apple music

Apple Music Sing on Apple TV

With an iPhone running iOS 17 and an Apple TV 4K running tvOS 17, the iPhone can serve as a camera for the ‌Apple TV‌, showing you on the screen as you perform. You can also do this with an iPad, and it is the same feature that enables FaceTime on ‌Apple TV‌.

apple music sing continuity camera
‌Apple Music‌ Sing is integrated into ‌Apple Music‌. It uses the built-in follow-along lyrics and turns down vocals so you can sing along with your favorite songs.

Read More

More on all of the new features in iOS 17 can be found in our in-depth iOS 17 roundup.

Related Forums: iOS 17, iPadOS 17

Popular Stories

apple pro tell logo

Apple Launching Five New Products This Friday

Monday November 2, 2026 1:22 am PST by
Apple is releasing five new products this Friday, November 6, following pre-orders that opened last week, including its first touchscreen MacBook Pro models. The following new products will be available from Friday: iPad mini with OLED display and A20 Pro chip iMac with M6 chip 14-inch MacBook Pro with M6 chip 14-inch MacBook Pro with OLED touchscreen 16-inch MacBook Pro with OLED...
Apple Logo Gradient 16x9 1

Apple Isn't Done With 2026: Here's What's Still Coming

Monday November 2, 2026 7:27 am PST by
Apple's busiest season isn't over yet. Far from it. With two hardware launch dates still to come in November, plus software updates and new smart home accessories running into December, there's more on the way from Apple before the end of 2026, so be sure to stick around. Below, we've rounded up what's still coming, along with one date in particular that's worth watching if you're a holiday...
Apple Store Logo

Apple Store in UK Permanently Closing Later This Month

Tuesday November 3, 2026 7:34 am PST by
Apple today announced that its Festival Place store in Basingstoke, England will be permanently closing on Saturday, November 21. Apple Festival Place Apple had already announced that the store would be closing in November, but it had not provided the public with a specific date until now. Apple's store inside the Festival Place shopping center opened in 2011, so it had a 15-year run....

Top Rated Comments

42 months ago
Still an atrocious interface. Needs a ground-up UI redesign.

Edit: Reasons why (no particular order)

* Adding to library or playlist should be a one-click action vs needing to click the 3 dot menu
* No device handoff or memory for last playing if app is restarted
* Random glitches and stability issues (such as now playing not always reflecting current song playing)
* Song radios repeating songs and not as good at curating as Spotify
Score: 30 Votes (Like | Disagree)
eicca Avatar
42 months ago
But: did they fix the bug where music copied from my computer shows up as each track being its own album?

That bug has been there for SIX YEARS NOW.
Score: 18 Votes (Like | Disagree)
AJTC Avatar
42 months ago

Still an atrocious interface. Needs a ground-up UI redesign.

Edit: Reasons why (no particular order)

* Adding to library or playlist should be a one-click action vs needing to click the 3 dot menu
* No device handoff or memory for last playing if app is restarted
* Random glitches and stability issues (such as now playing not always reflecting current song playing)
* Song radios repeating songs and not as good at curating as Spotify

I’d add in that the Listen Now, Browse and Search needs to be faster/native instead of a web app wrapped in an app container. Those tabs are so slow compared to Spotify.
Score: 17 Votes (Like | Disagree)
dynAdZ Avatar
42 months ago
While these are decent features, what the app really needs is a complete rework from scratch. It should get a whole new UI and coding framework to make it at least as fast and stable as Spotify‘s app is. It is hard to believe how fast you can navigate and search in Spotify compared to Apple Music. They really should start all over.
Score: 12 Votes (Like | Disagree)
lazyrighteye Avatar
42 months ago
Song Credits!
I’ll have to see it in action, but it’s a step toward complete liner notes that include all musicians, instruments played, producer, studio, etc. Can go a long way toward facilitating deeper connection to the music. Has been my main request of the platform. Excited to finally see some attention in that regard.
Score: 12 Votes (Like | Disagree)
cgs1xx Avatar
42 months ago
how many years till we get an equalizer? :rolleyes::rolleyes:
come on Apple... you can do it!

Also I'd love to be able to switch off anything "curated" like Listen Now, Radio, Browse etc
Score: 11 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Latest Stories
Apple Releases Safari Technology Preview 256 With Bug Fixes and Performance Improvements
Apple Releases Safari Technology Preview 256 With Bug Fixes and Performance Improvements
6 hours ago
Apps Can Now Try to Stop You From Canceling Subscriptions
Apps Can Now Try to Stop You From Canceling Subscriptions
6 hours ago
'Super Mario Odyssey' Can Now Run on Apple TV Thanks to AI
'Super Mario Odyssey' Can Now Run on Apple TV Thanks to AI
7 hours ago
How 'Resident Evil' Director Zach Cregger Uses His iPhone to Make Movies
How 'Resident Evil' Director Zach Cregger Uses His iPhone to Make Movies
8 hours ago
HomePod Mini 2's Amount of RAM Confirmed
HomePod Mini 2's Amount of RAM Confirmed
8 hours ago
Apple TV's '12 Days of Snoopy' Special Arrives November 13
Apple TV's '12 Days of Snoopy' Special Arrives November 13
9 hours ago
Apple is Putting Employees on an AI Budget
Apple is Putting Employees on an AI Budget
10 hours ago
Apple Releases Xcode 27.3 Beta With Three New Features
Apple Releases Xcode 27.3 Beta With Three New Features
11 hours ago
Apple Will Check Public iCloud Links for Harmful Content Starting in iOS 27.3
Apple Will Check Public iCloud Links for Harmful Content Starting in iOS 27.3
11 hours ago
macOS 27.3 Brings Live Activities to Macs Without Dynamic Island
macOS 27.3 Brings Live Activities to Macs Without Dynamic Island
12 hours ago
Apple TV Reportedly Planning 'Silo' Spinoff
Apple TV Reportedly Planning 'Silo' Spinoff
13 hours ago
Is It Worth Buying a Titanium Apple Watch?
Is It Worth Buying a Titanium Apple Watch?
14 hours ago
macOS 27.3 Includes an Important Security Fix
macOS 27.3 Includes an Important Security Fix
14 hours ago
Massive Sale Hits Apple Watch Ultra 3 With Record Low $250 Discounts
Massive Sale Hits Apple Watch Ultra 3 With Record Low $250 Discounts
15 hours ago
Does HomePod Mini 2 Have Improved Sound? Here's What Reviews Say
Does HomePod Mini 2 Have Improved Sound? Here's What Reviews Say
15 hours ago
macOS 27.3 Makes Markdown Files Easier to Read
macOS 27.3 Makes Markdown Files Easier to Read
16 hours ago
HomeView Pre-Order Returns to $289.99 on Amazon
HomeView Pre-Order Returns to $289.99 on Amazon
16 hours ago
Apple May Phase Out Non-Touch High-End MacBook Pros
Apple May Phase Out Non-Touch High-End MacBook Pros
17 hours ago
Apple's Insider Trading Policy Now Covers Prediction Markets
Apple's Insider Trading Policy Now Covers Prediction Markets
17 hours ago
'Stick' Season 2 Premieres Today on Apple TV
'Stick' Season 2 Premieres Today on Apple TV
17 hours ago
iPhone 18e Rumored to Focus on Chip Upgrade With Few Major Changes
iPhone 18e Rumored to Focus on Chip Upgrade With Few Major Changes
18 hours ago
Google Maps Updated to Fully Support iPhone Duo Displays
Google Maps Updated to Fully Support iPhone Duo Displays
18 hours ago
Everything New in the iOS 27.3 Beta
Everything New in the iOS 27.3 Beta
1 day ago
Apple Music's New Selfie Sing Feature Lets You Record Karaoke Videos
Apple Music's New Selfie Sing Feature Lets You Record Karaoke Videos
1 day ago
iPhone Jailbreak Gets Past Lockdown Mode and Survives an Update
iPhone Jailbreak Gets Past Lockdown Mode and Survives an Update
1 day ago
iPadOS 27.3 Expands Siri Mode to Camera App
iPadOS 27.3 Expands Siri Mode to Camera App
1 day ago
Veterans Day Apple Watch Activity Challenge Launches November 11
Veterans Day Apple Watch Activity Challenge Launches November 11
1 day ago
Best Early Black Friday Mac Deals: Save Hundreds on MacBook Air, Mac Mini, and More
Best Early Black Friday Mac Deals: Save Hundreds on MacBook Air, Mac Mini, and More
1 day ago
Apple Fitness+ Gets Gym Strength Plans in iOS 27.3
Apple Fitness+ Gets Gym Strength Plans in iOS 27.3
1 day ago
iOS 27.3 Adding New StandBy Mode Features to iPhone 11 and Newer
iOS 27.3 Adding New StandBy Mode Features to iPhone 11 and Newer
1 day ago