Apple Music is set to enhance its user experience with the introduction of an AI-powered playlist generator, known as Playlist Playground, in the beta version of iOS 26.4. This feature allows users to create customized playlists by entering text prompts, aligning Apple Music with similar offerings from other streaming services that have launched comparable tools in recent months.
Users can input various prompts such as mood descriptors, artist names, or specific musical genres to generate a playlist of 25 songs, complete with a unique title. The functionality extends to editing existing playlists through additional prompts, and users can also select a cover image and description for their AI-generated playlists. Access to this feature is available to developers participating in the iOS 26.4 beta by navigating to the Library section of Apple Music.
Playlist Playground is powered by Apple�s proprietary AI system, Apple Intelligence, which must be downloaded in the background for the feature to become active. While Apple has not disclosed specific details regarding the underlying architecture of this AI system, it represents a significant step in enhancing playlist generation capabilities, similar to the existing ChatGPT integration in Apple Music.
In addition to Playlist Playground, the beta includes updates to the interface of album and playlist pages, adopting a design that features background colors matching the artwork, moving away from a solid white background. Another notable addition is a feature that provides information on upcoming concerts based on user location, mirroring functionality already available in Shazam, which is also under Apple’s ownership.
This latest development positions Apple Music alongside competitors such as YouTube Music, Spotify, Amazon Music, and Deezer, all of which have recently implemented AI-driven playlist generation tools. However, Apple has not yet announced a timeline for the public release of iOS 26.4.