How to get started with Apple Music

There day is here. Apple Music is finally available. Earlier we published a brief how-to on migrating your existing Beats Music account to Apple Music, keeping your library, playlists and artist preferences intact. Now, we’ll explain how to get started with Apple Music from scratch.

Install iOS 8.4

This update brings Apple Music and Beats 1 to your iPhone or iPad, replacing Apple’s Music app with an all-new version that’s ready for the new services. Once that’s done, it’s time to launch the new Apple Music app.

Begin  your trial

A new window appears. Tap the Start 3 Month Free Trial button. At this point, you’ll be prompted to choose the individual plan at $9.99, or the family plan at $14.99. Don’t worry, you won’t be charged until your trial period is up. 

NOTE: You can disable auto-renewal at the end of your three-month trial. Joanna Stern explains how at the Wall Street Journal. Good find. 

Confirm your choice and you’re ready to tell Apple Music about yourself. 

Read: Get the Beats 1 programming schedule here

Share your preferences

You’ll see the For You screen, filled with red “bubbles,” each representing a style of music. Make your selections and tap Next. A new screen appears, this time presenting artist who match your chosen genres. Tap those you like one, and double-tap those you love. You can tap More Artists to keep going. The more info you feed Apple Music, the better it will be at finding music you’ll like. 

From there, Apple Music will generate playlists based on your choices. Enjoy!