What's New
Stay up to date on new Apple Music features and enhancements.
February 14, 2023
Album motion art delivery
Bring your artist’s content to life with album motion artwork on Apple Music.
November 2, 2022
New Apple Music “Excluded Streams” Report
Launching an all-new, Apple Music “Excluded Streams” Report.
October 25, 2022
Accepting artist ISNIs
You can now include an artist ISNI within the XML of a delivery to better identify your artist’s content.
October 18, 2022
Holiday Season Delivery Schedule
If you plan on releasing music on Apple Music and the iTunes Store between November 25, 2022, and January 6, 2023, remember to check the following delivery deadlines.
October 6, 2022
New Apple Music “In Review” Report
Launching an all-new, Apple Music “In Review” Report.
July 27, 2022
Apple Music Style Guide Update
See what’s changed in the latest version of the Apple Music Style Guide.
January 31, 2022
Immersive Audio Data in Apple Music Reports
Apple Music Reports in iTunes Connect now include immersive audio data.
December 13, 2021
Voice Subscription Offering Is Now Available to Subscribers
An all-new voice-forward subscription offering is available to our subscribers.
December 1, 2021
Music Analytics API v4 Updates
The new version of the Music Analytics API is now available with an all-new Captured Secondary Audience Play Count field and updated field names.
November 29, 2021
Immersive Audio Track Delivery Date Available in iTunes Connect
Manage the delivery date of your immersive audio deliveries.
November 10, 2021
Introducing the Apple Music for Artists Partner View
We’re excited to announce the Apple Music for Artists partner view, a new way for partners to understand the performance of your distributed artists’ music.
October 19, 2021
Holiday Season Delivery Schedule
If you plan on releasing music on Apple Music and the iTunes Store between November 26, 2021, and January 7, 2022, remember to check the delivery deadlines.
October 11, 2021
Artist and Content Demographic Reporting for Spatial and Lossless Audio
The Artist and Content Demographic Reports now include spatial and lossless audio reporting.
September 20, 2021
Delivering Accurate Metadata
Learn about the impact of metadata accuracy before your next delivery.
August 10, 2021
Apple Music Style Guide Update
See what’s changed in the latest version of the Apple Music Style Guide.
August 9, 2021
iTunes Package Music Specification 5.3.13
Learn to deliver your music with a wider range of credits.
July 27, 2021
Dolby Atmos in iTunes Connect
Check out this newly released feature to help manage your music in iTunes Connect.
July 21, 2021
Spatial and Lossless Audio Reporting
Understand how the new spatial and lossless audio update impacts Apple Music reporting.
June 15, 2021
Delivering Spatial Audio with Dolby Atmos and Lossless Audio
Learn about spatial audio with Dolby Atmos and lossless audio — including delivery, specs, audio profile, and FAQs.
May 18, 2021
New Container Summary Streams Report
The all-new Container Summary Streams Report is now available in both the iTunes Connect Sales and Trends Guide and Reporter Guide.
May 18, 2021
Music Analytics API Update
We’ve made a few enhancements to the Music Analytics API. See what's changing in the Music Analytics API Guide.
April 28, 2021
Deliver Song Lyrics Directly in iTunes Connect
The Upload Lyrics feature allows for static and time-synced lyric deliveries directly in iTunes Connect.
April 5, 2021
Artist Page Links Now Available on the Album Details Page in iTunes Connect
The Album Summary in iTunes Connect now has a clickable icon that takes providers directly to Apple Music artist pages.
March 16, 2021
Introducing the all-new Music Analytics API
Check out the new Music Analytics API, a new way to analyze Apple Music data designed and built with privacy in mind.
March 16, 2021
New Apple Music Summary Streams Report Features
New report fields are now available in the Apple Music Summary Streams Report.
February 22, 2021
More iTunes Connect Features
Check out some newly released features to help manage your music in iTunes Connect.
November 10, 2020
Apple Music Sales and Trends Updates
The iTunes Connect Sales and Trends Guide and Reporter User Guide have replaced postal code fields and includes a new Subscription Reference report.
November 5, 2020
New iTunes Connect Enhancements
Check out the new updates to iTunes Connect, including batch clearance removals and more audio language options.
October 16, 2020
Holiday Season Delivery Schedule
If you plan on releasing music on Apple Music between November 27, 2020 and January 1, 2021, remember to check the following delivery deadlines.
September 21, 2020
Manage Track-Level Genre in iTunes Connect
A new feature in iTunes Connect allows you to add a genre to individual tracks on an album.
August 31, 2020
Apple Music Style Guide Updates
Check out the latest version of the Apple Music Style Guide.
August 31, 2020
iTunes Package Music Specification Updates
See what's new in the latest version of the iTunes Package Music Specification.
July 22, 2020
More iTunes Connect Enhancements
We’ve added functionality to even more tools in iTunes Connect.
July 1, 2020
iTunes Connect Updates
There are three new options for users to edit metadata in iTunes Connect.
June 23, 2020
Listen Now and Auto-Play Radio Stations
Check out the Listen Now and Auto-Play Radio Stations features available in the Sales and Trends Reports.
June 9, 2020
Save For Later on iTunes Connect
There's an enhancement to the functionality of the Edit Localizations page.
May 23, 2020
iTunes Connect Feature Updates
We've made several feature enhancements to iTunes Connect functionalities.
May 23, 2020
New Apple Music Editorial Playlist Adds Reports
The Sales and Trends guide has a new report detailing editorial music playlist adds.
April 28, 2020
Apple Music Available in New Markets
We are happy to announce the launch of Apple Music in 52 additional countries or regions.
April 8, 2020
iTunes Connect Feature Enhancements
We've made some changes to the Album Rights and Search features in iTunes Connect.
April 8, 2020
Track Price Change Behavior Update
Check out the updates we've made to track prices in iTunes Connect, iTunes Producer, and Transporter.
March 23, 2020
iTunes Producer 3.1.2 Available to Download
Providers must update to iTunes Producer 3.1.2 by June 1, 2020.
March 10, 2020
Library Reports Now Available
Two new reports are now available in the iTunes Connect Sales and Trends Guide.
March 10, 2020
Voice Values Added to Detailed Streams Reports
We've updated the Apple Music Detailed Streams Reports.
November 19, 2019
Artist Image Updates to Shazam
Artist images from iTunes Connect and Apple Music for Artists will now display on Shazam.
November 18, 2019
New Personal Mix - Replay
Apple Music's Sales and Trends dashboard and download reports now include Replay Mix for personal playlists.
November 18, 2019
Shazam Reports Enhancement
We've updated the Shazam Reports to include State/Province and ISRC.
October 21, 2019
Check Out the Holiday Season Delivery Schedule
If you plan on releasing music on Apple Music and the iTunes Store between November 22, 2019, and January 3, 2020, remember to check the following delivery deadlines.
September 30, 2019
Sales and Trends File Sizes
Apple is changing the file format and compression method of our largest reports.
September 16, 2019
African and Turkish Genre Updates
We've added African and Turkish genre codes to primary genres and multiple sub-genre codes.
September 16, 2019
Contact Us Lyrics Reminder
Deliver and report any issues with lyrics by selecting Lyrics from the Contact Us menu.
September 16, 2019
Pre-Add Requirements for Apple Music
Pre-order albums will be available to Apple Music listeners to pre-add to their Apple Music Library.
August 8, 2019
Languages and Localization Reminder
For better language and localization metadata accuracy, review a few reminders.
August 8, 2019
Clarifications to the iTunes Store Music Style Guide
We've made some updates to the iTunes Store Music Style Guide.
August 7, 2019
Rebranding Mastered for iTunes to Apple Digital Masters
Mastered for iTunes is now known as Apple Digital Masters.
June 10, 2019
View the Upcoming Changes with iTunes on Mac
At WWDC, we announced that iTunes is becoming three separate apps — Apple Music, Apple TV, and Apple Podcasts. All of your favorite iTunes features, including the iTunes Store, will be available in these three new and more focused apps designed for macOS Catalina.
June 4, 2019
New DJ Mix Flag Available in the iTunes Package Music Specification
To indicate that a track or album is a DJ Mix, we've added a new value <flag> tag.
June 4, 2019
Phonetic Data Helps Discoverability
To help customers discover content, we strongly suggest that supplying phonetic data for your songs and artists in the phonetic fields.
May 14, 2019
Live Performance Music Videos Reminders
We now require date and venue information in the title version for Live Performance Music Videos.
May 14, 2019
Explicit Korean Music Available
We now accept explicit music content on the Korean storefront.
May 13, 2019
Sales and Trends Glossary Updates
We have updated the iTunes Connect Sales and Trend Guide to include a Glossary section.
May 13, 2019
Added Container Sub-Type Filtering
We've added a “Container Sub-Type” filter and dimension to the Sales and Trends Streams Dashboard.
May 6, 2019
Changes to iTunes Sales and Apple Music Reports
On May 13, 2019, customer identifiers included in Apple Music, iTunes Sales, iTunes Pre-order, and iTunes Match reports are being rotated on a regular basis.
April 1, 2019
Track Audio Language Requirement
Within the next two months, all deliveries to Apple Music and iTunes will require Track Audio Language.
April 1, 2019
Ringtone Requirements
When submitting ringtones to Apple, make sure you keep the standards outlined in the iTunes Store Music Style Guide in mind.
April 1, 2019
Reminder About iTunes Store Music Style Guide
The recent changes made to the Jazz, DJ Mixes and Live Mixes sections of the iTunes Store Music Style Guide are now live.
March 13, 2019
Live Performance Music Videos
We now require date and venue information in the title version for Live Performance Music Videos.
March 13, 2019
New Track Audio Language Requirement
Track Audio Language fields are required in content metadata.
January 31, 2019
Payment Processing Changes for NZD and AUD Currencies
As of February 1, 2019, all payments into bank accounts in New Zealand and Australia will be wire transfers.
January 29, 2019
Requirements for Live Performance Music Videos
We now require date and venue information in the title format for Live Performance Music Videos.
January 29, 2019
Demographics Reporting Availability
We now offer weekly and monthly reporting for Artist and Content Demographics.
January 29, 2019
Album and Track Categorization Flags
You are now able to deliver XML tag to categorize your content on Apple Music.
January 29, 2019
Reminders About DJ Mixes and Remixes
On February 28, 2019, we will begin enforcing the recent changes made to the iTunes Music Style Guide.
December 18, 2018
Sign Up for Notifications
To keep up with Apple Music's latest news and announcements our newsletter and iTunes Connect notifications are the best way to stay updated.
December 12, 2018
Important Contract and Tax Information for Canada
Effective January 1, 2019, the portion of the agreement(s) that covers distribution of your music or video content into Canada will be assigned from Apple Inc., a United States entity, to Apple Canada Inc., a Canadian entity. Apple may require you to provide additional tax information in order to minimize any impact or disruption
November 30, 2018
Winter Delivery Schedule
If you plan on releasing music on Apple Music and iTunes in November and December 2018, and January 2019, check the following delivery deadlines:
November 30, 2018
iTunes Store Music Style Guide Updates
We’ve made notable changes to the iTunes Store Music Style Guide.
November 29, 2018
Agreements, Tax, and Banking Updates
We've made some improvements to Agreements, Tax, and Banking in iTunes Connect.
November 16, 2018
Updates to the Music Approved Partner Program
We’ve now added new tiers to our long-standing Approved Partner Program to highlight partners who deliver a large volume of content with outstanding quality.
November 12, 2018
Holiday Season Delivery Schedule is Now Available
If you plan on releasing music on Apple Music and iTunes in November and December 2018, and January 2019, the Holiday Season Delivery Schedule is now available.
October 16, 2018
Winter Holiday Schedule is Now Available
If you plan on releasing music on Apple Music and iTunes in November and December 2018, and January 2019, the Winter Holiday Schedule is now available.
October 8, 2018
Non-Linguistic Audio Track Language
Select “None” as the audio track language in iTunes Producer when delivering non-linguistic tracks.
October 8, 2018
New Indian Sub-Genres
We've added new sub-genre codes to our list of Indian genres for you to use.
September 25, 2018
Transporter 1.12 is Now Available
In this version, Lookup Artist Mode now returns more information to help you identify the correct Artist ID for your delivery.
August 30, 2018
Artist Image Upload
Apple Music for Artists Beta now allows artists to manage and update their images.
July 12, 2018
Updated Artist Images Guidelines
We have updated our artist image guidelines and Photoshop template.
June 27, 2018
Sales and Trends Update to End Reason Type and Source of Stream
We’ve added two new Source of Stream values and two new End Reason Type Values to your Sales and Trends dashboard and reporting.
June 12, 2018
Updated iTunes Store Music Style Guide 2.0
The iTunes Store Music Style Guide 2.0 includes updated music videos policies, lyrics guidelines, and more.
June 12, 2018
4K Music Video Screen Capture Image Profiles
We have added support for 4K to our screen capture image profiles specifications.
March 21, 2018
Single Report for All Currencies Now Available in Payments and Financial Reports
You can now download one financial report that shows all currencies in which your music is sold.
December 11, 2017
Updated Artist Images Guidelines
We have updated our PSD template for artist images. To ensure that an artist image is not cropped and that it displays as intended on Apple Music and the iTunes Store, download and use our updated Photoshop template.
November 15, 2017
New Demographics Reports Available in Sales and Trends
Two new iTunes Store sales reports are available, providing detailed, anonymized information about your customers.
November 15, 2017
Updates to Streams Dashboard in Sales and Trends
This now reflects the new royalty bearing threshold, Sonos as a Device type, and Personal Mix Playlist has been broken up into New Music Mix, Favorites Mix, and Chill Mix.
November 15, 2017
Changes to Apple Music Sales and Trends Reports
Apple Music reports have been updated to provide more data about your streams. These changes will impact report ingestion, and you may need to update your systems to take advantage of the new data.
November 8, 2017
Updated Guidelines for Music Videos
We’ve updated our requirements to support HDR and 4K video. Note the changes in the iTunes Package Film Specification and the iTunes Video and Audio Asset Guide.
November 8, 2017
Duplicate Track Titles Blocked From Upload
Within the next 30 days, packages that include duplicate tracks on a single playlist will be blocked from upload.
November 8, 2017
Transporter 1.9.7 is Now Available
Use lookup artist mode and create artist mode to ensure your content is mapped the correct artist on Apple Music and the iTunes Store.
November 8, 2017
Apple Music Catalog Report Update
The Apple Music catalog report has been updated to help you more easily identify which of your content is available on Apple Music.
November 7, 2017
Apple Music Demographics Reporting
Two new Apple Music reports are now available, providing detailed, anonymized information about your listeners.
September 25, 2017
Winter Delivery Deadlines
If you plan to release new music on Apple Music and the iTunes Store in November and December 2017, check these delivery deadlines.
August 24, 2017
Music Style Guide Update
This update includes reorganization in The Essentials section, and lyrics guidelines are now available in English, Japanese, and Simplified Chinese.
August 16, 2017
New Servers for Content Delivery
If you deliver content from behind a firewall, you may need to add or modify firewall rules to allow outbound and return connections for the IP addresses and ports.
July 27, 2017
Token Required to Access Reporter
Starting August 10, 2017, you will no longer be able to sign in to Reporter with your Apple ID password or app-specific passwords. To continue using Reporter, generate a unique access token.
July 27, 2017
Updated Apple Music Usage Reports
Starting August 3, 2017, the Daily Apple Music Content Report will be updated to include a new column for Artist ID.
July 27, 2017
Updated Catalog Reports
Five new playlist status fields have been added to the Music Catalog Report. We also added the Track Audio Language field to the Apple Music catalog report.
July 27, 2017
iTunes Package Music Specification Update
iTunes Package Music Specification 3.4.1 includes updates to artist guidelines and metadata lookup.
June 28, 2017
Changes to Reporter Sign In
You can now access Reporter by generating a unique access token instead of using your Apple ID password.
June 26, 2017
Updated Hidden Reason Codes
We've added and updated codes to help you better understand why content may be hidden from Apple Music and the iTunes Store.
May 17, 2017
Updated Requirements to the iTunes Video and Audio Asset Guide
Learn about the updated requirements for music videos.
May 17, 2017
Learn About Original Release Date and Reasons for Metadata Tickets
Use the iTunes Store Music Style Guide to learn about some common metadata issues.
April 17, 2017
Requirements for Concert Films
If you deliver concert films to Apple, they must meet new requirements by August 1, 2017.
April 17, 2017
Transporter 1.9.3 is Now Available
The new version of Transporter allows you to create tickets to edit genre details and phonetic title text, and deliver lyrics in Timed Text Markup Language.
April 17, 2017
Learn About the New iTunes Package Artist Specification
The artist feed has been created to help ensure your music appears on the correct artist page.
April 6, 2017
Scheduled Maintenance on April 22, 2017
Starting at 7:00 a.m., some services will be unavailable for up to eight hours.
March 27, 2017
Introducing Overview and Container Name in Sales and Trends
Overview provides curated metrics to help you measure and track the performance of your content. Container Name in Top Streams provides insight on playlists and radio stations where your content is played.
March 17, 2017
Updated Fields in the Daily Apple Music Streams Report
Playlist Name, Playlist Type, and Playlist ID will have new column names starting March 24, 2017.
February 22, 2017
Capturing Songwriter and Composer Metadata
To ensure songwriters are paid, Apple is obtaining the licenses required to display lyrics in Apple Music. We rely on accurate songwriter and composer data to efficiently obtain these licenses.
February 22, 2017
Lyrics on Apple Music and the iTunes Store
We've made some changes to improve the delivery of lyrics to Apple. Read more about TTML file format, and updates to the Music Specification and Music Style Guide.
February 8, 2017
New Audio Locales Now Supported in iTunes Producer
Providing the audio locale for a track helps ensure it can be correctly surfaced if selected for Beats 1 programming and Apple Music's curated playlists. We've expanded the available selection to now include new options.
February 8, 2017
Common Reasons Content is Hidden
Content may be hidden from Apple Music or the iTunes Store if it does not meet the standards outlined in the Music Style Guide. Learn about some of the most common reasons content is hidden.
February 1, 2017
Introducing the New Contact Us
We’ve redesigned Contact Us for TV, Movie, and Music partners to make getting in touch with iTunes Connect support easier than ever.
December 20, 2016
Add Photos of Your Artists
Use the Photoshop template to prevent unexpected cropping of artist photos.
December 20, 2016
Transporter Verify Mode
Verify mode in Transporter will help ensure your deliveries to Apple are correct.
December 20, 2016
December iTunes Partner Support
Have questions? Need answers? iTunes Partner Support has you covered.
November 17, 2016
Affiliate Program and the Apple Music API
Developers can use the Apple Music API to identify non-subscribers, and utilize the affiliate program for upsell to earn commission on qualifying memberships to Apple Music.
November 17, 2016
Reminder for Winter Delivery Deadlines
We would like to remind you about adjusted deadlines for music deliveries for the winter season. If you plan on releasing music on Apple Music and the iTunes Store in December 2016, and January 2017, check these delivery deadlines.
November 17, 2016
Transporter 1.9.1 Released
This version contains new error messages, updated examples, as well as increased JVM maximum heap size and updated system requirements.
November 17, 2016
Corrected iTunes Match Reports
iTunes Match Usage Reports for August and September 2016 may contain incorrect data. Updated reports are now available for download.
November 7, 2016
The Autoingestion Tool Will No Longer Be Available After December 6, 2016
After December 6, 2016, you will no longer be able to use the Autoingestion tool to download your Sales and Trends reports or your Payments and Financial reports.
October 27, 2016
Adjusted Delivery Deadlines
To prepare for the winter season, we’re adjusting our deadlines for music deliveries. If you plan on releasing music on Apple Music and the iTunes Store in November and December 2016, and January 2017, check for updated delivery deadlines.
September 28, 2016
New Top Streams Video
Learn about the Top Streams page in Sales and Trends and see how to monitor the performance of your catalog on Apple Music.
September 7, 2016
iTunes Match Reports and Payments for August 2016 are Delayed
iTunes Match reports and payments for August are delayed. Some royalties for August will be paid with September earnings.
August 25, 2016
Changes to iTunes Package Music Specification
The iTunes Package Music Specification has been updated to include clarification on language codes, music video previews, timecode formats and the vendor offer code tag can now be used for tracks.
August 18, 2016
Submit Artist Photos
Artist photos allow listeners to easily identify your artist throughout Apple Music and the iTunes Store. We strongly recommend adding a photo to represent each artist, as Artist Images are displayed in search results, listener libraries, similar artist suggestions, and on playlist pages where their song is included.
August 10, 2016
Get Started with Reporter
Download your Sales and Trends reports and your Payments and Financial reports using Reporter, a command-line tool introduced last fall. We recommend switching to Reporter, as the Autoingestion tool will no longer be available at the end of November 2016.
August 4, 2016
Apple Music Expands to Israel and Korea
Apple Music is now available for listeners in Israel and Korea. Read about how you can make your music available in these territories.
July 21, 2016
Music Style Guide updates.
We've added new guidelines to the Music Style Guide to define requirements for cultural sensitivities, track count limit, karaoke content containing a lead vocal, phonetics for Asian languages, and Arabic and Farsi metadata. Also see instructions on how to adjust accented characters, casing, and non-alphanumeric characters in artist names.
May 16, 2016
Introducing the Apple Music Toolbox
We are excited to announce the Apple Music Toolbox, which makes it easier than ever to promote your music online. The toolbox allows you to create text links, widgets, and badges to help drive users to your content.
April 8, 2016
Updated Sales and Trends Processing Times and Apple Music Reports
We’re changing the way we process sales data for Asia-Pacific countries to help you get your data sooner. Now, transactions made in the territories listed will be available the next day, as opposed to two days. We've also updated Apple Music reports to help you better understand your listener data.
March 30, 2016
Updates to Sales and Trends and Catalog Reports
You can now view your sales and proceeds in the currency in which your content was purchased. New columns for Import Date and Hide Date have also been added in Hidden Reports.
February 29, 2016
Daily Apple Music Streams Reports are Now Available
Daily Apple Music Streams Reports are available starting February 29. This will help you measure the performance of your catalog on Apple Music, analyze listener engagement with your content, and more.
February 25, 2016
The Newly Redesigned Payments and Financial Reports
Payments and Financial Reports on iTunes Connect has been redesigned to make it easier to view and download your monthly financial data. We’ve consolidated all the data to a single page, and you can now download several financial reports at once.
February 16, 2016
iTunes Producer 3.1.1 is Now Available
iTunes Producer 3.1.1 is now equipped with enhanced artist identification lookup and updated systems. Read about the new features and updated requirements.
February 8, 2016
Update to iTunes Package Music Specification
See what's new in iTunes Package Music Specification 5.2 Revision 4, including two new tags: publishers and iswc. Both newly added tags help provide better reporting and matching for sound recordings to musical works and owners.
February 4, 2016
Apple Music is Now Available in Turkey and Taiwan
Starting February 4, 2016, Apple Music expands to Turkey and Taiwan. Read about how you can make your music and music videos also available in Turkey and Taiwan.
January 28, 2016
Discounting Ad-Supported Radio
Ad-supported Radio is being discontinued beginning January 28. Radio, with the exception of Beats 1, will be only available to Apple Music members. Beats 1 will still be available to those who don’t have an Apple Music membership.
December 1, 2015
Updates to Apple Music Financial Reports
Apple Music financial reports now include information about paid memberships and Beats 1 plays. Additionally, a new offline indicator field has been added to the Apple Music detail file so you can see the number of royalty bearing plays that occurred while devices were both online and offline.
November 11, 2015
Additional Security Features for Your Apple ID on iTunes Connect
You can now use two-step verification or two-factor authentication with your Apple ID on iTunes Connect. Take advantage of these security features to prevent anyone from accessing or using your Apple ID, even if they know your password.
November 6, 2015
Adjusted Music Delivery Deadlines
To prepare for the winter season, we’re adjusting our deadlines for music deliveries. If you plan on releasing music on the iTunes Store in November and December 2015, and January 2016, check the following delivery deadlines.
October 1, 2015
Apple Music Financial Reports are Now Available
Your Apple Music Financial Reports are now available in Payments and Financial Reports on iTunes Connect. These reports include the Apple Music Cover Sheet and Financial Detail. Note that reports for the month of July only contain royalties for trial members.
August 26, 2015
Introducing the New Resources and Help
We’ve completely redesigned Resources and Help. Now, it’s even easier to find answers to your questions and stay up-to-date. Search for answers across all of our online guides, FAQ, news, and video tutorials.