Apple's Revamped Apple Music for Artists Icon Leads to Speculation About iOS 15 Design Plans

Apple yesterday updated its Apple Music for Artists app with some minor bug fixes and improvements, but also one other notable change -- a new icon.

apple music for artists new icon

New icon on the right

The Apple Music for Artists app now features a simpler, streamlined icon with a pinkish red music logo rather than the multicolored logo that was used before. The icon also has an embossed look that makes it stand out from other Apple icons.

‌Apple Music‌ for Artists is an app that lets artists know how their music is performing across ‌Apple Music‌, iTunes, and Shazam, so it's an app with a limited audience and the new icon may seem inconsequential, but it is similar to another app icon change that Apple introduced last year.

App Store Connect in October was updated with a refreshed icon that's similar to the ‌Apple Music‌ for Artists icon, which means Apple has now updated two app icons with this new design.

appstoreconnect

‌App Store‌ Connect with old icon on left, new icon on right

Over on Reddit, users are speculating that the icon changes could perhaps be indicative of more sweeping design changes set to be introduced in iOS 15.

Apple in macOS Big Sur refreshed many of its icons and streamlined their design, so there is a chance that something similar could happen in iOS 15. That said, these could just be one-off updates for Apple's behind the scenes apps for developers and musicians, and not a sign of something to come.

We don't know much at all about iOS 15 at this point, but we could perhaps see some details leaking out as the software's launch date approaches. Apple is expected to debut iOS 15, iPadOS 15, watchOS 8, tvOS 15, and macOS 12 at its keynote event that will be held on June 7.

Related Forum: iOS 15

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Top Rated Comments

MacDevil7334 Avatar
53 months ago
Finally. The flat design trend of the last 8 years has been awful. Glad to see some depth returning to the UI.

All that being said, the shadows on the App Store icon are a bit much. The Music icon looks fantastic though!
Score: 49 Votes (Like | Disagree)
AngerDanger Avatar
53 months ago
Nice, Apple found the bevel & emboss tool!

This is really inspiring…



Perfect!

Attachment Image
Score: 44 Votes (Like | Disagree)
WiseAJ Avatar
53 months ago
I like it, would like to see more of the iOS icons updated with this style.
Score: 24 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Villarrealadrian Avatar
53 months ago
I love the design I think they are going back to skeuomorphism, really hated the lazy flat design
Score: 18 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Dimwhit Avatar
53 months ago
The Bevel and Emboss thing looked great about 15 years ago.
Score: 13 Votes (Like | Disagree)
HackMacDaddy Avatar
53 months ago
I wish they would finally make DARK MODE versions of the icons. I hate how the UI is dark and pretty but many icons just burn my retina because they are as bright as day.
Score: 11 Votes (Like | Disagree)