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Poll: What do you think of Apple’s new “Technicolor Yawn” iTunes + Music icon?

When Apple Music launches around the world on June 30th, the icon for Music on iOS and iTunes on OS X is set to change from the pinkish orange version we’ve had since iOS 7 and OS X 10.10 to one drenched in technicolor (yawn). Apple generally only changes the icon for Music and iTunes after a major feature addition or overall redesign, and the idea here is to attract attention and have more people look within the app to discover Apple Music. But are you a fan of the new icon design?

Once Apple Music debuts, the splash of rainbow color within or around a music note is what people will see until Apple decides Music and iTunes have changed enough again to earn a new set of paint on the icon. You can see the Mac version at the top, and below you’ll find the new icon on iPhone, iPad, iPod touch (with iOS 8.4; see Newsstand still intact) Apple Watch, and even CarPlay (click to enlarge).

It’s certainly a different look and a big departure from the more neutral, flatter versions of the last few years. Let us know what you think about this new look in our poll and the comments:

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Comments

  1. rosebasket - 9 years ago

    Definitely a no no….

  2. jorheu - 9 years ago

    Sponsored by Splatoon

  3. David Heath - 9 years ago

    Honestly this is newsworthy ?

    • rettun1 - 9 years ago

      You must be all business, all the time. Funny then that you visit a site like this. The poll is meant be fun. Chill out, and take a drag of this with me

    • jorheu - 9 years ago

      That’s why it is not a headliner and forced to an optional click article

  4. i like the new icon for Mac but i hate it on iOS… why do they have to make so many icons with white background? (Health, Photos, Safari, Newsstand, AirPort utility, Calendar and now Music) it looks annoying and uninspiring, just like each and every one of Google’s
    i miss old iOS icons, they were all different from one another

    • i forgot Game Center too

    • 1nf3cted - 9 years ago

      I personally think it looks good. The white provides a nice contrast from most wallpapers, and they bring focus to the image on the icon, which are often minimalistic and stylized so as to clearly define what the app is all about.

    • madmen8 - 9 years ago

      I respect your opinion, but consider this:
      It’s so hard to find wallpapers that look OK with all those single color or blocks of color icons. I think moving towards a white icon with pops of color sets the stage for bright beautiful wallpapers. No?

  5. Florin Nica (@iampiny) - 9 years ago

    I find the iOS version to be absolutely beautiful, but the other two are “meh..”

  6. rogifan - 9 years ago

    Who cares.

  7. silverdrs - 9 years ago

    Where is the “Apple lost all the sense of taste some time ago already.” answer?

    • incredibilistic - 9 years ago

      Probably somewhere on 9to5Google.com.

  8. John Green - 9 years ago

    Lose the keyline… Simples.

  9. darrenoia - 9 years ago

    The bar is so low with the garish pink of the current icons that it really doesn’t matter.

  10. pecospeet - 9 years ago

    Old and new are equally fine. I only care about being able to easily recognise it.

    For example, I still do not see any linkage between the safari icon and the interweb. And the mail icon for OS X does not make me think of mail – I always have to think carefully when selecting safari on any device and mail on my MBA. At least iTunes looks like music!

  11. Chris Green - 9 years ago

    really? This is reporting or interesting? It looks fine….no big deal OMG!

  12. madmen8 - 9 years ago

    I love the bright colors.

    I think the dock icons on iOS desperately need more than the slight gradient from iOS 7. The phone email messages and safari icons need a total overhaul.

  13. Steve Grenier - 9 years ago

    I don’t mind the iOS one, with the coloured note, but I dislike the Mac version.

  14. mytawalbeh - 9 years ago

    iOS is pretty but the new music icon goes overboard!

  15. Adam Connie - 9 years ago

    Where’s the option to vote, “Who CARES, it’s an ICON!”

  16. Jesse Nichols - 9 years ago

    Hmmm… I wonder how the author feels about it? Lol.

    I’m personally indifferent to the Mac one. I don’t love it or hate it. I feel the same way about the current one. However, I really like the iOS version.

  17. hungarianhc - 9 years ago

    The icon is fine. Truly unfortunate that clicking it still opens up iTunes, though…

  18. kostnerguyton - 9 years ago

    Not a fan of the iOS icon either, Mac one is fine, but i will probably change it immediately.

  19. mpias3785 - 9 years ago

    With all the UI and look-and-feel crimes committed upon iOS 7 and 8, and OS X 9 and 10, why get worked up enough to dedicate an entire article to one icon.

    It’s like driving down a highway (pre-ive OSes), hitting two miles of dirt road (Ive OSes) and then getting out of the car to complain about one specific pebble.

  20. I think it makes sense and fits in with the FCPX, Motion & Compressor icons to a certain degree. I wonder if Logic will get a makeover at some point.

  21. incredibilistic - 9 years ago

    At least it’s taken people’s attention away from the so-called cartoony Finder icon.

    I think the icon is beautiful. It’s certainly better than ANY icon for Android.

  22. dipaguco - 9 years ago

    I wish watchOS icons didn’t differ from iOS icons as much as they do. Merging design elements between iPhone and iPad, and general consistency, is what differeniated iOS from Android originally. Now they’re falling into Google’s old ways as Google does a much better job of being consistent nowadays (besides the Chrome OS and Android Chrome icon, and Voice icons). And then there’s of course the inconsistency of the OS X icons, but that’s old news. I get that Apple wants to emphasize they’re different apps with different screen sizes/input, but the function speaks for itself and three (four if we count the iPod Nano OS they keep burying deeper into their website) different app icon designs is just so old Android. But who cares, THEY’RE JUST ICONS RIGHT?

    • dipaguco - 9 years ago

      Correction: there are 5 different Apple Music/iTunes icons, when you account for how they refuse to merge them into one app on iOS (putting a separate store within Videos). They blatantly copy Android now, like with the rebrand of Wallet, so they might as well copy the Play Store concept!

  23. Lolacat (@BandDazz) - 9 years ago

    Terrible use of gradients to blend colors that shouldn’t be blended. I’m pretty sure I created something similarly awful using Microsoft WordArt in the 1990s.

  24. mpias3785 - 9 years ago

    iOS and OS X icons should be the same on both platforms. Oh wait, iTunes is four different programs on iOS.

    • PMZanetti - 9 years ago

      Some think it should be 4 different programs on OS X too.

      • mpias3785 - 9 years ago

        ITunes is a brain-damaged mess. It’s loaded with bugs and inconsistencies, and instead of fixing these, the programmers screw with the interface to confuse users enough that they’re so frustrated with the new interface that the bugs and inconsistencies that they’ve grown used to over the years don’t seem to matter so much. A truly brilliant strategy to use with the ambassador program Apple uses to attract Windows users to purchase iDevices. iTunes is in desperate need of a rewrite. Whether it results in one program or multiple smaller applications is irrelevant, as long as it’s fixed.

  25. PMZanetti - 9 years ago

    Snazzy.

  26. TBolt - 9 years ago

    At least I can change the icon on my Android phone. I suppose I’m stuck with the icon on all my Apple equipment.

  27. Scott Harris - 9 years ago

    This new rainbow trend is disgusting me. It totally glorifies the gay pride movement that Tim Cook wants to promote. Shame on you Apple for making this a social ad.

  28. Tim Plummer - 9 years ago

    I honestly assumed <– (I know, I know) it was "rainbow" colored to show support for the recent Supreme Court Decision…

Author

Avatar for Zac Hall Zac Hall

Zac covers Apple news, hosts the 9to5Mac Happy Hour podcast, and created SpaceExplored.com.