Alongside iOS 27, iPadOS 27, and macOS Golden Gate, Apple today released new software for the HomePod and HomePod mini. ‌HomePod‌ Software 27 adds AirPlay improvements and support for AutoMix when listening to Apple Music. This update introduces support for AutoMix with Apple Music, which transitions between songs like a DJ does, time stretching and beatmatching to deliver a continuous playback experience. It also delivers improved AirPlay performance, providing faster and more responsive connections when sharing music from iPhone, iPad, or Mac, and provides bug fixes and security updates for your HomePod. ‌HomePod‌ software can be installed on the Home app on the iPhone, iPad, or Mac by selecting on the More button, choosing Home Settings, and then using the Software Update option. If automatic updates are turned on, the new ‌HomePod‌ software will be installed automatically.Related Roundup: HomePodBuyer's Guide: HomePod (Caution) This article, "Apple Releases HomePod Software 27 With AutoMix Support" first appeared on MacRumors.com Discuss this article in our forums

Apple has made several updates to the Apple Music app in iOS 26, and it has AutoMix, which has become one of the most popular additions. ‌Apple Music‌ also features the Liquid Glass redesign like the rest of Apple's apps, along with new translation features and other quality of life improvements. AutoMix AutoMix is an upgrade to the crossfade feature in ‌Apple Music‌, and it is designed to provide more seamless song transitions. It transitions from one song to another as the song that's playing ends, using time stretching and beat matching for an undetectable shift. Apple says that AutoMix is meant to work like a DJ, with songs transitioning at the "perfect moment" based on an on-device analysis of the key and tempo of the music. AutoMix can be enabled when opening up the ‌Apple Music‌ app for the first time after installing ‌iOS 26‌. The feature isn't perfect and it works better with some genres than others, but it is a work in progress that Apple is improving over time. AutoMix is not an Apple Intelligence feature, but it does require an ‌Apple Music‌ subscription. Lyric Translation If you're listening to a song in a different language, you can now open up the lyrics and get a real-time translation so you know what it's about. The translated lyrics are displayed alongside the original lyrics. Lyric Pronunciation For songs in another language, you can also get a phonetic pronunciation guide for singing them aloud, which is useful when taking advantage of the ‌Apple Music‌ Sing karaoke feature. Pinned Favorites There's now an option to pin up to six playlists, albums, artists, or songs to the top of the ‌Apple Music‌ library. Playlist Folders Playlists can be organized into folders in the iOS ‌Apple Music‌ app, a feature that has previously been limited to the Mac. Home Screen Widgets There are new Home Screen widgets that show your pinned ‌Apple Music‌ content. There's a medium-sized widget and a larger widget for pins, along with a new large Live Radio widget. Animated Lock Screen Artwork The Lock Screen now features full-screen animated art for the Now Playing widget while music is playing. Karaoke Microphone tvOS 26 and ‌iOS 26‌ turn the iPhone into a wireless microphone for karaoke on the Apple TV. When using ‌Apple Music‌ Sing, each participant can sing through their ‌iPhone‌, queue songs up, and send emoji reactions. Read More More on the features that are available in ‌iOS 26‌ can be found in our iOS 26 roundup. ‌iOS 26‌ will launch in September.Related Roundups: iOS 26, iPadOS 26Related Forum: iOS 26 This article, "iOS 26: Eight New Features in Apple Music" first appeared on MacRumors.com Discuss this article in our forums

One of my favorite features in iOS 26 is AutoMix for Apple Music, which uses artificial intelligence to create DJ-like transitions between songs. Ahead of iOS 26 being released to everyone next month, Spotify is looking to steal some of Apple Music’s thunder with its own new spin on creating unique transitions between songs. more…

iOS 26 gave Apple Music a bunch of great new features, including the DJ-like AutoMix effect for song transitions. Now with iOS 26.1’s launch earlier this week, AutoMix has expanded to even work over AirPlay. more…