Apple Music adds AI Playlist Playground in iOS 26.4 beta

In short: Apple Music has started rolling out a beta feature called Playlist Playground that creates a 25-song playlist from a text prompt.

What happened

Apple Music’s new Playlist Playground is available in iOS 26.4, released on March 24, 2026. It uses Apple Intelligence, which is Apple’s built-in AI system, to turn plain language requests into playlists.

To use it, you open Apple Music, go to the Library tab, tap the plus sign, and choose Playlist Playground. You can type what you want in everyday words, like a mood, a genre, or an activity. Apple also suggests prompts such as “morning coffee music” or “hip-hop party songs.”

After it generates a playlist, Apple Music gives it a title and fills it with 25 songs. You can then fine-tune the result, like asking for changes with another prompt, removing tracks, reordering songs, or tapping to refresh for a different mix. You can also add a description, choose a cover image, and share it like any other playlist.

Apple says the feature uses a mix of your listening history, what is trending, and the Apple Music catalog to personalize results. Because it is in beta, it is rolling out gradually and results may vary between people.

Why it matters

For most listeners, this is a faster way to make a playlist without searching for songs one by one. Still, early reactions from The Verge suggest the feature can miss the mark on very specific requests, like asking for a narrow sub-genre. Think of it like asking a helpful clerk for “something quiet and moody,” and getting a mix that is close, but not exactly what you meant.

Source: The Verge AI