Apple makes product upgrades, pushes into streaming music

SAN FRANCISCO -- Apple announced a major new foray into streaming music Monday as it showed off a host of new software features for its iPhones, iPads and Mac computers.

The $10-a-month music service is called Apple Music and combines on-demand listening, a 24/7 radio station hosted by live DJs and a forum for artists to give fans behind-the-scenes content from upcoming releases.

The service, which was announced during Apple's annual software conference Monday, will be launched later this month in more than 100 countries. It comes at a time when iTunes songs and album sales are falling, while streaming music leaders like Spotify and Deezer are gaining subscribers and revenue.

The music service was the biggest news of the company's five-day conference, but Apple also announced a host of new upgrades and services coming later this year to the operating software for its iPhones, iPads and Mac computers.

Analysts say the new services and upgrades, which will be available when Apple releases free updates to its iOS and Mac OS software this fall, are part of a broader strategy to make Apple's devices indispensable.

Here's a look at the new features Apple announced:

Apple Music

The service represents a chance for Apple to come from behind in a digital music field it once led. With a lengthy three-month free trial, a $15-a-month plan for up to six family members and the ability to push the app to 100s of millions of iPhone and iPad users, the launch could mark a milestone in digital music.

Besides offering the new subscription plan, the app also will continue to allow download purchases from iTunes.

It will be available this summer for Apple devices and Windows PCs, and in a break from Apple's usual practice, it also will be released as an app for Android devices this fall.

SIRI

Apple's voice-activated digital assistant will be integrated into the new music service, so subscribers can ask it to play songs from movie soundtracks, find hit songs from a certain year, or create playlists from top songs in different genres.

Siri also is gaining more intelligence, according to Apple executives, who demonstrated by having Siri do things like search an iPhone-users' photos with a voice command, such as "Show me pictures from San Francisco last July."

Apple Pay

Along with making payments tied to a credit or debit card, Apple Pay soon will incorporate store-issued payment cards and rewards from loyalty programs offered by merchants such as Walgreens and Dunkin Donuts. That could be a key to making the service more useful for shoppers, according to analysts at Forrester Research.

Apple Watch

Apple announced an update to the watch operating system and said it will release the programming tools independent developers need to build apps that can interact directly with the watch's hardware and sensors.

The watch still requires a link to the iPhone to perform many functions, but Apple's Kevin Lynch said the new software upgrade will let the watch connect to Wi-fi networks, so it will be able to provide some services even if the owner's iPhone isn't nearby.