Apple Music debuts Tuesday: Everything you need to know

LOS ANGELES — You've probably heard a thing or two about a new music subscription service launching from Apple, thanks to pop star Taylor Swift.

After a short tiff over royalty rates, Apple and Swift are back together again. And now, Apple Music launches Tuesday. Here's a preview, and how to get it.

What is Apple Music? Think Spotify meets Pandora. Apple Music is a subscription service offering on-demand access to the iTunes music library for $9.99 a month. So, instead of having to shell out $1.29 every time you want to listen to a new song in entirety, as part of your subscription you'll get full access.

This is just like Spotify, Rdio, Google Play Music and the other music subscription services. Apple says it's different in that it will have a human element of experts to help find music you like. This was also the basis of the Beats Music service, part of the Beats by Dr. Dre empire, that Apple purchased in 2014 for $3 billion.

Apple Music is also radio.

Like Pandora, Apple is also doubling down on Internet radio that programs music you like. Unlike Pandora, the most popular online music radio service, Apple is employing humans to curate the experience. It even will have something new, with a live radio station, Beats 1, that will broadcast from Los Angeles, London and New York with celebrity DJs like Zane Lowe, formerly of the BBC.

Other features: Apple Music has a social networking section called Connect that lets musicians talk directly to fans.

How to get it: Tuesday morning, you'll need to update your IOS operating system software by going to software update on your phone or iPad. Once it updates, the red Music tab on the front page of the iPhone will have a new white icon, and Apple Music will be ready to fire up.

Getting to know you: Apple wants to personalize your music experience, get to know you and offer suggestions of things to listen to.

So in the set-up, from a list of musical genres, you tell Apple what you like. For instance, you get choices to select like Alternative, Indie, Rock, Jazz, Pop and Hits. When Apple demoed the service briefly to me earlier this month, I chose Jazz and Rock, and on the iPhone a choice of musical artists popped up. From their list, I selected Bruce Springsteen, and jazz masters Thelonious Monk and Fats Waller.

From there, Apple suggests radio stations, albums and songs to listen to.

The subscription service is being offered on a three-month free trial, and even if you don't subscribe, Beats 1 is free for all. It replaces iTunes Radio, which had a similar mission, minus the humans behind the turntables.

Let me know what you think of the new Apple Music. I'm @jeffersongraham on Twitter.

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