Apple Music animated album covers

[Prayer 14,405]

This is a little cute thing, it was commented briefly on other topics I think.

Apple Music has animated covers for some albums, to help marketing them and offer something different from other streaming services. They're visible on the album page and also on the player on iOS 17.

They come from the label, not Apple. So the label has to send them. Sometimes they're cooler and others quite basic.

Warner two first Madonna animated covers were for "The Immaculate Collection", when they released the Dolby Atmos mix and "Ray Of Light", on one of the anniversaries (last year I think?).

https://music.apple.com/nz/album/the-immaculate-collection/80812428

https://music.apple.com/nz/album/ray-of-light/952887

This week they've added animated covers for Madonna's first four studio albums, little more basic but still good:

"Madonna": https://music.apple.com/es/album/madonna/80815644

"Like A Virgin": https://music.apple.com/es/album/like-a-virgin/80815235

"True Blue": https://music.apple.com/es/album/true-blue/80815611

"Like A Prayer": https://music.apple.com/es/album/like-a-prayer/83448003

Could this be a sign of something else coming soon (reissues, etc.)? Not necessarily. But good they're paying attention to things.

[WokeUpInMedellin 1,573]

They said you want reissues? Try animated GIFs

[Prayer 14,405]

2 minutes ago, WokeUpInMedellin said:

They said you want reissues? Try animated GIFs

To be fair it's something Warner/Rhino is doing for all their major back catalogue releases, I know Alanis got her animated covers for the first international albums last year or a couple of years ago max.

So now it's M's turn.

[A. A. Aardvark 4,847]

ooh

[Starchild 3,081]

I don't like it. It's tampering with the feel of the artwork, especially when other elements are introduced.

[A. A. Aardvark 4,847]

15 minutes ago, Starchild said:

I don't like it. It's tampering with the feel of the artwork, especially when other elements are introduced.

it isn't the artwork
that's on the physical product
u can play with the speed on spotify now
this is more of the same
 

[RUADJAI 15,018]

It looks horrible on my phone. Sharp edges... and the artwork is extremely small compared to the Ray of Light animated one. 

[Blue Jean 15,297]

Lame.

The only one I liked was Like a Virgin.

[maddy1111 1,605]

Hmm, they made letters glow in 2024.

Great achievement, Apple

[Prayer 14,405]

14 minutes ago, maddy1111 said:

Hmm, they made letters glow in 2024.

Great achievement, Apple

Not Apple, it's Warner/Rhino.

I don't know, they're basic yes, but it's good they're doing them cause it means they care a little bit. But yep, "Immaculate" and "ROL" were better than this new four.

For comparison, Alanis' animated covers:

https://music.apple.com/nz/album/jagged-little-pill-2015-remaster/1715762264

https://music.apple.com/nz/album/supposed-former-infatuation-junkie/1051409613

https://music.apple.com/nz/album/unplugged-live/1051418901

https://music.apple.com/nz/album/under-rug-swept/1051406378

https://music.apple.com/nz/album/so-called-chaos/1051422510

Other artists:

Dua Lipa: https://music.apple.com/nz/album/radical-optimism/1734980417

Spice Girls: https://music.apple.com/nz/album/spice/723398173

Ariana Grande: https://music.apple.com/nz/album/eternal-sunshine-slightly-deluxe/1735162193

They're always very hit or miss, IMO, cause they depend on the original main cover and its elements (and of course how much they wanna bother with them).

[Blue Jean 15,297]

It's a nice idea in theory but some of them look like fans created it with AI

[Blue Jean 15,297]

I like the Spice Girls one, that's probably the best. Simple is better.

[luckypierre78 173]

Ummm so normally the album takes up the whole background of the phone when playing a song from the album.  For True Blue I'm just getting a small picture of the album that switches from greyscale to colour and the words Madonna and True Blue appear.  Seems... like it wasn't done properly?  Or maybe an intentional choice to not take up the full screen?  I want full screen artwork... this just seems dumb.  Or is that only me?   :-/

[PlayPause 2,686]

18 hours ago, Prayer said:

This is a little cute thing, it was commented briefly on other topics I think.

Apple Music has animated covers for some albums, to help marketing them and offer something different from other streaming services. They're visible on the album page and also on the player on iOS 17.

They come from the label, not Apple. So the label has to send them. Sometimes they're cooler and others quite basic.

Warner two first Madonna animated covers were for "The Immaculate Collection", when they released the Dolby Atmos mix and "Ray Of Light", on one of the anniversaries (last year I think?).

https://music.apple.com/nz/album/the-immaculate-collection/80812428

https://music.apple.com/nz/album/ray-of-light/952887

This week they've added animated covers for Madonna's first four studio albums, little more basic but still good:

"Madonna": https://music.apple.com/es/album/madonna/80815644

"Like A Virgin": https://music.apple.com/es/album/like-a-virgin/80815235

"True Blue": https://music.apple.com/es/album/true-blue/80815611

"Like A Prayer": https://music.apple.com/es/album/like-a-prayer/83448003

Could this be a sign of something else coming soon (reissues, etc.)? Not necessarily. But good they're paying attention to things.

I'd love to love this but I can't.

Poor quality re-creations coming in heavier files that drain more battery life. Totally unsustainable and useless.

[Ziploc 2,566]

I quite like the True Blue one apart from it being tiny. 

It's all giving me 00s powerpoint vibes though. 

[bluebanisters 189]

The way her label is not giving her any budget to make these new industry standard streaming assets with the proper sizing 

Ray of Light was good, so I'm not sure what happened with these...they easily have the original photoshoots to work with.

[Starchild 3,081]

On 4/12/2024 at 9:23 AM, A. A. Aardvark said:

it isn't the artwork
that's on the physical product
u can play with the speed on spotify now
this is more of the same

What's this about speed?

[Honey Little 3,997]

On 4/12/2024 at 9:53 PM, Starchild said:

What's this about speed?

Love it!🥰 

[milotjuh 975]

The IC and ROL animated covers looked very nice. These new ones don't look great to me; looks like the artwork used for the animations wasn't the best quality, hence perhaps the weird small frame.

[Prayer 14,405]

"Erotica" clean version animated cover added:

https://music.apple.com/es/album/erotica/80814958

Sadly same style of the first four albums ones.

[simplythebest77 1,154]

I’m collecting these here if anyone wants to keep them too:

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[luluthecat 1,114]

Meehhh why do they look so rough? I don't understand how its so difficult for these labels to get access to high quality files?

[sunsxt 2]

looks super low budget :/ (probably because it is)....i really like the immaculate collection and rol ones tho

[RebelMe 3,238]

COADF deserved much better 😭

[Prayer 14,405]

Animated Apple Music covers so far:

- Madonna

- Like A Virgin

- True Blue

- Like A Prayer

- I'm Breathless

- The Immaculate Collection

- Erotica

- Ray Of Light

- Music

- American Life

- Confessions On A Dance Floor