Am I not the perfect customer for Apple?

As a massive music/automation fan you would have thought I’m the perfect Apple customer.

I have purchased iPods, iPhones, MacBooks, iPads, subscribe to Apple Music, have bought a HomePod (considering AirPods) and have got really into the new Shortcuts apps.

Does anyone else agree that the following are massive oversights, considering the dedication Apple have put into hooking me (as a type of customer)…stick with me on this…

  1. If I listen to a song from Apple Music on my HomePod (using Apple Music not via Airplay), it does not sync my play data to iTunes, but HomePod doesn’t use any sort of intelligence (smart playlists or updating play counts/dates/times). Therefore any playlists I have created that involves not listening to the same song more than once within a set time are rendered useless.
  • Smart Playlists are a big feature for long-time Mac iTunes users/Music lovers, people that love their music as much as this are a prime target to sell the HomePod to, yet they will be instantly put off by this…
    Put simply, if I walk into a room and ask Siri to play music there will be no record of it anywhere else I enjoy my music on an Apple device, I also can’t run a smart playlist on my HomePod.
  1. The exact same problems occur with Apple Music on iPhone (even if I wire-sync my device with iTunes).
  • Play history is not recorded so therefore is ruined on my iTunes play history, meaning the date I last heard a song isn’t actually correct if I switch between devices.
  1. My third point follows on from point 2, with the amazing (Siri) Shortcuts apps(s), I have created brilliant playlist menus to both play and update playlists from my widget screen…including (if I create them from scratch using Shortcuts) some fairly smart playlists as well!
  • However I can’t ask my HomePod to play these smart playlists/run these super cool Siri Shortcuts…because even though my HomePod Siri is the one I talk with…the Shortcuts/Playlists play out of my phone speaker rather than on my HomePod. (plus see points 1 and 2 regarding listening history!)

I know all of the workarounds and solutions (both short-term and long-term with software updates) but that isn’t really my point.

My point for debate is…migrating iTunes people to Apple Music subscriptions and HomePod purchases surely made/makes total sense…but as someone who did this, I’ve not been impressed!

I AM impressed by the quality (and sound quality) of my curated Apple Music playlists coming from my HomePod. And I also love the Shortcuts app…but playing music on an iPhone when the HomePod itself is available…were they trying to wind us music fans up!!!

I thought Music was a big deal to Apple? What do you guys think?