Over the years, Apple Music has improved its algorithmic playlists. There’s now an AI DJ, and you can use ChatGPT to generate playlists. With iOS 26.4, which is currently in beta, Apple wants you to make playlists with its own AI tech. The upcoming update includes a feature called “Playlist Playground,” which lets you generate AI playlists directly in the Apple Music app—as long as you’re running iOS 26.4.
How to download and install iOS 26.4
I do not recommend installing and running beta versions of iOS on your primary iPhone. Beta software is unfinished, which means you could run into bugs and glitches that may impact how you use your iPhone, or even result in data loss. If you’re itching to try out new features, it’s best to ensure that you’ve taken a complete backup of your iPhone first. That way, you can always revert to an older installation in case something goes wrong. Even so, it’s safer to run test software on a backup iPhone as opposed to your daily driver.
With that said, if you’re sure you want to go ahead and install iOS 26.4 right now, you can go to Settings > General > Software Update on your iPhone. Select Beta Updates > iOS 26 Developer Beta. Now, go back to the Software Update page and wait until you see iOS 26.4 Beta 1 appear. You can now download and install the update to try this new Apple Music feature.
How to create AI-generated playlists in Apple Music
Once you’re on iOS 26.4, you can open the Music app to get started with this feature. Tap the Library tab in the bottom bar, and then select the New Playlist button in the top-right corner. You should see the Playlist Playground feature here. (Note that this feature may not appear on devices that don’t support Apple Intelligence, or if your Apple Account is from a region where Apple has restricted the rollout of AI features.)
What do you think so far?
Once you activate the feature, you’ll be able to generate playlists with AI. From here, you tell the AI what you want to listen to. You could get specific, with certain artists, songs, or genres, or ask for playlists that encompass a certain idea of mood. Apple has some pre-written prompts to get you started, such as “hip-hop party songs,” but you can use your own text prompts too. AI-generated playlists have 25 songs by default, and you do have the option to customize the playlist further after it’s created. You’ll also be able to edit the title, cover image, and the description of AI-generated playlists. These playlists can be shared with others or displayed on your Apple Music profile, just like other playlists you create on the streaming service. It’s similar in concept to other AI playlist generators on platforms like Spotify or YouTube Music.
Try AI-generated playlists without installing iOS 26.4
While Apple Music’s Playlist Playground feature is a good start, it’s not yet available to those of us who are unwilling to install developer beta versions of iOS 26. If that’s you, there are other options out there for AI generated Apple Music playlists. There’s the aforementioned ChatGPT integration, of course, but you could also use a third-party app, like PlaylistAI. It has many prompts for you to get started with, and can even generate playlists from music festival posters. The app does prompt you to get a subscription, but you can skip that prompt and use the free tier to generate a playlist quickly.
