Apple Music has launched a new feature targeting K-pop fandoms. At a press briefing held on the 16th at a recording studio in Seocho-gu, Seoul, Apple Music demonstrated a new lyrics feature with the iOS 26 update. The main highlights of this update are translation and pronunciation functions. This feature was developed based on the fact that 60% of Apple Music users "look at the lyrics while listening to songs every day."

The translation function first uses artificial intelligence (AI) to provide a preliminary translation of artist-provided lyrics, which is then reviewed by language experts to enhance accuracy. This process goes beyond simple language translation to help users understand the cultural background. For example, BTS's "Life Goes On" provides English interpretation alongside the original Korean lyrics. The pronunciation function supports correct reading and pronunciation of foreign languages, with Korean pronunciation written in English under the lyrics of Jannabi's "For Hesitant Lovers." Both functions can be used simultaneously, displaying Korean lyrics and pronunciation followed by English translation in order. Currently, only Korean-to-English translation is available, but English-to-Korean translation will be added in the future.

Additionally, Apple Music introduced the "Auto Mix" feature. This feature analyzes about 100 million songs using AI to determine the next song to play by considering beats, rhythm, and musicality. Auto Mix helps users listen to music naturally. For example, after ILLIT's "Borrowed Cat," the transition to TWICE's "This Is For" is smooth. This feature is automatically enabled for Apple Music users and does not apply to the classical genre.

Apple Music also emphasized its "Spatial Audio" technology. Spatial Audio is a specially mixed output that allows music to be heard more three-dimensionally and immersively. Unlike the typical mixing method assuming two speakers, Spatial Audio places sounds at multiple points to enhance immersion. Apple Music stated that it provides high-resolution sound quality through an exclusive mastering process. At the event, the press listened to Elton John's "Rocket Man" and NCT 127's "Faster" in Spatial Audio. Both songs were delivered with a three-dimensional sound quality.

Apple Music also offers the "Sing" feature. This allows users to sing along with the original artist or solo. Users can adjust the volume of the original vocals to sing in their preferred way. It can be used by turning an iPhone into a microphone and is compatible with Apple TV. Additionally, users can send emoji reactions to the person currently singing.

Apple Music has grown rapidly over the past three years and aims to achieve the highest market share among iOS users. These new features are expected to provide a fresh experience to various music fans, including K-pop fandoms.