Apple has relaunched Apple Music Connect, but this time it is built for record labels, distributors, and marketing teams rather than fans. The original Apple Music Connect debuted in 2015 as a social layer inside Apple Music and was shut down in 2018 after failing to gain traction. In 2026, the name is back with a clear B2B focus.
Instead of trying to compete with social platforms, Apple Music Connect now acts as a centralized hub for industry partners. It brings pitching, promotion, media coordination, and marketing asset creation into one dashboard, giving labels a single destination for managing how artists appear across Apple Music.
After logging in, partners can view their artist roster, see upcoming releases, and access catalog content tied to their account. The platform is organized around Promote, Pitch, and Media Requests, along with marketing utilities such as affiliate links, badges, embeddable players, and QR codes.
The Promote section generates customizable social media assets for artist pages, songs, albums, and playlists. Teams can adjust layouts, colors, and sizes before exporting materials for Instagram, TikTok, and other platforms. This reduces the need for manual design work every time a new release or playlist placement needs promotion.
Apple Music Pitch gives labels a structured way to submit priority releases to Apple Music’s global editorial teams. Submissions can include pre order or pre add information, focus tracks, genres, moods, and other key details that help editors evaluate placement opportunities. This mirrors similar pitching workflows on competing platforms but keeps the process inside Apple’s ecosystem.
Media Requests works in the opposite direction. If Apple Music editors are considering an artist for a feature, labels can upload press photos and publicity assets directly through the portal. That replaces email chains and scattered file transfers with a single coordinated system.
Apple Music Connect is part of the broader Apple Music for Partners framework and integrates with iTunes Connect Music accounts. Admin users automatically receive access and can assign Marketing Manager roles to team members, granting permissions across the full catalog, including upcoming releases.
The shift reflects a strategic change. Earlier attempts such as Ping and the first Apple Music Connect focused on building a social network around music. Both were discontinued after limited engagement. This version targets workflow efficiency instead of fan interaction, positioning Apple Music Connect as infrastructure rather than a community feature.
For listeners, nothing changes inside Apple Music. For labels and distributors, however, Apple Music Connect consolidates pitching, promotion, and media management into a streamlined partner portal designed for the realities of music marketing in 2026.
