Our Macs and iOS devices have revolutionised the way we access and enjoy media, and with the Music, Podcasts, Books and Apple TV apps, Apple has created a set of sturdy entertainment hubs that can be accessed and synced across all devices. But there is much more to these apps than first meets the eye, with some key settings and awesome features hidden away. In this feature we’ll help you discover these.

Of course, the Podcasts and Books apps are totally free to enjoy, and the Apple TV app serves as a handy portal for finding and buying/renting movies and TV shows. But if you want to get the most out of the Music app, such as high-quality, lossless audio, then you’ll need to subscribe to Apple Music. If you are still unsure of taking this plunge then read on to discover the pro secrets of this and Apple’s other marvellous media apps. We’ll ensure you get the most out of Music, Podcasts, Books and Apple TV.

Master the Music interface

The Music app interface that we see today has slowly evolved from the old iTunes to become an intuitive hub for all of your digital tunes. But there is much more to it than is first apparent, as you’ll see here…

Turn your Mac into a Karaoke machine

Thanks to Apple Music and the size of the display, your Mac can be transformed into a Karaoke system for the whole family to enjoy on those riotous nights in!

1 Start playing

Select a track and then click on the speech bubble icon in the top-right of the Music interface. This will display the lyrics and is only available to Apple Music subscribers.

2 Go mini

Click on the song/album artwork next to the playback controls at the top of the interface and you’ll quickly switch to the Mini Player mode. You’re nearly there!

3 Go big!

Finally, highlight the green circle in the top-left of the Mini Player window and then choose ‘Enter Full Screen’. You will now see a colourful display with scrolling lyrics.

Master the pro settings

Exploring the settings of the Music app is a great way to uncover some of the hidden features that aren’t immediately apparent – such as the option to enjoy lossless audio through Apple Music. Here are the key settings to be aware of.

1 Sync your library

Go to Music>Preferences>General and make sure ‘Sync Library’ is ticked to sync your music library to iCloud and make it available on devices signed into the same Apple ID.