Apple Music Renames 'The A-List: Alternative' Playlist to 'ALT CTRL' and Updates 'Essentials' With Cover Art Shot on iPhone - MacRumorsOpen MenuShow RoundupsShow Forums menuVisit ForumsOpen Sidebar
Skip to Content

Apple Music Renames 'The A-List: Alternative' Playlist to 'ALT CTRL' and Updates 'Essentials' With Cover Art Shot on iPhone

by

Apple Music today released a new playlist called "ALT CTRL," which is a rebranded version of its previous "The A-List: Alternative" playlist. This list of songs includes alternative bands and is currently headlined by HAIM's new single, "Summer Girl" (via Billboard).

HAIM new playlist
ALT CTRL's playlist art will showcase a new artist each week, starting with HAIM. The playlist includes artists like Twenty One Pilots, The Black Keys, Dominic Fike, Lana Del Rey, and Vampire Weekend.

"Alternative is more an attitude than a sound -- music that colors just a bit outside the lines. ALT CTRL, formerly known as The A-List: Alternative, is where you'll find the best of those new left-of-center tunes."

Apple has slowly been rebranding its "The A-List" playlists, which now also includes "The A-List: Hip-Hop" changing to "Rap Life" in July and "The A-List: Dance" changing to "danceXL" in March. Other playlists still categorized as "The A-List" include genres like Pop, Country, R&B, Christian, Classical, Bollywood, African, K-Pop, Telugu, Khaleeji, Mandopop, J-Pop, Russian Hip-Hop, and more.

shot on iphone playlists
Amid the ongoing rebranding of its A-List playlists, Apple has also updated a few "Essentials" playlists with new Shot on iPhone cover art. Artists include Lizzo; Travis Scott; Kacey Musgraves; Tyler, The Creator; Tierra Whack; IDLES; Leon Bridges; Skrillex; and CHAI.

essentials shot on iphone
Each playlist showcases an image of the artist shot on an iPhone on their tour, and some artist's profile images have also been updated with similar Shot on iPhone iconography, including Lizzo and Kacey Musgraves. Apple has highlighted a few artists in a similar fashion with its "Shot on iPhone on Tour" video series, including artists like Florence Welch and FKA Twigs.

kacey and lizzo
‌Apple Music‌ has continued to grow over the years, and in June the streaming music service was reported to have just over 60 million paid subscribers. Earlier this week Spotify reported on its own paid subscriber count, which broke 108 million globally in Q2 2019.

Top Rated Comments

89 months ago
all I see is
Control-Alt-Delete
Score: 14 Votes (Like | Disagree)
dumastudetto Avatar
89 months ago
I renamed my Hard Rock playlist earlier to Rock. I felt it was a more honest representation of the works contained within it.
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
ocanalix Avatar
89 months ago
For independent artists and small labels having their songs added to Apple's "The A-List: Alternative" felt like an achievement – a meaningful chart/list of sorts. "ALT CNRL" honestly just sounds like some user-made playlist on Spotify. I'm feeling this change will have a negative effect on music press directing toward Apple Music. It's not a big deal, and it's super subtle, but honestly it makes a difference.
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
89 months ago
It should be named OPTION CTRL
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
89 months ago
alt key has existed on the Mac since .... (don't really know, but for a very long time)
They started being labeled in the 90's and wasn't always consistent on what devices included it, it was just to allow simplicity when users transition between MacOS and Windows. They did remove the labeling from the latest keyboards however.

Mainly the comment was a joke that they would be adding a new key that would perform like the ALT key does which would be nice to have.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
89 months ago
No link to the playlist in the article. I assume because that’s technically not possible. Apple Music often feels like a closed container. Joined playlists, sharing stuff, a social media aspect, links, push notifications, third party curators (which are no longer listed).... the service is ok, but there’s still so much missing.
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Popular Stories

iphone 17 pro black feature

iPhone 18 Pro's Camera Upgrade Will Cost Apple 50% More

Friday May 29, 2026 3:44 am PDT by
The iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max's all-new variable aperture lens will cost Apple 50% more than the camera unit used in current models, according to supply chain analyst Ming-Chi Kuo. Variable aperture has been one of the most persistent iPhone camera rumors of the past few years. Kuo first flagged the feature in late 2024, and it has since been corroborated by multiple reports and...
HomePod mini and Apple TV Sage

New Apple TV and HomePod Mini Are 'Nearly Ready' to Launch, New Siri Remote Also Rumored

Sunday May 31, 2026 8:47 am PDT by
New models of the Apple TV 4K and HomePod mini are "nearly ready to go," according to the latest word from Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. Both devices have been ready "for months," but Apple is holding off on launching them until the more personalized version of Siri is available, he said. "I am told the hardware for the next Apple TV set-top box and HomePod mini has been done for months and...
iphone 18 pro color dummies

First Look at iPhone 18 Pro Color Options Revealed by Dummy Models

Friday May 29, 2026 4:50 am PDT by
Leaker Sonny Dickson today shared images of iPhone 18 Pro dummy models in the device's four rumored colors, offering the first real-world look at what to expect from the lineup visually. Corroborating previous rumors, the dummies show the iPhone 18 Pro Max in Light Blue, Black, Silver, and Dark Cherry. Dickson said "Cherry will probably be the next hit, orange did very well." Cosmic Orange...

🔗 Related Apple News & Rumors

Stay updated with the latest Apple ecosystem news and verified rumors