Music streaming services have made it easy to discover and access music, but navigating between different listening sessions remains frustrating. When users pause a playlist to explore other content—like a new album or podcast—they often lose their place and have to manually find where they left off or start over. This disrupts the flow of listening, especially for those who frequently switch between different types of audio content.

The Solution: Playlist Bookmarks

One way to solve this problem is by introducing a "bookmark" feature that lets users save their exact position in a playlist, even if they switch to other content. Here’s how it could work:

• A simple "Set Bookmark" button would appear during playlist playback.
• Bookmarked playlists would be visually marked in the library for easy identification.
• When returning to the playlist, a "Resume from Bookmark" option would restore playback from the saved position.
• Bookmarks would clear automatically once the playlist finishes or could be manually removed.

This feature would be particularly useful for commuters, music enthusiasts, and anyone who switches between playlists and podcasts frequently. It could also benefit artists and labels by encouraging full playlist listens.

Implementation and Challenges

An MVP could start by adding bookmark functionality to existing playlist data structures and testing it with a small group before a full rollout. Key considerations include:

• Handling playlist modifications—bookmarks would reset if songs are added or removed before the saved position.
• Ensuring seamless sync across Apple devices via iCloud.
• Making the feature discoverable through tutorials and visual cues.

Unlike Spotify’s "Recently Played," which doesn’t save exact positions, or podcast apps that only track episodes, this solution would provide precise resume points specifically for music playlists within Apple Music.

Broader Impact

While likely offered as a free feature, it could improve subscription retention and open doors for premium analytics or social features, like shared listening from a bookmark. Compared to third-party playlist tools, this would be fully integrated into Apple Music, requiring no extra apps or exports.

In summary, a playlist bookmark feature could make music streaming more seamless for users who juggle multiple listening sessions, while also strengthening Apple Music’s competitive edge.