Cratebits is a third-party app for Apple Music that helps you manage your listen-later list efficiently and enjoyably. Does your playlist named "Listen Later" pile up into an overwhelming 400+ song collection, leaving you unsure where to even start listening? Have you ever wished you could save entire albums or artists instead of just individual songs? That's the problem Cratebits solves.
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Why Not Just Use Playlists?
It's a fair question. Here are some of the frustrations with the typical "Listen Later" playlist approach:
- It doesn't scale: Starts with 20 tracks, somehow becomes 347. Where do you even begin?
- Painful to manage: Finding and removing songs after listening is tedious. Most people just... don't.
- Limited format: Playlists only handle individual songs. What about saving whole albums?
- Music gets buried: Songs you added months ago get buried under newer additions.
How It Works
Cratebits follows a simple 4-step cycle:
1. Save what you like
Share songs, albums, or artists from Apple Music to your Listen Later list in Cratebits. Unlike regular playlists, these items are stored separately from your Apple Music library, keeping your main collection clean while you explore new music.
2. Start digging through your crate
Generate a short playback queue from your Listen Later list for today's session. The queue is intentionally brief so you can enjoy your music without feeling overwhelmed.
3. Listen and discover new music
Use quick actions to decide what to do with each item—love it? Add it to your Apple Music library. Not feeling it? Skip it. Want to give it another chance? Mark it to keep in your Listen Later list.
4. Dig deeper
The Listen Later list is managed automatically. Items in
the current queue are removed when a new queue is generated, except
those marked to keep. This automatic cleanup prevents your list
from turning into an overwhelming collection of 400+ tracks.
The cycle continues—save new discoveries, generate fresh queues,
and keep exploring your crate of music.