Crankshaft

Crankshaft

Apple Music, minus the repeats

5 ratings
2 reviews
Free

Details

Released
August 8, 2026
Updated
October 20, 2026

Features

Crankshaft screenshot #1 for iPhone
Crankshaft screenshot #2 for iPhone
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Crankshaft screenshot #5 for iPhone
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About

This music app learns your taste by analyzing how you listen, not through manual input. It creates personalized music stations based on your volume adjustments, skips, and playback duration, offering a unique way to explore your library and discover new music.

✓Learns taste from listening behavior
✓Personalized music stations
✓Explores Apple Music catalog
✓Discovery dial for new music
✓On-demand album picks
✓Parent Mode for separate profiles
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What's New in Crankshaft

1.8

October 20, 2026

Playlists, all in one place. New Playlists screen in Settings. What the engine reads from and what Crankshaft writes back now live together, instead of sitting three taps apart in two different sections. New switch: tell Crankshaft not to write playlists at all. Your cranks still teach the engine. Nothing lands in your library. Road Trip Mode is gone. It could never really download music, because Apple does not let other apps do that, and while it ran it quietly switched the engine off. The knob should be steering. Especially in the car. Fixed: saving recent picks created a brand new playlist every time. There is one Crankshaft Saves list now, and it gets added to. Fixed: with more than a hundred playlists, Crankshaft could only see the first hundred. It sees all of them now. Fixed: Crankshaft could count its own playlists as music you curated. It no longer reads its own output back as your taste. Fixed: No Remix forgot itself on every launch.

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User reviews

my main music source

Like pandora for Apple Music without record labels defining what I’ll listen to next. I hear so many fewer repeat songs and find so much new music.

The interface could use some work as IOS doesn’t seem to fully recognize it. Like when I get a phone call music doesn’t play or on the CarPlay interface there’s no indicator for the music playing so you don’t know how much is left.

I’d love a single button that just adds songs to a playlist to my Apple Music favorites right from the now playing screen separate or integrated into the crank button.

Otherwise, it’s great and does what I want better than Apple Music.

Plus it’s free for now..
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Response from developer

Thanks for this my friend, my friend. The playlist one you can use right now - every time you crank a song, Crankshaft files it in a playlist called Crankshaft Cranks in your Apple Music library. If nothing is showing up, check your settings (gear, phone screen top left) and make sure “Allow Crankshaft to save” is switched on. Apple Music’a Favorites heart is not something a third party app is allowed to set, so a playlist is as close as I can get right now. The phone call issue is real and fixed in the next update - “music not restarting after a phone call” is something I thought I had already fixed, but this brought it back up. That should be fixed but let me know if you have issues. The CarPlay progress bar is a problem I’m trying to fix, too. Crankshaft was telling the system that the song was playing at zero speed, so the bar had nothing to advance from. I’m going to keep chipping away at this one. Thanks again.

Interesting implementation

This app provides a novel approach to playing good music from your library

Response from developer

Thanks! Novel was what I was hoping for, that’s awfully nice of you to say. Crankshaft reads how you actually listen instead of asking you to rate everything (double thanks for taking the time to write this, in context). If you hit anything you don’t like, I’m all ears, this is a one-person project, real feedback shapes it directly. Thanks for giving it a try! -Justin

Developer apps

FAQ

Does Crankshaft have ads?

Crankshaft is completely ad-free. As it is a free application and does not feature advertisements, users can enjoy an uninterrupted music listening experience.

What is the pricing for Crankshaft?

Crankshaft is available for free. Users only need an active Apple Music subscription to utilize its features, as it plays through your existing library.

How does Crankshaft learn my music taste?

Crankshaft learns your taste by observing your listening habits, such as volume levels, song skips, and playback duration. It creates an 'affinity ledger' based on this behavioral data, rather than manual input like likes or genre selections.

Can I use Crankshaft without an Apple Music subscription?

No, Crankshaft requires an active Apple Music subscription to function. It integrates directly with your existing Apple Music library and catalog.

What devices does Crankshaft support?

Crankshaft is supported on iPhone and iPad devices. This allows users to enjoy its personalized music discovery features across their Apple mobile devices.

How often is Crankshaft updated?

Crankshaft was last updated on August 8, 2026, with version 1.0. As this is its initial release date, future update frequency is yet to be determined.

Is Crankshaft suitable for children?

Crankshaft has an age rating of 12+. It also includes a 'Parent Mode' which creates a separate listening profile and visual theme, ensuring a tailored experience for younger users without affecting the main profile.

Can Crankshaft play music I don't own?

Yes, Crankshaft can incorporate artists you declare you love, even if their music isn't currently in your Apple Music library. The 'Discovery Dial' also allows you to blend new and unfamiliar music into your rotation.