Apple is celebrating 25 years of the iPod with a hidden interactive Easter egg on Apple Music, letting fans revisit the iconic click wheel and explore a library of nostalgic music.

Apple has found a fun way to celebrate 25 years of the iPod. Hidden on the Apple Music website is a playable recreation of the original music player, complete with its classic click wheel and a collection of songs from the 2000s.

The surprise appeared on 23 October, marking the anniversary of Steve Jobs unveiling the first iPod in 2001. It’s a cool little Easter egg that lets users take a nostalgic trip back to the early days of digital music.

How to find Apple Music’s hidden iPod

To try it yourself, visit music.apple.com/ipod in your web browser. You’ll find a virtual first-generation iPod on the page, ready to explore.

Alongside the dedicated iPod page, the Easter egg also pops up on Apple Music’s usual error page.

The recreation is interactive, so you can use the familiar scroll wheel to browse menus, select artists and find songs. There are 90-second music previews featuring artists including Coldplay, Gorillaz and Alicia Keys.

There’s even a secret game hidden inside. If you navigate to Settings, then About, and hold the centre button on the click wheel, you’ll unlock a version of Breakout, the classic arcade game.

The iPod’s legacy lives on

Apple discontinued the iPod in 2022, but the device is enjoying renewed interest. Alongside nostalgic music, listeners are rediscovering retro ways to enjoy it. The iPod offers a way to listen without the distractions of a smartphone.

Nostalgic music listening is rising: What it means for artists

For independent artists and labels, it’s a reminder that the way people discover and enjoy music keeps changing. From loading MP3s onto a pocket-sized player to streaming millions of tracks, technology evolves, but the music remains at the centre of the experience.

Today, artists can share their music with listeners around the world through platforms such as Apple Music. And with RouteNote, you can distribute your music to streaming platforms worldwide for free.

Distribute your music to streaming platforms everywhere for free with RouteNote today.