Apple Music 404 Not Found
Archived — this story has rotated out of today’s deck. It is kept here in full.
The gist
Apple Music's 404 page now shows an interactive first-generation iPod with a hidden Brick game.
The Easter egg marks 25 years since Apple announced the original iPod.
Background
Apple Music is Apple's music streaming service, and its website hosts the 404 page (the screen shown when a link leads nowhere) where the virtual iPod appears. The original iPod was announced by Apple co-founder Steve Jobs on October 23, 2001, at $399 with a 5 GB hard drive and the pitch of "1,000 songs in your pocket"; Apple discontinued the iPod line in 2022. The Easter egg was spotted on the 25th anniversary of that 2001 announcement.
How it unfolded
- Oct 23, 2001Apple announced the original iPod at $399 with a 5 GB hard drive, promising "1,000 songs in your pocket".
- Nov 10, 2001The original iPod went on sale.
- 2010Apple introduced preview-clip rules — songs longer than 2:30 stop after 90 seconds, shorter tracks after 30 seconds — which apply even when signed in to Apple Music.
- 2022Apple discontinued the iPod line, including the iPod touch.
- Oct 23, 2026Apple Music's 404 page was found to display an interactive first-generation iPod beside "Page Not Found" and "Give this a spin instead," with links to Home, New, and Search.
- Oct 23, 2026The virtual iPod includes a monochrome screen, scroll wheel, backlight, a menu tree (Playlists, Artists, Songs, Settings) and a hidden Brick Breakout-style game reached via Settings > About by holding the center button.
- Oct 23, 2026Playback on the virtual iPod uses Apple's standard preview clips rather than full tracks; it is free and needs no subscription.
Who’s saying what
- Analysts
- How-To Geek noted the virtual iPod plays samples rather than full songs and is not entirely period-accurate, citing Daft Punk's "One More Time" (2001 or earlier) alongside Green Day's "American Idiot" (later years).
- Caution
- Macworld's Roman Loyola said it is not clear whether this is an event-only stunt that will eventually go away or here to stay.
Still unverified
Whether the virtual iPod is an event-only stunt that will eventually go away or a permanent feature is not clear, per Macworld's Roman Loyola.