NetEase Cloud Music (网易云音乐) shifts app color from bright red to darker red; users joke "arterial blood becoming venous blood"

UI change and update

NetEase Cloud Music (网易云音乐) pushed its 9.4.95 update this week and, it has been reported, the app's primary color has moved from a high‑saturation bright red to a deeper, darker red. The change affects the splash screen and several interface elements, making parts of the app appear noticeably dimmer than before. Some users reportedly mistook the effect for a screen‑brightness or display fault when first launching the updated app.

User reactions and jokes

Reactions on Chinese social platforms have ranged from bemused to annoyed. Reportedly, many netizens turned the shift into a meme, likening the original vivid red to oxygen‑rich "arterial blood" and the new darker shade to oxygen‑poorer "venous blood" — a tongue‑in‑cheek nod to NetEase Cloud Music's long‑running online reputation for melancholic commentary (the so‑called "网抑云" phenomenon). Others flagged practical issues: several common function entries, such as playlist categories, appear to be tucked deeper into menus in the new build, affecting ease of use.

Polarised response and outlook

Opinions are split. Some users welcome the darker tone as more refined and better suited to night listening, while others miss the app's previous vibrancy and are calling for customizable themes. NetEase Cloud Music has not issued an official explanation for the color adjustment, and it has been reported that no rollout notes explaining the design rationale were posted at the time of publication. Will a theme toggle or user choice follow? Many users are hoping for that simple fix.