Apple has announced that it’s
ending iTunes which it will be replacing with Apple Music, Apple TV and Apple
Podcasts.
iTunes that Apple launched in 2001, will
survive on Windows platforms, with downloads for iTunes that will continue to
be available in a sidebar on the Apple Music app for Macs.
Apple made the announcement at the Worldwide
Developer Conference (WWDC) in San Jose where America’s technology giants
unveil what their respective software plans and updates are for the upcoming
year.
The demise of the iconic iTunes is largely
due to the rise in streaming services with seismic changes the past two decades
for the global music industry, with Apple that is ending iTunes in favour of
its three better apps already found on Apple’s iPhones and iPads.
Consumers’ existing music purchases and music
libraries won’t disappear or be wiped out but will fold into each of the new
Apple apps on Macs.
Unlike iTunes where Apple doesn’t make money
until a consumer buys a song or an album Apple charges a monthly fee for the Apple
Music app, ensuring more constant revenue as the video and music content
industry globally is gearing up and expanding their efforts in digital
subscription and streaming on-demand services.
"The future of iTunes is not one app, it's three – Apple Music, ApplePodcasts and Apple TV," said Craig Federighi, Apple’s senior vice president of software engineering, at WWDC 2019.
"The future of iTunes is not one app, it's three – Apple Music, ApplePodcasts and Apple TV," said Craig Federighi, Apple’s senior vice president of software engineering, at WWDC 2019.
Apple plans to launch Apple TV+ internationally as
its new streaming service with original shows and films later this year.
