Do you know which app by Apple is responsible for starting a ‘music revolution’? No idea? Well, we have been using for almost two decades, and it is no surprise that you can’t remember the name; it has been taken for granted. Nonetheless, iTunes, the very program responsible for ushering the mp3 era of music, will soon be closed by Apple. The tech giant has announced that it will be shutting down iTunes at a developer conference that begins today.
The development doesn’t come as a surprise since the rumor has been around for quite some time. The subscription-based services – also including Apple Music – have become the front face of music downloads. As per the RIAA’s 2018 end of year report; streaming accounts for 75% of the total revenue of the US music industry.
iTunes was introduced eighteen years ago at the 2001 Macworld Expo. It made its debut as a solution to the piracy – something that the industry was struggling against. Soon enough, it became a media giant offering its users everything ranging from music, movies, and TV.
However, Apple has plans for dividing these different media. Therefore iTunes is being replaced by three new and different apps; Music, TV, and Podcasts. The company is already offering these apps on iPads and iPhones, where the media has been decentralized. It is only a matter of time before the change is applied to Macs and MacBooks as well.
According to Amy X from Rolling Stones, ‘By portioning out its music, television and podcast offerings into three separate platforms. Apple will pointedly draw attention to itself as a multifaceted entertainment services provider, no longer as a hardware company that happens to sell entertainment through one of its many apps.’
The Music app, according to reports, will be retaining a few of the key features of iTunes, including song purchases and phone syncing. Let’s hope the decision of ending iTunes ends up making things easier for users all over the world!