iTunes was once the go-to application for managing music libraries and syncing iPods. However, over the past few years, iTunes has slowly faded into the background. So what happened to iTunes and where did it go?
The Rise of iTunes
iTunes first launched in 2001 as a simple music player. It provided an easy way for Mac users to organize their digital music files into a library and sync them to Apple’s new MP3 player, the iPod. At a time when digital piracy was rampant, iTunes offered a legal alternative for purchasing and downloading music. iTunes quickly caught on as the software of choice for iPod owners.
In 2003, the iTunes Store was launched, allowing users to purchase songs directly within the iTunes application. This was a revolutionary development, effectively creating an legal and user-friendly online music store. The catalog grew rapidly as major record labels signed on. Within its first week, iTunes sold 1 million songs.
Over the next few years, iTunes added support for additional content including podcasts, audiobooks, movies, TV shows, and mobile apps. It expanded to Windows in 2003, making it accessible to millions more users. iTunes became the world’s largest music vendor and a cultural phenomenon. For many, iTunes and the iPod were synonymous with digital music.
The Decline of iTunes
While iTunes enjoyed tremendous success in the 2000s, the application began to falter in the early 2010s. The rise of music streaming services like Spotify and Apple’s own Apple Music stole away music listeners. Meanwhile, the demise of the iPod meant that fewer people needed to sync local music libraries.
iTunes also began to suffer from feature bloat and poor performance, bogged down by non-music features. Users complained that iTunes had become clunky and frustrating to use. The application was optimized for syncing devices rather than playing music. iTunes felt outdated in a world dominated by cloud storage and streaming.
With mobile apps and the cloud taking over media consumption, iTunes no longer occupied the centralized role it once held. Music players like Spotify delivered a better user experience focused purely on music listening.shopping for new apps, movies, books, and podcasts. iTunes felt bloated next to slick new apps.
The Splitting of iTunes
In June 2019, Apple announced that iTunes would be split into separate Music, TV, and Podcasts apps on the upcoming macOS Catalina. This transition makes sense given how different media consumption has become over the past two decades. The era of syncing devices via iTunes is over.
The new Music, TV, and Podcasts apps are optimized for their respective media types. By splitting iTunes into smaller apps, Apple hopes to create streamlined experiences. This should relieve the frustrations of a bloated, confusing iTunes application trying to do everything at once. Users now have access to more focused apps for purchasing, playing, and organizing different types of media.
Apple Music
Apple Music is the new home for music on Apple devices. It offers a streaming music service with over 70 million songs integrated with your existing iTunes music library. For those still purchasing music, the iTunes store is now accessible within the Apple Music app. Apple Music provides playlists, radio, and recommendations to allow you to explore and discover new artists.
Apple TV
The new Apple TV app is the home for television and movies on Apple platforms. It has sections for browsing, watching, and storing movies and TV shows. There is access to the iTunes video library, where users can buy or rent videos. The Apple TV+ streaming service is also accessed from within the Apple TV app. Overall, Apple TV aims to combine all video entertainment into a single destination.
Apple Podcasts
Dedicated Apple users now access their podcasts through the Apple Podcasts app. It provides an interface optimized for finding, browsing, downloading, and managing podcasts. Users can access their existing podcast library, find new podcasts to subscribe to, and manage their queue. For podcast lovers, Apple Podcasts provides a much improved focused experience versus using iTunes.
The Future is Streaming
The demise of iTunes in favor of dedicated streaming apps mirrors larger industry trends. Music and video consumers today rely more on instant access than personal libraries. The rise of smartphones makes streaming content ubiquitious. And music listening and video watching are now discrete activities, rather than part of a larger iTunes experience.
Streaming and the cloud have rendered iTunes obsolete. Syncing local music and video libraries is no longer something the average consumer needs to do. While iTunes helped bring digital media into the mainstream, streaming services deliver a superior user experience today. Platforms like Spotify and Netflix are built expressly for media streaming, without any legacy baggage.
For Apple, the transition away from iTunes is necessary to remain competitive. While iTunes once led the way, technology has evolved considerably. Separate streaming apps focused on doing one thing well represent the future. The end of iTunes serves as a milestone in the streaming revolution. Convenience and seamless access now outweigh personal libraries.
iTunes Replacements on Windows
On Windows platforms, there is no built-in iTunes replacement coming. Windows users relied on iTunes to manage and sync content with iPods and iPhones for many years. But now that iTunes no longer exists, Windows users need to find alternative solutions.
For music playback and streaming, Windows users can adopt Spotify, YouTube Music, Amazon Music, or other streaming platforms. These all work across iOS and Android, so they can replace iTunes as a central music interface.
For video entertainment, services like Netflix, Hulu, Disney+, HBO Max and others are available on Windows. Users can also still access the iTunes video library and make purchases through the new Apple TV app for Windows.
Syncing and managing iOS devices is more difficult without iTunes on Windows. Some options include:
- iCloud – Use Apple’s cloud service to sync files, photos, etc across devices.
- Third-party syncing apps – Apps like iMazing provide syncing and backup services.
- AirDrop – Wirelessly transfer files between iOS and macOS devices.
- Wireless sync – Sync music, photos, etc directly from iOS to services like Spotify and Google Photos.
While not as seamless, Windows users can get by without iTunes through a combination of streaming services and third-party syncing tools.
Fond Memories of iTunes
The shuttering of iTunes marked the end of an era. While its demise was inevitable due to changes in technology and media consumption habits, iTunes still holds a special nostalgic place for many.
For years, opening up iTunes was synonymous with connecting to your music and media collection. iTunes held the soundtracks to countless memories for many users. Listening parties and late night iTunes DJ sessions were common occurrences in dorm rooms and homes. Sorting through your iTunes library was a popular way to pass time.
iTunes also surfaced forgotten gems in your music collection. That random album you ripped years ago and forgot about could come up shuffled between playlist tracks. And of course, iTunes facilitated impulse purchases of new music via the iTunes Store.
The iconic iTunes visualizer put on dazzling light shows synced to your music library. For a period, iTunes and the iPod were representative of cutting edge technology and design. While iTunes stagnated in later years, it impacted culture well beyond just music. An entire generation grew up with iTunes as their musical hub.
Conclusion
While revolutionary in its heyday, iTunes faced waning relevance and purpose over the past decade. The application struggled to adapt to a streaming, mobile-first world. Splitting iTunes into smaller focused apps is a logical shift reflecting current consumption habits.
For longtime iTunes devotees, the transition may feel bittersweet. But technology inevitably evolves. Services like Apple Music and Apple TV provide superior, cloud-based listening and viewing experiences optimized for contemporary users. The next generation may not have the same nostalgia for iTunes as their predecessors.
iTunes forever changed how we discover, purchase and listen to music. But nothing lasts forever, and now the guts of iTunes live on in superior music, video, and podcast apps. iTunes the brand is dead – but your music and media live on.