Apple to close iTunes on Mac after 18 years

The service launched in 2001 before introducing its download store in 2003.
itunes-logo.jpg

Story updated on June 4, 2019

Apple has announced plans to end the Mac version of iTunes and revealed a replacement for its download service. 

The tech giant will phase out the media application alongside the introduction of OS X 10.15, code-named Catalina, in September. 

Apple is replacing iTunes on the Mac with three dedicated apps: a music app to access Apple Music streaming and local music libraries, a desktop app for podcasts, and an Apple TV app for its TV and movie content as well as its new Apple TV Plus video subscription service.

The iTunes Store app will stay in place for users to purchase music. On Windows, it will remain as it currently stands for now. 

iTunes was launched by Apple on January 9 2001 as their take on 'jukebox software' - an app designed to rip CDs and organise music libraries on your computer. Two years later it launched its digital music store so users could buy music, films, update their iPhones and listen to podcasts. In 2004, sales from downloads started counting towards the Official UK Singles Chart.

In the early 2000s iTunes was hailed as a saviour of the music industry in the digital age. Key moments in its history include a global giveaway of a U2 album in 2014, while December 2013 Beyonce surprised-released her eponymous fifth album to iTunes with massive success. 

View the UK's Official Singles Downloads Chart, updated every week.

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Sakgra

0

what does this means for charts?

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Rob Parkinson

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The download chart wont be pretty much just downloads from iTunes, it has little impact on the overall official chart anyway

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Sakgra

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finally

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Rob Parkinson

-1

Must say am shocked they finally decided to move with the times, hopefully the few that remain purchasing individual tunes from there will move with the times too to streaming. I think people find it difficult because it is really still a pretty new way of consuming music but the rate that technology has advanced the download era had such a short life. Apple certainly made phenomenal amounts of money from it and since its plummet seem to have taken to other ways to replace the income, I wont go into detail but plenty of it in the news if you want to know about it. I personally would never use an apple product

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AcerBen

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It's more about the software than the store, which has always been slow. It seems they're still going to offer the option to download songs in the new store.