Apple introduces redesigned iTunes Store to iTunes 12 beta testers
Ahead of an expected OS X Yosemite debut next week, Apple on Friday rolled out a revamped iTunes Store for beta testers using iTunes 12 on the next-gen operating system, revealing a reworked user interface more in line with the flat aesthetic the company is moving toward.
The new iTunes Store assets, which are slowly rolling out to iTunes 12 beta testers, feature a "flat" look inspired by Apple's upcoming OS X 10.10 Yosemite operating system, which is expected to launch at a special media event next week.
As seen in the included screenshots, the new user interface mirrors Apple's initial iTunes 12 beta, which itself draws inspiration from a spartan aesthetic first introduced in iOS 7.
The most apparent change is a departure from the previous iTunes Stores' three-dimensional landscape, which incorporated copious use of shadows to create a sense of depth. For example, the homepage carousel is no longer a jukebox-style collection of cards that appears to "swing" out of frame when browsing, but instead holds side-scrolling content panes.
The new digital storefront is also nearly devoid of volumetric graphics, with image panes and thumbnails separated by crisp, clean lines overlaid on top of solid colors. In most places, the old grey shading is replaced by white, offering a more open feel to the UI, much like Apple's most recent iOS 8 app updates.
Gradients are used in certain places, such as the specially designed John Legend artist page seen below, but for the most part Apple has opted for one-shade backgrounds. This results in a bold interface that makes multi-colored content "pop."
Currently, the flattened design carries over to Music, Movie, TV Show and App pages.
Many anticipate Apple to launch iTunes 12 alongside OS X 10.10 Yosemite at an Oct. 16 media event expected to include new iPad and iMac hardware. The company will stream the event and AppleInsider will also be covering the day's announcements live starting from 10 a.m. Pacific, 1 p.m. Eastern.
The new iTunes Store assets, which are slowly rolling out to iTunes 12 beta testers, feature a "flat" look inspired by Apple's upcoming OS X 10.10 Yosemite operating system, which is expected to launch at a special media event next week.
As seen in the included screenshots, the new user interface mirrors Apple's initial iTunes 12 beta, which itself draws inspiration from a spartan aesthetic first introduced in iOS 7.
The most apparent change is a departure from the previous iTunes Stores' three-dimensional landscape, which incorporated copious use of shadows to create a sense of depth. For example, the homepage carousel is no longer a jukebox-style collection of cards that appears to "swing" out of frame when browsing, but instead holds side-scrolling content panes.
The new digital storefront is also nearly devoid of volumetric graphics, with image panes and thumbnails separated by crisp, clean lines overlaid on top of solid colors. In most places, the old grey shading is replaced by white, offering a more open feel to the UI, much like Apple's most recent iOS 8 app updates.
Gradients are used in certain places, such as the specially designed John Legend artist page seen below, but for the most part Apple has opted for one-shade backgrounds. This results in a bold interface that makes multi-colored content "pop."
Currently, the flattened design carries over to Music, Movie, TV Show and App pages.
Many anticipate Apple to launch iTunes 12 alongside OS X 10.10 Yosemite at an Oct. 16 media event expected to include new iPad and iMac hardware. The company will stream the event and AppleInsider will also be covering the day's announcements live starting from 10 a.m. Pacific, 1 p.m. Eastern.
Comments
What kind of masochist do you have to be if you're an iTunes beta tester? Peace be with you (and your library), whoever you are.
A Macsochist.
I really wish Apple would leave iTunes as a seperate thing and also have something like we used to have with iSync.
0.02c
Works fine for me and my many many year old library.
It's great, really fast and looks awesome.
Just checked my iPhone 5S and iPad Mini w/Retina, and yup, I do notice a speed bump, very much welcomed! My MBP with Yosemite Beta is at the office, so will test on that machine on Tuesday when I get back to work.
I never understand the hatred towards iTunes, especially the new iTunes 12. It's rock solid, is well designed, and is an excellent jukebox application, especially when weighed against its competitors in the Windows world (WMP, yuck!).
I think there's a fair argument to be made that iTunes used to do too much, may still do in some ways, but that criticism has died down as Apple has made it possible to do more and more of those "extra" services in the cloud.
I've been using iTunes 12 for a while in Yosemite and it is fast and versatile. There was, I confess a little bit of wailing and gnashing of teeth over rearranged ways to find some of the more obscure services, but once find it was all good. iTunes is fast, iTunes Radio is awesome once you tweak your stations a little bit, and generally the whole thing works really well. About all I'm looking for is for Apple to finally give us a first-class podcast app in iOS (and a new tool for creating them in OS X), and I'll be totally happy.
This is the first new version of iTunes I have not welcomed. Even if I ignored the additional steps it would take to do the tasks I need it to, the fact that the betas so far have removed features that are part of my primary use of the app is troublesome. I'm sure I can use iTunes 11.4 for a quite a while as I'm still on iTunes 10.x on an old PPC Mac which still does what I need it to do as an iTunes Server.
I'm not on the beta program, so I don't know anything about lost features - what have they removed that was so critical?
[@]Dreyfus2[/@] then answers my comment.
Introducing the all new Apple MusicMoviesAppsPodcasts-n-Stuff™
They should also drop the name. It's time. Adopt the new Apple naming convention which I very much prefer accross everything.
Not a chance.
iTunes is one of today's most famous brands in all of consumer entertainment. The market recognition of the name itself is worth billions of dollars. You don't just throw something like that away.
@Dreyfus2 then answers my comment.
Maybe this is like an iMovie or Final Cut situation, where they're building a new look and design first, then planning to add features back in a future iteration? Or do you feel that's being too optimistic?