iTunes 12.4 to reportedly include new sidebar, minor UI tweaks
Apple will implement a number of user interface changes to iTunes when version 12.4 sees release later this year, including modifications to user interface navigation designed to address complaints of software feature bloat.
According to MacRumors, which received screenshots of the purported iTunes revamp, the improved media management and playback app will bring only minor user interface tweaks.
Most prominent among design modifications appears to be a persistent sidebar for easy access to albums, artists, tracks, genres and playlists. Similar in function to existing iTunes content navigation sidebars, like the Playlists sidebar, the upcoming version supports user customization and drag-and-drop menu editing.
Moving up the content hierarchy, a new dropdown media picker will help facilitate quick switching between music, movies, TV shows and other content stored both locally and in the cloud. Like the current iteration, which features small icons for each content type, the new media menu can be customized to display commonly used categories while hiding others from view.
Menus are also being simplified in iTunes version 12.4, according to the report. Along with a redesigned "View" menu that seemingly mirrors options offered in the "media picker," Apple is adding new navigation options, and removing extraneous selections, to make the menu bar system easier to use.
Finally, the iTunes mini player is said to gain minor graphical adjustments like a relocated "Up Next" pane that sits to the right of the playback window.
Judging by the leaked images, iTunes 12.4 will carry superficial UI adjustments meant to assuage user complaints, not the system level changes some users have been waiting for. Originally designed to handle music and iPod syncing, iTunes has become a one stop shop for iOS device syncing, movies, TV shows, apps, podcasts, iBooks and, most recently, Apple Music streaming services.
In February, Apple SVP of Internet Software and Services Eddy Cue and SVP of Software Engineering Craig Federighi teased plans for an iTunes revamp, saying concerns of feature bloat would be addressed in part by a new streamlined design. A definitive launch timeline was not revealed at the time, but MacRumors sources claim iTunes version 12.4 is expected to launch within a few weeks.
According to MacRumors, which received screenshots of the purported iTunes revamp, the improved media management and playback app will bring only minor user interface tweaks.
Most prominent among design modifications appears to be a persistent sidebar for easy access to albums, artists, tracks, genres and playlists. Similar in function to existing iTunes content navigation sidebars, like the Playlists sidebar, the upcoming version supports user customization and drag-and-drop menu editing.
Moving up the content hierarchy, a new dropdown media picker will help facilitate quick switching between music, movies, TV shows and other content stored both locally and in the cloud. Like the current iteration, which features small icons for each content type, the new media menu can be customized to display commonly used categories while hiding others from view.
Menus are also being simplified in iTunes version 12.4, according to the report. Along with a redesigned "View" menu that seemingly mirrors options offered in the "media picker," Apple is adding new navigation options, and removing extraneous selections, to make the menu bar system easier to use.
Finally, the iTunes mini player is said to gain minor graphical adjustments like a relocated "Up Next" pane that sits to the right of the playback window.
Judging by the leaked images, iTunes 12.4 will carry superficial UI adjustments meant to assuage user complaints, not the system level changes some users have been waiting for. Originally designed to handle music and iPod syncing, iTunes has become a one stop shop for iOS device syncing, movies, TV shows, apps, podcasts, iBooks and, most recently, Apple Music streaming services.
In February, Apple SVP of Internet Software and Services Eddy Cue and SVP of Software Engineering Craig Federighi teased plans for an iTunes revamp, saying concerns of feature bloat would be addressed in part by a new streamlined design. A definitive launch timeline was not revealed at the time, but MacRumors sources claim iTunes version 12.4 is expected to launch within a few weeks.
Comments
Next they should move Podcasts out to a dedicated clean app and iOS apps and management to the App Store app.
Then put movies + movie store in a new Video app and build a completely new and clean iTunes jukebox + music store for iTunes customers and also build a new dedicated Music app for Apple Music customers.
They could offer the same for Windows user or just keep the iTunes setup over there. But on Mac via a software update they could fix the mess that is iTunes and install all these apps by default for user convenience.
Cleverly for Mac users if they wanted they could offer a menu to switch between these media apps available from within the menu of each of them with consistent shortcuts.
As for the leaked pics, I'm kicking myself for clicking through to MacRumors - the images were okay (nothing earth shattering), but I saw a few of the comments... that site hasn't changed one bit, the first post is a race to see who can post the first negative comment, and then the peanut gallery of oneupmanship juveniles follow suit, trying to be more clever in their negativity (and failing) - wow I hate that site, please AI don't follow that same path!
Incremental changes won't do!
DAMMIT
>:x
It's ridiculous that Apple still requires a desktop app to be running in this world of tablets and phones and non-desktop devices, especially when many of us have TBs and TBs of media that we organise in central NAS repositories, with which iTunes doesn't play well at all. Why is the app called iTunes, when it's evolved so far beyond music? We could all go on and on I would imagine, and justifiably so.
The recent organisational shake-up at Apple portended possible (major) iTunes changes, which I'm hoping this is the first small step on that path. It's ridiculous how long overdue a rework of that bloated s/w is at this point, it's so un-Apple simply to keep piling crap into that product instead of focusing on user experience and usability and design.
Are there any Mac programs to use as interface instead of iTunes?
1) iBackup
2) iMusicRadio
3) iMedia (movies and TV)
4) iPodcasts
I use to think the problem with iTunes was crazy UI and yes, this was it's death knoll.
But it needs to be treated like an App. Less function in a more dedicated piece of software.
The bottom line is that we ask it to do too much. They had the wisdon to do it with books, now they have to go the rest of the way.
I wish they would just simplify all the content under one umbrella.
They can reconstruct the entire UI and store into one clean app. I feel like they can even add hardware into the mix. I feel like sales for new iPhones and Apple Watches would rise as consumer awareness reaches a new peak. I always thought a single iStore would be cool.
Even amazon does this decently....
Now we have juvenile oneupmanship posts between the different mac-centric website comment forums!
G.J.!
(You're right. Those guys are such losers over there.)
I was right with you until you said that Apple Music should separated from the iTunes store.
A non-geek Apple customer decides he want to play a certain track. Is it better for him to search for it in one application; or is better for him to search one, not find it there, then search for it in the other?
It looks like the IDE's I see our IT department using (Eclipse, Visual Basic, and so on). I keep it open on my desktop so co-workers think I'm doing something amazing; instead, I'm trying to find my copy of Front 242, which takes about 3 minutes.