Apple releases iTunes 12 beta with 'elegant new design,' Family Sharing
Alongside new beta versions of iOS 8, OS X Yosemite, and numerous development tools, Apple on Monday released a preview of iTunes 12 sporting what the company calls an "elegant new design" and support for the Family Sharing feature introduced at WWDC.
The new design echoes the flatter, more translucent cues of OS X Yosemite and features a number of more information-dense elements. The navigation bar, for instance, has been reorganized with individual buttons for Music, Movies, Television Shows, and Apps while hiding other less-used options behind a "more content" menu.
Also gone is the toggle to switch between the iTunes Store and the local library. Instead, users simply choose from a list of options -- the Apps section grants user the ability to choose "My iPhone Apps," "My iPad Apps," "List," "Updates," or "iTunes Store," for example.
Apple's Family Sharing program that allows up to six family members to share content from the iTunes Store, as long as each family member uses the same credit card. That feature is now available alongside improved playlist and a redesigned Get Info window.
While the application itself has been overhauled, the iTunes Store itself -- which is essentially a very interactive web app that runs inside iTunes -- has yet to be refreshed. Apple will likely hold such a change until iTunes 12 is ready for production.
Developers running a preview build of OS X Yosemite can download the iTunes 12 beta as an update in the Mac App Store. The application is not yet available for download from the Apple Developer Center.
The new design echoes the flatter, more translucent cues of OS X Yosemite and features a number of more information-dense elements. The navigation bar, for instance, has been reorganized with individual buttons for Music, Movies, Television Shows, and Apps while hiding other less-used options behind a "more content" menu.
Also gone is the toggle to switch between the iTunes Store and the local library. Instead, users simply choose from a list of options -- the Apps section grants user the ability to choose "My iPhone Apps," "My iPad Apps," "List," "Updates," or "iTunes Store," for example.
Apple's Family Sharing program that allows up to six family members to share content from the iTunes Store, as long as each family member uses the same credit card. That feature is now available alongside improved playlist and a redesigned Get Info window.
While the application itself has been overhauled, the iTunes Store itself -- which is essentially a very interactive web app that runs inside iTunes -- has yet to be refreshed. Apple will likely hold such a change until iTunes 12 is ready for production.
Developers running a preview build of OS X Yosemite can download the iTunes 12 beta as an update in the Mac App Store. The application is not yet available for download from the Apple Developer Center.
Comments
That looks almost IDENTICAL to iTunes 11. Was hoping for more changes. Perhaps those will come later as this is a developer preview.
Somewhat similar, yes. Only now you no longer have an option to display the sidebar. Meh.
have you seen Android Music App?? CRAP
I think this is very different from all previous versions of iTunes.
Uh oh, I can't live without that function! Hope it's just an alpha build omission!
I doubt it - you can "sort-of" get the old functionality back by displaying playlists and the column browser. That way you can still drag and drop tracks into and between playlists. But I don't see a way to display your devices in a sidebar the way you used to be able to.
There is a sidebar when you click on Playlist from the top-center menu. The real difference is that each of the segments (TV Shows, Movies, Music, etc.) have quasi-unique sidebars. Meaning, they show only the library items of iTunes menu icons you've chosen at the top-left, but they list all Playlists, even if they don't or can't contain any items of the Media Kind. If anything this seems like Apple is separating the various types of media which is what people have been asking for years when they say they want a different app for each type. They do it on iOS, save for Movies and TV Shows being in the same app.
That's not looking too bad, but I think the design language of having just icons to represent different areas of your iTunes library and devices will confused a lot of people. I preferred the old drop-down, full title version, was more intuitive IMHO.
Welcome change from all that blue in the Dock.
It's AWESOME becuase its Apple.
have you seen Android Music App?? CRAP
Yup. Got a problem with that?
Feels like the Windows client is holding back Apple from anything innovative on the Mac client.