Apple releases iTunes 12.4 with redesigned interface, fixes bugs in OS X 10.11.5

AppleInsiderAppleInsider
Posted:
in macOS edited May 2016
Alongside a slew of other platform updates, Apple on Monday released OS X 10.11.5 -- a maintenance update for OS X El Capitan -- and iTunes 12.4, with an improved interface and a solution for music libraries being silently deleted.




The iTunes update reintroduces a sidebar for quicker navigation, and uses an enhanced Media Picker, making it easier to switch between different media types such as music and movies. Both components can be customized to show only specific items.

Apple has also spent time trying to simplify menus, and make it easier to flip through content by returning Back and Forward buttons to the interface, both for local libraries and Apple's online stores and services.

The update should also in theory solve a problem causing music to be deleted from a person's library without permission. Apple acknowledged the problem on Friday, promising an iTunes update early this week. While initial suspicion fell on Apple Music, some have blamed a database problem in the previous version of iTunes.




Apple has not gone into detail on changes in OS X 10.11.5. Release notes mention only bugfixes, performance improvements, and the elimination of various security vulnerabilities.

For Mac owners, both updates can be downloaded via the Mac App Store. Windows users will have to grab the new version of iTunes via the Apple Software Update tool.

Other releases today include iOS 9.3.2, solving glitches with Night Shift and Bluetooth, plus tvOS 9.2.1 and watchOS 2.2.1.
«1

Comments

  • Reply 1 of 32
    crowleycrowley Posts: 10,453member
    Pretty sure neither of the apps in the image are iTunes, unless the redesign is a lot more drastic than the article implies.
    jbishop1039mattinozcornchiptokyojimu
  • Reply 2 of 32
    wonkothesanewonkothesane Posts: 1,724member
    Any idea if the el cap update fixes the slowdown issues with the early 2015 rMBP?

    http://wccftech.com/system-freezes-hit-os-x-el-capitan-10-11-4-on-macbook-pro/
    edited May 2016 stevenoz
  • Reply 3 of 32
    palominepalomine Posts: 362member
    Hey, if Apple has updated all this major software now, what does that leave for the Developers Conference (WWDC) in June?? Just wondering
  • Reply 4 of 32
    bobschlobbobschlob Posts: 1,074member
    palomine said:
    Hey, if Apple has updated all this major software now, what does that leave for the Developers Conference (WWDC) in June?? Just wondering
    Get real...  :s
    tallest skilsergioztdknoxwaverboycornchip
  • Reply 5 of 32
    palominepalomine Posts: 362member
    Yes but there usually is a substantial amount of time given to os updates during WWDC. That's why I'm wondering what they have for this year. I would guess a lot of Swift progress.  I think it is going to be more amazing than usual. What do you think they will talk about?
  • Reply 6 of 32
    lkrupplkrupp Posts: 10,557member
    wonkothesane said:
    Any idea if the el cap update fixes the slowdown issues with the early 2015 rMBP?

    http://wccftech.com/system-freezes-hit-os-x-el-capitan-10-11-4-on-macbook-pro/

    If you read it on the Internet I guess it must be true, right?
    tdknox
  • Reply 7 of 32
    jbishop1039jbishop1039 Posts: 257member
    palomine said:
    Yes but there usually is a substantial amount of time given to os updates during WWDC. That's why I'm wondering what they have for this year. I would guess a lot of Swift progress.  I think it is going to be more amazing than usual. What do you think they will talk about?

    I guess the only things left are iOS 10, watchOS 3, macOS/OS X 10.12, tvOS 10 and most likely new hardware. So, I guess a few things to talk about :)
    fastasleeptdknox
  • Reply 8 of 32
    appexappex Posts: 687member
    iTunes resume playback available? Such essential feature to resume iTunes playback of long song lists once you quit iTunes and open it again, or after rebooting Mac, was available in SoundJam MP 2.5.3 in 2001 (15 years ago!!!), from where iTunes was developed.
    baconstang
  • Reply 9 of 32
    wonkothesanewonkothesane Posts: 1,724member
    lkrupp said:
    wonkothesane said:
    Any idea if the el cap update fixes the slowdown issues with the early 2015 rMBP?

    http://wccftech.com/system-freezes-hit-os-x-el-capitan-10-11-4-on-macbook-pro/

    If you read it on the Internet I guess it must be true, right?
    Ok, so choose your answer:

    a) Actually, I experienced what a number of people posted on exactly this machine with exactly this update, but with no other version of MacOS, nor any other machine (admittedly, only three, but still...)

    b) Taking your implicit claim consequently to the end, all posts about issues with software are delusional. But hey, then somehow why are there software updates in the first place?

    c) "Back off, man, I'm a scientist."

    :smiley:     
  • Reply 10 of 32
    ktappektappe Posts: 824member
    palomine said:
    Hey, if Apple has updated all this major software now, what does that leave for the Developers Conference (WWDC) in June??
    Mac OS 10.12 (or whatever their new numbering scheme will be, since they're changing the name from OS X to Mac OS...)
  • Reply 11 of 32
    slurpyslurpy Posts: 5,384member
    wonkothesane said:
    Any idea if the el cap update fixes the slowdown issues with the early 2015 rMBP?

    http://wccftech.com/system-freezes-hit-os-x-el-capitan-10-11-4-on-macbook-pro/

    Just as I assumed, ONE video was posted from a macrumors member, which macrumors pushed over and over again into trollish, clickbait threads, and which has since been spammed to every tech blog on the internet, which of course everyone jumping on the bandwagon, and posted in the threads either lying about having the same issue, or just piling on in order to bash and troll Apple. Macrumors has made an art out of magnifying and spamming the garbage posted by its resident trolls and making them into headline news, blowing everything out of context and throwing facts to the wind. 

    I have the 2015 MBP in question, which I heavily use for 10+ hrs a day, in dozens of applications, running 10.11.4, and I can't remember the last time I had a hard crash. But hey, I guess I must have that one magical model that isn't affected. 
    nolamacguycornchipwilliamlondon
  • Reply 12 of 32
    rezwitsrezwits Posts: 879member
    I for one just wanted to say, I am still very happy with iTunes, and DO NOT think they should overhall the whole "Media Center" environment. This thing is a beast and everything works for me. To redo everything would be a FREAKING NIGHTMARE. They have already re-done things year after year and it's still stable and for all the things it does it's amazing...
    macpluspluscornchipairbubble
  • Reply 13 of 32
    tallest skiltallest skil Posts: 43,388member
    ajl said:
    And now Apple dropped the "download album artwork" command off from iTunes! That's great! Wow!
    I’m still waiting for them to bring back album art resizing. The fuck’s the point of HAVING all this beautiful artwork if it’s too tiny to appreciate?
    baconstangwaverboyunbeliever2
  • Reply 14 of 32
    rigormortisrigormortis Posts: 59member
    ajl said:
    And now Apple dropped the "download album artwork" command off from iTunes! That's great! Wow!
    click on file
    click on library
    click on get album artwork

    they moved download album artwork away from the iTunes store menu pulldown to the file / library  menu a long time ago
    edited May 2016 fastasleepcornchip
  • Reply 15 of 32
    disneylandmandisneylandman Posts: 297member
    ktappe said:
    palomine said:
    Hey, if Apple has updated all this major software now, what does that leave for the Developers Conference (WWDC) in June??
    Mac OS 10.12 (or whatever their new numbering scheme will be, since they're changing the name from OS X to Mac OS...)
    They are not changing the name.  That story was made-up and it was a typo on the website that was corrected.  But of course all the AI readers believe every thing they read.
    macplusplus
  • Reply 16 of 32
    disneylandmandisneylandman Posts: 297member
    False headline as usual to get clicks.  iTunes was not redesigned.  They restored the sidebar so it is permanent, as it was in iTunes 10 and earlier, and a few minor tweaks.  The sidebar was still present, but you had to click on Playlist in the center menu to make it appear.  12.4 restores what never should have been removed.
    baconstangmacpluspluscornchip
  • Reply 17 of 32
    jonljonl Posts: 210member
    disneylandman said:
    False headline as usual to get clicks.  iTunes was not redesigned.  They restored the sidebar so it is permanent, as it was in iTunes 10 and earlier, and a few minor tweaks.  The sidebar was still present, but you had to click on Playlist in the center menu to make it appear.  12.4 restores what never should have been removed.
    Thankfully, the sidebar is not permanent but can be hidden with Ctrl+S.
    dacloocornchip
  • Reply 18 of 32
    disneylandmandisneylandman Posts: 297member
    wonkothesane said:
    Any idea if the el cap update fixes the slowdown issues with the early 2015 rMBP?

    http://wccftech.com/system-freezes-hit-os-x-el-capitan-10-11-4-on-macbook-pro/
    You need to get your story straight.  Your link refers to system freezes, not slowdowns.  Those are two different things.  Second, the article quotes one person who was running the BETA version and then updated to the final version and claimed problems.  Perhaps the problem lies in the fact that they were using a beta version of OS X, then tried updating to a final version.  They also claim this problem affects 15" Mid-2015 users.  Wrong.  I have a 15" Mid-2015 retina MacBook Pro and it has never frozen or slowed down with any version of El Capitan.  I also never run a beta version.  Their problem could be related to using beta software and then trying to update to a final version instead of doing a clean install of the final version, eliminating all traces of the beta, which is always the preferred method.

    Instead of asking others, why don't you install it yourself and discover that your MacBook Pro never freezes or slows down?  I assume you are not using a beta version.  If it does, then restore it back to an earlier version.  You do have a backup, don't you?
    macpluspluscornchip
  • Reply 19 of 32
    macplusplusmacplusplus Posts: 2,112member
    Any idea if the el cap update fixes the slowdown issues with the early 2015 rMBP?

    http://wccftech.com/system-freezes-hit-os-x-el-capitan-10-11-4-on-macbook-pro/
    I use the 15" one, never encountered such an issue on both 10.11.4 and 10.11.5. Every system upgrade slows down any Mac for a while because of some ongoing maintenance. For example the Spotlight index is rebuilt, things like that... So do not temper with your machine, be patient. If you're too curious, press Command-spacebar, type Activity Monitor and press return. Activity Monitor will show you which processes consume CPU. Although these mean nothing to us mere mortals, you may still get an idea and be convinced that your machine duly performs some jobs...
    edited May 2016
  • Reply 20 of 32
    macplusplusmacplusplus Posts: 2,112member

    Any idea if the el cap update fixes the slowdown issues with the early 2015 rMBP?

    http://wccftech.com/system-freezes-hit-os-x-el-capitan-10-11-4-on-macbook-pro/
    You need to get your story straight.  Your link refers to system freezes, not slowdowns.  Those are two different things.  Second, the article quotes one person who was running the BETA version and then updated to the final version and claimed problems.  Perhaps the problem lies in the fact that they were using a beta version of OS X, then tried updating to a final version.  They also claim this problem affects 15" Mid-2015 users.  Wrong.  I have a 15" Mid-2015 retina MacBook Pro and it has never frozen or slowed down with any version of El Capitan.  I also never run a beta version.  Their problem could be related to using beta software and then trying to update to a final version instead of doing a clean install of the final version, eliminating all traces of the beta, which is always the preferred method.

    Instead of asking others, why don't you install it yourself and discover that your MacBook Pro never freezes or slows down?  I assume you are not using a beta version.  If it does, then restore it back to an earlier version.  You do have a backup, don't you?
    Although not directly related to the posts above...

    Unless you have a spare Mac for such things, NEVER (caps are intentional) install a beta system software and stop your enthousiasm to get a place in computing history by first reporting some groundbreaking bug to Apple...

    edited May 2016 williamlondon
Sign In or Register to comment.