iTunes isn't dead! It's faster, streamlined and renamed Apple Music in macOS Catalina

Posted:
in iPod + iTunes + AppleTV edited December 2019
Don't panic! Apple has issued a new support document clarifying that in macOS Catalina, "all your favorite iTunes features, including the iTunes Store, will soon be available in three new and more focused apps."

iTunes in macOS Catalina is now Apple Music
iTunes in macOS Catalina is now Apple Music


We've spent a lot of time with Apple at WWDC on Wednesday talking about iTunes and Catalina. So, let's talk about it some more.

Panic at the iTunes disco

Reports of the death of iTunes have been greatly exaggerated. On Windows, nothing is changing at all. In the upcoming release of macOS Catalina, Apple has outlined that some iTunes features would be moving to more logical places.

Users' libraries of Audiobooks are moving to Books, Podcasts are getting their own app, movies and TV are now in the TV app, and iOS and iPod device management (below) are being integrated into the Finder, making it easier to drag and drop music files. Apple's Home Sharing is also now a checkbox in the Sharing preferences pane, allowing users to share their media with Apple TV using the "Computers" app.




Apple has specifically clarified-- as we earlier reported, that music that you've previously imported, ripped from CD, or purchased in iTunes Store will continue to be in Catalina's new Apple Music app. The music library is actually now optimized to be faster when working with large libraries with tens of thousands of titles.

The iTunes Store will also still be available for buying music on Mac, iOS, Windows PCs, and Apple TV. Users who subscribe to Apple Music can hide the Store from the Music app sidebar, but the store itself not going away. Existing iTunes Gift Cards and iTunes credits still work the same, and can be used with the new apps or the App Store. Apple Music will also continue to support CD ripping.

Movies and TV shows purchased or rented from iTunes are moving to new Apple TV app, which will continue to work for future purchases or rentals of movies and TV episodes.

iTunes Store in macOS Catalina's Apple Music
iTunes Store in macOS Catalina's Apple Music


Eighteen years after Apple dove into the music business with the original release of iTunes in 2001, the company's fresh efforts to streamline and accelerated its venerable media app are mostly just getting clarified branding. The new Apple Music app on macOS Catalina is effectively an enhanced new version of iTunes, based on the same codebase.

Catalina's new Podcasts app uses Apple's Catalyst technology to bring iPad apps to the Mac -- which we'll be talking more about soon. The user interface and look and feel of the new Podcasts app is essentially indistinguishable from other Mac apps, so the company isn't drawing attention to the technical differences behind the scenes.

Rumors that Apple had plans to ditch music sales have consistently been wrong. Apple still gives users the choice whether to manage their own ripped files, buy songs from Apple, or subscribe to its streaming Music service of over 50 million songs.
lolliver
«13

Comments

  • Reply 1 of 43
    VermelhoVermelho Posts: 56member
    FLAC support?! It is baked into mac os for a few generations now (play them from finder with preview). Licensing isn't an issue (and they do license dolby atmos etc) ALAC didn't catch on, and has a few minor disadvantages from FLAC, not to mention availability on 3rd party purchase sites including HDtracks.
    edited June 2019
  • Reply 2 of 43
    wood1208wood1208 Posts: 2,905member
    OK, iTune split into 3 apps so which app i will need when need to download/install IOS update on iPhone using windows computer ?
    edited June 2019
  • Reply 3 of 43
    gregoriusmgregoriusm Posts: 513member
    wood1208 said:
    OK, iTune split into 3 apps so which app i will need when need to download/install IOS update on iPhone using windows computer ?

    On Windows, nothing is changing at all.”
    MetriacanthosauruschasmfastasleepdysamorialolliverAppleExposedracerhomie3spheric
  • Reply 4 of 43
    The best part about all of this is iOS device syncing moved to the Finder. It looks like it has been there all along, and in a few years we'll have forgotten that it was ever any other way. It makes so much sense it is almost silly that it wasn't this way sooner.
    stompygregoriusmchasmfastasleepdysamorialolliverAppleExposedracerhomie3toysandme
  • Reply 5 of 43
    hentaiboyhentaiboy Posts: 1,252member
    wood1208 said:
    OK, iTune split into 3 apps so which app i will need when need to download/install IOS update on iPhone using windows computer ?
    “On Windows, nothing is changing at all”
    chasmlolliverAppleExposedspheric
  • Reply 6 of 43
    hentaiboyhentaiboy Posts: 1,252member
    So after all these years we finally get drag and drop support for iDevices. Was that so hard?

    They’ll be adding file management to iPads next!!!

    /s
  • Reply 7 of 43
    lkrupplkrupp Posts: 10,557member
    Okay, what about iTunes Match? I subscribe and it’s up in September. Will we still need iTunes Match to get our non-iTunes tracks uploaded to our iCloud library?
    cornchipzeus423[Deleted User]
  • Reply 8 of 43
    davgregdavgreg Posts: 1,036member
    Vermelho said:
    FLAC support?! It is baked into mac os for a few generations now (play them from finder with preview). Licensing isn't an issue (and they do license dolby atmos etc) ALAC didn't catch on, and has a few minor disadvantages from FLAC, not to mention availability on 3rd party purchase sites including HDtracks.
    Every track I have purchased from HD Tracks offered ALAC (Apple Lossless).
    lolliverracerhomie3
  • Reply 9 of 43
    Mike WuertheleMike Wuerthele Posts: 6,858administrator
    hentaiboy said:
    So after all these years we finally get drag and drop support for iDevices. Was that so hard?

    They’ll be adding file management to iPads next!!!

    /s
    We still don't have it. It's still a sync operation.
    dysamoriaStrangeDaysracerhomie3
  • Reply 10 of 43
    Why couldn't the store and steaming music offering be merged?   If you search for an album in the new Music app, you should get three options on the result - Play, Download or Buy.
    Reviews are only in the store, when they should be offered in the streaming service as well.  Seems like they are missing an opportunity to streamline the app even more.
    djames4242
  • Reply 11 of 43
    jcs2305jcs2305 Posts: 1,336member
    Vermelho said:
    FLAC support?! It is baked into mac os for a few generations now (play them from finder with preview). Licensing isn't an issue (and they do license dolby atmos etc) ALAC didn't catch on, and has a few minor disadvantages from FLAC, not to mention availability on 3rd party purchase sites including HDtracks.
    How has Apple Lossless not caught on?  It's also been open source since 2011 so nothing proprietary to worry about?


    Here is a list of sites that offer ALAC and FLAC as well as WAV and AIFF file formats..

    This is from the HDtracks webiste..

    HDtracks offers WAV, AIFF, ALAC and FLAC file formats.


    mdriftmeyerracerhomie3
  • Reply 12 of 43
    dewmedewme Posts: 5,328member
    Thank you Daniel, very informative and great timing too. 
    zeus423watto_cobra
  • Reply 13 of 43
    cmd-zcmd-z Posts: 69member
    The choice “Apple Music” for the app is unfortunate, as it will surely confused with the streaming service. I already see posts from people thinking that they’ll now have to pay for iTunes’ replacement. From a PR stance, Apple would have been better off keeping the iTunes name and still break it up as they’re doing.
    zeus423dysamoria
  • Reply 14 of 43
    eightzeroeightzero Posts: 3,056member


    Movies and TV shows purchased or rented from iTunes are moving to new Apple TV app, which will continue to work for future purchases or rentals of movies and TV episodes. 

    What about Movies and TV Shows ripped into the iTunes library from a DVD?
    edited June 2019 zeus423
  • Reply 15 of 43
    mike1mike1 Posts: 3,275member
    eightzero said:


    Movies and TV shows purchased or rented from iTunes are moving to new Apple TV app, which will continue to work for future purchases or rentals of movies and TV episodes. 

    What about Movies and TV Shows ripped into the iTunes library from a DVD?
    When could you ever do that?
  • Reply 16 of 43
    eightzeroeightzero Posts: 3,056member
    mike1 said:
    eightzero said:


    Movies and TV shows purchased or rented from iTunes are moving to new Apple TV app, which will continue to work for future purchases or rentals of movies and TV episodes. 

    What about Movies and TV Shows ripped into the iTunes library from a DVD?
    When could you ever do that?
    At least since 2009.
  • Reply 17 of 43
    Mike WuertheleMike Wuerthele Posts: 6,858administrator
    eightzero said:
    mike1 said:
    eightzero said:


    Movies and TV shows purchased or rented from iTunes are moving to new Apple TV app, which will continue to work for future purchases or rentals of movies and TV episodes. 

    What about Movies and TV Shows ripped into the iTunes library from a DVD?
    When could you ever do that?
    At least since 2009.
    It's been possible -- and done -- since before day one of the Apple TV in 2007.
    zeus423
  • Reply 18 of 43
    eightzeroeightzero Posts: 3,056member
    I am really looking forward to plugging in my original iPod to see what happens. That is if I can get enough dongles together to get its firewire interface into one of my macs that will run Catalina. 
    cornchip
  • Reply 19 of 43
    dogolacadogolaca Posts: 17member
    So movies, TV shows, podcasts and device sync have been taken out of iTunes.  Then iTunes was renamed Music.  Easy.
    lolliverspheric
  • Reply 20 of 43
    Mike WuertheleMike Wuerthele Posts: 6,858administrator
    eightzero said:
    I am really looking forward to plugging in my original iPod to see what happens. That is if I can get enough dongles together to get its firewire interface into one of my macs that will run Catalina. 
    We have already done so, since this morning's sync piece, using a 2012 Retina MacBook Pro and a Thunderbolt to FireWire adapter with a FW800 to 400 cable. Works fine.
    eightzerodysamorialollivercornchip
Sign In or Register to comment.