The end of a music era.
Almost two decades after launching iTunes, Apple is retiring its iTunes, as reported by Bloomberg. The company will replace iTunes with standalone music, television and podcast apps.
News about this has been going around for years, so – while marked with sadness – is expected as it will align Apple’s media strategy across the board: iPhones and iPads already offer separate Music, TV and Podcast apps in lieu of the centralized iTunes app on Macs and Macbooks.
With the standalone apps, users can expect some of the same functionalities that iTunes currently does, including purchasing songs and syncing phones.
Battling sluggish iPhone sales, Apple is also planning to buff up other apps, including Books, Messages and Mail. It also announced plans for original video programming featuring the likes of Reese Witherspoon and Steve Carell to grow its content presence in entertainment industries.
