UPDATE: Apple is phasing out its aging iTunes software and launching standalone versions of its Music, Podcasts and TV apps for Mac users in the next macOS update. The new music app will be built on iTunes, but deliver faster service than the bloated current all-purpose iTunes app.
“Customers love iTunes and everything it can do. But if there’s one thing we hear over and over, is can iTunes do even more?,” he teased Apple VP of Software Engineering Craig Federighi while showing a fake version of iTunes that bundles Calendar, Mail and other apps into iTunes.
Music sync will not happen automatically, as it annoyingly did before, but rather manually using Apple Finder.
The Future
Apple’s iTunes Store will still be available and iTunes software for Windows is not being replaced. But many see today’s announcement as part of Apple’s expected move to eventually stop selling downloads all together.
Apple has already shut down the social media accounts for iTunes on both Facebook and Instagram, and began to shift iTunes links to a new Music domain, reports TechCrunch.