iTunes discontinued for Mac users

iTunes is no more, only for Mac users. This may come as a shock to many, but with the release of Apple’s new version of MacOS, named Catalina, the iTunes app has been omitted from the operating system. That’s because iTunes’ purpose has been separated into three individual apps which are Apple Music, Apple Podcasts and Apple TV. Each one of these apps is a subset of iTunes’ functionality.

Those of us who grew up with iTunes as our all-in-one media app, may feel some discord toward Apple’s decision. However, this approach allows for better dedicated management of Apple media. The new Music app is said to be fast and features over 50 million songs, playlists and music videos. And you can still purchase music from the iTunes Store – yes, that still exists!

Apple Podcasts features more than 700,000 shows in its catalog with the ability to notify users of new episodes once they become available. In addition to this, the app also features show categories, curated collections and advanced search tools to help you find exactly what you are looking for.

Movies and TV shows now reside on the Apple TV app with over 100,000 iTunes movies and shows to rent or buy. This also includes Apple TV+, Cupertino’s new video subscription service with original content from many A-list Hollywood stars including Oprah Winfrey and Jennifer Aniston. It’s basically your one-stop shop for anything that isn’t music related.

This may prove to be a smart move from Apple, because with so much happening with the media side of its business, this compartmentalized strategy may contribute to better overall user experience. Previously, A single bug could bring down the entire iTunes app. Now however, it will only affect one of three apps, leaving the other two, unaffected.

It still remains to be seen how reliable and useful these apps prove to be, but the answer should come in a matter of weeks. But if Apple comes through for its users, our reverence for iTunes will dissipate in no time at all.