iTunes Splits Into 3 Apps
Music, movies, and podcasts now live in separate apps, including Music, Apple TV, and Apple Podcasts
Apple iTunes, announced by Steve Jobs over a quarter of a century ago, still exists, but its functionality has been significantly altered. At its peak, iTunes held roughly 63% of the US paid digital download market, but the emergence of subscription services like Apple Music and Spotify contributed to its decline.
The iTunes platform has been fragmented into separate apps, including Music, Apple TV, and Apple Podcasts, each managing a specific type of content. For Mac users, device syncing now takes place in Finder, rather than iTunes. Despite this change, users can still buy music from the iTunes Store, and Apple still offers iTunes for Windows.
The Music app is the closest successor to classic iTunes and can play and organize purchased tracks. Notably, an Apple Music subscription is not required to keep listening to files already owned. This means that users can still access their old iTunes library and purchases without needing a separate iTunes account.
## What changed The original iTunes was designed to manage a personal media collection, a task it was very good at. Over time, it became Apple's hub for apps, backups, movies, podcasts, books, and everything else within the Apple ecosystem. However, this expansion led to a severely bloated and complicated interface, which ultimately contributed to its decline.
## Why it matters The transformation of iTunes reflects the shifting landscape of digital music and media consumption. As subscription services have become increasingly popular, the need for a dedicated music management platform has decreased. Despite this, Apple has chosen to maintain iTunes in some form, allowing users to still access their purchased content and manage their personal media collections.
The fact that iTunes still exists, albeit in a diminished state, is a testament to its enduring legacy. For many users, iTunes was their introduction to digital music and media management, and its impact on the industry cannot be overstated. As the music and media landscape continues to evolve, it will be interesting to see how Apple chooses to support and develop its remaining iTunes offerings.
