Apple kills off iTunes after 18 years - here’s what’s coming next
Apple has killed off its iTunes music-management software after nearly two decades - marking a major shift in its software.
The software was originally introduced in 2001 by Steve Jobs as a way to load songs onto the then-new iPod.
It will be replaced by separate apps for music, video and podcasts for PCs, the company revealed at its Worldwide Developers Conference.
The update will come in Apple’s upcoming MacOS 10.15 software update.
The move should mean that users who have bought content via the store are still able to use their purchases.
On Macs, Apple’s new OS will allow users to update their phones without having to launch a separate app.
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The move comes as users shifted towards managing music on their phones, and iTunes itself had become increasingly bloated.
Later versions let users manage music and movies as well as handle backups and updates to iPhones and iPads.
Apple rolled out the software 16 years ago to sell and manage digital music for the iPod, which paved the way for the iPhone.
Apple has already phased out iTunes from the iPhone and iPad, but the software had endured on Mac and PC.
Instead of iTunes, separate apps for music, video and podcasts will now be offered for computers, mirroring how Apple already handles those services on mobile devices.
Although it's still popular, the iPhone is no longer reliably driving Apple's profits the way it has for the past decade.
Sales have fallen sharply for the past two quarters, and could suffer another blow if China's government targets the iPhone in retaliation for the trade war being waged by President Donald Trump.
Apple is trying to adapt by squeezing money from digital services tailored for the more than 900 million iPhones currently in use.
As part of that effort, Apple is supplementing its music streaming service with a video gaming bundle and a Netflix-like video streaming service scheduled to debut this autumn.
