Apple to end iTunes and revamp other aspects of its software

Apple announced its plan to replace iTunes with separate music, podcasts and tv apps.

Apple’s Senior vice president of Software Engineering Craig Federighi announced at the Worldwide Developers Conference that the company will begin to phase out iTunes, saying that it will be replaced by the company’s three media streaming apps: Apple TV, Apple Podcasts, and Apple Music.

Through Apple Music, users will still have access to their entire music library whether it be music that was downloaded, purchased from a store or ripped from a CD.

The phasing out of iTunes means that an iPhone will no longer sync to the program when plugged into a Mac. Instead, the synching options will now be in Mac’s Finder app.

Also, during the Worldwide Developer Conference in San Jose, California, Apple showcased its next-generation mobile software called iOS 13, which improves Siri’s capabilities. This comes on the heels of a  rise in subscription content for Apple as it clearly shifts from a transactional digital media business toward one focused on subscriptions.

iTunes formally launched in 2001, with its music store appearing two years later, drastically changing the music business and the way we consume music.