There was a time when iTunes was so popular that even users who had not officially entered the Apple ecosystem were using it. On Windows, the app went head-to-head with other players who reigned supreme before its arrival, and we thought this dominance would continue for a long time. But this is without taking into account the arrival of streaming platforms such as Spotify and Deezer, which shook up the market and forced Apple to follow the trend by launching its own service.
Today, while iTunes remains a shadow of its former self, Apple is pushing it deeper and deeper every day. At the beginning of 2023, the Cupertino company showed the first signs of its desire to replace its old application with a more modern solution on Windows. Then we discovered the first versions of the Apple Music and Apple TV apps. A project that was confirmed in December with the release of the beta version of this software.
iTunes will soon disappear from Windows
Therefore, it was only a matter of time before these applications reached the latest version in Microsoft’s operating system. According to Apple’s support page, it’s now finished. Apple Music and Apple TV are available with a surprise new product: Apple Devices. As the name suggests, the latter will be responsible for managing Apple devices (updates, synchronization, data restoration, etc.).
In short, with these three new applications on Windows, there is almost no reason for iTunes to exist. Apple also confirms this in its announcement: “After downloading the Apple Music app, Apple TV app, and Apple Devices app, you will no longer see any of your music or video content in iTunes. You also can’t use iTunes to manually sync and manage your iPhone or iPad.
Only podcasts and audiobooks are currently available on the app. However, Apple recommends that you do not uninstall iTunes, as Apple TV and Apple Music will need access to its library. The new apps are available in Windows 10 and Windows 11. iTunes will continue to work for users on an older operating system.
Source : Apple
