Goodbye, iTunes: Apple officially releases replacement media applications for Home windows

Apple has sounded the dying knell for iTunes for Home windows. On a new support site, Apple touted a few new apps as replacements for the same capabilities in iTunes for Home windows. 

Now available in the Microsoft Retail outlet for Windows 10 and 11, the Tunes application allows you access and perform your albums and tunes. The Television app does the identical for your films and Tv set exhibits. And the Products app will enable you to back up, restore, and sync your music, flicks, and Tv exhibits amongst a Home windows Pc and an Iphone or iPad.

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With the new devoted applications, the only remaining use for iTunes for Windows is to access podcasts and audiobooks. But with standalone apps for podcasts and audiobooks prolonged readily available for iOS and iPadOS, Home windows variations of these two need to be on the way.

Since the new applications function only in Home windows 10 and 11, any of you even now managing an more mature version (and you shouldn’t be as they’re no lengthier supported) will still have to have to use iTunes. And if that would not convince you to enhance to a supported model of Home windows, I you should not know what will.

If you do obtain and set up the new applications, Apple does offer you some words and phrases of knowledge.

1st, you will need to have to install all 3 apps you are unable to just decide and pick out. If you obtain only one of them, iTunes for Windows will prompt you to obtain the other two.

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Just after setting up the applications, don’t get rid of iTunes, as you will nevertheless need it to check out your podcasts and audiobooks. To grant you access to the similar albums, Television exhibits, and films, the Apple Audio app and the Apple Tv app study the contents of your iTunes library — so will not remove the Library folder or files. To see your iTunes Store buys in both equally applications, you can need to authorize your Home windows Computer with your Apple ID.

Soon after you download the Apple Music application, Apple Television app, and Apple Units app, you are going to no for a longer time find any of your music or video material in iTunes. And you will not be capable to use iTunes to manually sync and manage your Apple iphone or iPad any for a longer period.

You can down load the new applications from the Microsoft Retailer via the pursuing one-way links:

For Home windows consumers who’ve lengthy struggled with the monstrosity known as iTunes, this will come as welcome news. You should not get me improper. Launched in 2001 for the Mac and in 2003 for Home windows, iTunes started off everyday living as a simple and trusted application, enabling you to purchase audio, audiobooks, and other content.

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But above the a long time, Apple retained adding additional and extra characteristics, turning it into a sluggish and buggy mess, specially the Windows version.

In 2019, Apple eliminated iTunes for the Mac with the launch of MacOS Catalina, changing its features with unique committed applications and introducing backup and syncing capabilities to the Mac’s Finder resource.

In October of 2022, Apple and Microsoft each signaled a comparable fate for iTunes for Windows, revealing that the Apple Songs and Apple Tv applications would be obtainable in the Microsoft Shop in 2023. The following January, preview versions of the two applications and the Gadgets application did pop up in the retail store, but only for Home windows 11.

The most up-to-date news marks the official rollout for any Windows 10 or 11 person anxious to wean off of iTunes. You can include me to that checklist.