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| "Apple is Finally Killing iTunes" - Rolling Stone magazine |
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 1st June 2019, 12:34 PM
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#1
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 BuzzJack Gold Member
Joined: 4 April 2006
Posts: 3,445 User: 366 
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QUOTE It’s the end of a music era. Nearly two decades after launching iTunes and ripping up the retail-store model of album purchases, Apple is ready to retire the iconic product, according to Bloomberg. During the software keynote at its annual Worldwide Developers Conference in San Jose, California next Monday, the tech giant is set to replace iTunes with standalone music, television and podcast apps. The move, which has been rumored for years now, will align Apple’s media strategy across the board: iPhones and iPads already offer separate Music, TV and Podcast apps in lieu of the centralized iTunes app that lives on Macs and Macbooks. Users can expect the new Music app to offer some of the same functionalities that iTunes currently does — such as purchasing songs and syncing phones — just with a sleeker interface that’s free of the outdated and oft-bemoaned features of the heritage product, and more closely bundled with streaming service Apple Music. https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-ne...-itunes-842750/ At least the article mentions that it will still be possible to purchase songs which means that, at least for now, downloads will continue to be available to buy. A music app makes sense if it doesn't come with all the bloat that iTunes has. Plus hopefully it will have a sleeker interface. iTunes looks clunky and still seems like it is stuck in the mid 2000s - parts of the interface remind me of LimeWire and that closed almost a decade ago. The article comes in the month in which the UK version of the iTunes Music Store celebrates its 15th birthday - the service launched on Tuesday 15 June 2004, ushering in the download era (though other download stores were already around). The store launched with 700,000 tracks available to buy for 79p each. iTunes now says there are over 50 million tracks available to download. This post has been edited by Robbie: 1st June 2019, 12:35 PM |
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1st June 2019, 12:46 PM
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BuzzJack Platinum Member
Joined: 21 November 2009
Posts: 8,556 User: 10,030
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I'm here for a new app which just focuses on music. Hopefully any previous purchases will be transferred over to the new app.
This post has been edited by Envoirment: 1st June 2019, 12:46 PM |
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1st June 2019, 12:54 PM
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 🔥🚀🔥
Joined: 30 August 2010
Posts: 74,572 User: 11,746
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That makes sense. Apple Music and iTunes being integrated together makes it easier for Apple to manage both I suppose. Glad they’re not killing off downloads altogether as there’s still somewhat of a market for them anyhow.
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1st June 2019, 03:19 PM
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 is my brain across your walls?
Joined: 14 February 2009
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So after all the ~hysteria~ the death of iTunes is basically nothing because downloads will still be offered. That's all fine then xx
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1st June 2019, 05:08 PM
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BuzzJack Enthusiast
Joined: 31 December 2007
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They should have kept the price at 79p.
And albums are far too expensive as well. |
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1st June 2019, 05:47 PM
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 Mansonette
Joined: 7 March 2006
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QUOTE(Envoirment @ Jun 1 2019, 01:46 PM)  I'm here for a new app which just focuses on music. Hopefully any previous purchases will be transferred over to the new app. There’d be too much of an uproar if they didn’t do that, surely? |
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1st June 2019, 06:16 PM
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BuzzJack Gold Member
Joined: 18 May 2007
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Of course they will. Apple Music files are M4A the same as iTunes anyway, just with DRM.
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3rd June 2019, 10:52 AM
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Jord
Joined: 12 March 2017
Posts: 10,772 User: 27,116
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3rd June 2019, 12:51 PM
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BuzzJack Legend
Joined: 11 October 2013
Posts: 31,028 User: 19,931
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I hope the transition isn't too confusing and people can still download easily. And I hope there's still a downloads chart.
They should decrease everything to 79p though. |
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3rd June 2019, 01:25 PM
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#10
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BuzzJack Gold Member
Joined: 18 May 2007
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QUOTE(365 @ Jun 3 2019, 12:51 PM) I hope the transition isn't too confusing and people can still download easily. And I hope there's still a downloads chart. They should decrease everything to 79p though. I hadn't thought of that. There may well just be a combined chart. |
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3rd June 2019, 01:40 PM
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BuzzJack Legend
Joined: 25 March 2007
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Totally right decision but still the end of an era - I remember the general discomfort when iTunes took over from physicals and now streaming is taking over from downloads.
Back in the early days I used to but £50 iTunes gift cards and fire through them so easily, now I spend £9.99 a month on a subscription and literally only ‘pay’ for actual downloads for my 2 faves. Even if they have a separate download chart etc., clearly their focus will be streaming so I think the paid downloads will take a back seat, when can we expect the singles chart to be 99.5% streaming only. |
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3rd June 2019, 09:29 PM
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BuzzJack Gold Member
Joined: 18 May 2007
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They've now made the official announcement, but the press are completely misreporting it, seemingly with no understanding that iTunes the application and the iTunes Store are completely different things.
iTunes is being replaced by a Music app on iOS, but NOT Windows. I *think* you'll be able to sync your device through the Music app if you are on iOS but iTunes is staying for now for Windows users anyway. Despite what's being reported, the iTunes Store is not closing, or stopping downloads. Apple's website explains "For those who like to own their music, the iTunes Music Store is just a click away". Also interesting stat: "According to the IFPI, non-streaming digital revenues for recorded-music were $2.3bn in 2018, down from $2.6bn in 2017. That’s completely outstripped by streaming ($8.9bn last year), but those non-streaming digital revenues were still 12% of the global total. That’s a niche, but not one to be dropped lightly: note that vinyl, which labels are still (justifiably) excited about, generated $691.9m globally last year." |
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4th June 2019, 09:05 AM
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BuzzJack Legend
Joined: 13 November 2015
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wonder how it will affect the US charts as downloads count 1/3 on their formula, guess they'll have to change the formula
funnily in recent months there have been many big sellers on iTunes in the US (Shallow, Old town road, Jonas Brothers) This post has been edited by Bjork: 4th June 2019, 09:05 AM |
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4th June 2019, 10:17 AM
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BuzzJack Legend
Joined: 11 October 2013
Posts: 31,028 User: 19,931
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Anyone know when this change impacts?
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4th June 2019, 10:28 AM
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BuzzJack Gold Member
Joined: 25 July 2016
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QUOTE(365 @ Jun 4 2019, 11:17 AM) Anyone know when this change impacts? Likely September when they release the new iPhones, iOS and MacOS. |
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4th June 2019, 11:23 AM
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BuzzJack Gold Member
Joined: 18 May 2007
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QUOTE(Bjork @ Jun 4 2019, 09:05 AM) wonder how it will affect the US charts as downloads count 1/3 on their formula, guess they'll have to change the formula funnily in recent months there have been many big sellers on iTunes in the US (Shallow, Old town road, Jonas Brothers) Why should it affect it at all? They're not closing the Store. |
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4th June 2019, 12:02 PM
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BuzzJack Legend
Joined: 13 November 2015
Posts: 33,253 User: 22,665
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Cos sure will see a drop in sales
Wont be the same as it is now |
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11th June 2019, 04:51 PM
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BuzzJack Climber
Joined: 29 July 2014
Posts: 198 User: 21,106
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Missed this initially as I was on holiday abroad happily ignoring the news generally, as it would doubtless be dominated in the UK at least by the Tory leadership race and the Trump visit!
Although not an iTunes user, I am nevertheless heartened to hear that they're not closing the actual paid-for purchases store - just yet at least. We've all tended to assume that as it presumably still commands a lion's share of the overall digital sales market (?), once iTunes does finally shut for downloads, the other sites will steadily follow, unless they're interested in retaining a slightly-bigger portion of a shrunken market and provide downloads as a 'niche' offering. I don't know about Amazon - I imagine they're probably runners-up in what remains of the sales sector and I've heard nothing to indicate they're lessening their support for digital music product (again though - ?). But - for reasons I shan't try to relate here - I've always used 7Digital since I began having to download singles at the beginning of the decade, having stuck with CDs for as long as I could. I've noticed that for many months now - probably around nine - they've ceased bothering to refresh their new tracks/albums weekly, with only one update in that period, a few weeks ahead of the Christmas market. I'm also noticing that some current releases are not featuring on this site, or, where the artist is apparently listed, when one clicks on it to access their releases, there's nothing there, just a blank page. I can't see anything about it on any forums, possibly because what's happening with a small player like 7Digital in paid-for downloads is so irrelevant to people now, but I'm guessing none of these lackadaisical indicators bode well? It is starting to make me wonder whether sites like this will actually shut-up their shops sooner than Apple, if their sales and relative market shares are now even-smaller than before and sufficiently minuscule to render it not worth bothering? Okay I can move to Amazon or whatever and all my files are downloaded to a device. But it just feels like a repeat of ten years ago when physical purchasers were being forced onto digital - at least in respect of singles if not albums - and now digital purchasers are being forced towards streaming whether they want it or not. As a curmudgeonly old git I shall probably be one of the last to give up on downloads, and envisaged it would be after 2020, but it seems I may now have less time to go before either succumbing unwillingly to streaming new material, or falling off that particular cliff completely. |
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11th June 2019, 05:04 PM
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BuzzJack Platinum Member
Joined: 16 November 2009
Posts: 7,600 User: 9,988
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The press from this and the change over to a new app will finish off the download market. When the new iTunes store opens on the app I expect a huge drop in sales as people will just think 'f**k it's I'll stream instead. Maybe that is part of the plan.
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12th June 2019, 06:39 AM
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BuzzJack Gold Member
Joined: 18 May 2007
Posts: 3,628 User: 3,429
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QUOTE(sammy01 @ Jun 11 2019, 05:04 PM) The press from this and the change over to a new app will finish off the download market. When the new iTunes store opens on the app I expect a huge drop in sales as people will just think 'f**k it's I'll stream instead. Maybe that is part of the plan. F**k it I'll pay £10 a month for something I previously didn't want because I now have to click somewhere else to get to the Store? Nah. |
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