Apple might be finally getting rid of iTunes at WWDC next week

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It’s the end of an era. For almost two decades, iTunes has changed the face of digital content consumption. Now, the app is about to be broken down for scrap, at least, according to Bloomberg‘s Mark Gurman.

The keynote speech at Apple’s WWDC 2019 on June 3 will bring a host of new Apple software. According to Gurman, it will also reduce the number of Apple apps by one, with iTunes being phased out.

iTunes will be no more

Instead of having one central app, the functionality of iTunes will be split across three new apps – Music, TV, and Podcasts.

• Your iPhones, iPads, and iPods will now be managed in the new Music app
• This is part of Apple’s unifying strategy to keep the user experience coherent across all of its devices and services
• Once hailed as a simplifying force for digital music, iTunes has attracted criticism in recent years as more features were added to the core experience
• Guilherme Rambo at 9to5Mac reports that the new macOS “Music” app will be like iTunes originally was, paring the features back to a music jukebox app

We don’t have long to wait to find out if these reports are true, as Apple’s WWDC 2019 Keynote is on June 3 at 10am PT. If you want to watch it in real-time, head over to Apple’s event page where you can set up a calendar reminder.

Surprised by the reports saying iTunes could be leaving the Apple ecosystem? Glad to see it go? Let us know down below in the comments or carry the discussion over to our Twitter or Facebook.

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Joe Rice-Jones

Maker, meme-r, and unabashed geek with nearly half a decade of blogging experience at KnowTechie, SlashGear and XDA Developers. If it runs on electricity (or even if it doesn't), Joe probably has one around his office somewhere, with particular focus in gadgetry and handheld gaming. Shoot him an email at joe@knowtechie.com.