TheiTunes media platform was first released byApple in 2001 as a simple music player forMac computers. Over time, iTunes developed into a sophisticated multimedia content manager, hardware synchronization manager and e-commerce platform. iTunes was finally discontinued for new Mac computers in 2019, but is still available and supported for Macs running olderoperating systems and forWindows computers to ensure updated compatibility for syncing with new releases of iOS devices (refer toDevices section).
iTunes enables users to manage media content, create playlists, synchronize media content with handheld devices including theiPod,iPhone, andiPad, re-image and update handheld devices, stream Internet radio and purchase music, films,television shows, and audiobooks via theiTunes Store.
iTunes has been credited with accelerating shifts within themusic industry.[citation needed] The pricing structure of iTunes encouraged the sale of single songs, allowing users to abandon the purchase of more expensive albums. This hastened the end of theAlbum Era in popular music.
In 2000, Apple purchased the MP3 encoder-and-player softwareSoundJam MP, a program developed byBill Kincaid and released byCasady & Greene in 1999.[1] At the time of the purchase, Kincaid, Jeff Robbin and Dave Heller left Casady & Greene to continue development of the program as Apple employees. At Apple, the developers simplified SoundJam's user interface, added the ability to burn CDs, and removed the program's recording feature andskin support.[2]
iTunes v1.0 installer CD (2001)
On January 9, 2001, at Macworld San Francisco, Apple released version 1.0 of the program under the nameiTunes forMac OS 9. Macintosh users immediately began poking through iTunes'sresource fork, where they discovered numerousstrings and other resources that indicated that iTunes was a re-engineered SoundJam MP. Casady & Greene ceased distribution of SoundJam MP on June 1, 2001, at the request of the developers.[3]
In March 2001, iTunes began to support Mac OS X with the release of version 1.1. Release 2.0 added support for the new iPod.[4] Version 3 dropped Mac OS 9 support but added smartplaylists and a ratings system.[5] In April 2003, version 4.0 introduced the iTunes Store; in October, version 4.1 added support forMicrosoftWindows 2000 andWindows XP.[6] Introduced at Macworld 2005 with the newiPod Shuffle, Version 4.7.1 introduced the ability to convert higher-bitrate songs to 128 kbit/sAAC automatically, as these devices did not natively support audio encoded inAIFF orApple Lossless formats, also improving the value proposition of the Shuffle's limited flash-only storage.[7] Version 7.0 introducedgapless playback andCover Flow in September 2006.[8] In March 2007, iTunes 7.1 added support for Windows Vista,[9] and 7.3.2 was the last Windows 2000 version.[10]
Until January 16, 2008, with the 7.6 update, iTunes lacked support for 64-bit versions of Windows. iTunes is currently supported under any 64-bit version of Windows, although the iTunes executable was still 32-bit until version 12.1. The 64-bit versions of Windows XP andWindows Server 2003 are not supported byApple, but a workaround has been devised for both operating systems.[11] Version 8.0 addedGenius playlists, a grid view, and a new defaultvisualizer.[12]
On September 1, 2010, Apple held their annual music press event where they unveiled an updated version: iTunes 10. The new version was available for download later that day. One major wasiTunes Ping, which brought a social factor to the iTunes experience. Apple CEOSteve Jobs also announced a new logo, one without a CD in the background, because of the increasing popularity of iTunes digital downloads.
In October 2012, Apple announced the launch of theiPhone 5 andiPad Mini, the refresh of theiPod andMac lines, and the upcoming release of iTunes 11. Slated for release by the end of October, the launch was pushed back to November 29, 2012. This version included tighter integration withiCloud, and a new user interface. Users' libraries now include all media they have stored in their iCloud account, along with any media unique to the device they are using. Media files stored in the cloud don't need to be downloaded before playing, allowing a larger collection to be accessible without increased disk usage. The new user interface includes a refreshed grid view, which replaces Cover Flow as the default layout method. With this change, Cover Flow is no longer available within the application. With the release of this software, theiTunes Store was redesigned to remain consistent with the new interface, and the stores available oniOS devices. The social element Ping was also removed and replaced by increasedTwitter andFacebook integration. Other minor changes included disabling the sidebar by default, and slightly altering the icon to match that of theMac App Store better.
On October 16, 2014, Apple released iTunes 12, with a redesigned icon and interface, inspired byOS X Yosemite. With iTunes 12.1 and later, there is a new widget for notification center in OS X Yosemite, which allows the user to see what's playing, skip ahead, and even buy songs from iTunes Radio, right from notification center. It also improves performance when syncing to an iOS device.
iTunes icon since version 12.2 on June 30, 2015
On April 26, 2018, Apple released iTunes 12 forWindows 10 via theWindows Store. TheUniversal Windows Platform app retains all features available in the desktop version, but will be updated and available through the Windows Store.[16]
On June 3, 2019, Apple stated that they would no longer include iTunes with future Mac computers. Starting with the operating systemmacOS Catalina, Apple instead split iTunes into separate apps:Apple Music,Apple TV, andApple Podcasts.[17][18] iTunes continues to be available on Windows and on macOS operating systems prior to Catalina.[18][17] Users can also still install iTunes versions 10, 11, and 12 onmacOS Catalina tomacOS Sonoma using the Retroactive app.[19][20]
iTunes 2.0.4 can only run ifClassic is installed. Otherwise, Mac OS X 10.0 can only run iTunes 1.1.1 natively.
iTunes Store requires at least version 12 for a user to sign in and make purchases, dropping support for earlier versions.
On May 25, 2018, Apple dropped support for Windows XP and Vista, no longer allowing new purchases or re-downloading of previous purchases.[31]
On June 30, 2018,TLS 1.0 was discontinued, affecting devices on iOS 4.3.5, OS X 10.8.5 Mountain Lion and earlier. On both Windows and Mac computers, the minimum version able to manage accounts & edit payment information are iTunes12.6.4 (released in April 2018) and12.7.5 (released in May 2018).[32][33][34]
To manually update iOS device drivers on Mac computers, users can extract & install theMobileDevice.pkg package that is bundled inside the latest version ofXcode installer.[35][36]
To manually update iOS device drivers on Windows computers, users can extract & install theAppleMobileDeviceSupport.msi (32-bit) /AppleMobileDeviceSupport64.msi (64-bit) package that is bundled inside the latest version of iTunes installer.[35]
Although new versions of iTunes have not been released for Mac computers since May 2019, mobile device driver updates for new iOS releases (i.e iOS 13, 14, 15) have been backported to iTunes 12.8 (for OS X 10.11 El Capitan, macOS 10.12 Sierra, 10.13 High Sierra) and 12.9 (for macOS 10.14 Mojave).[37][38][39] Starting withiOS 16 and theiPhone 14, the minimum OS requirement was raised to at leastmacOS 10.13 High Sierra.
As of December 2024, iTunes is no longer able to create new Apple Accounts, but is still able to sign in to existing Apple Accounts that have been activated. This is because Apple has discontinued security questions & made two-factor authentication mandatory for activatingiTunes & App Store functionality on a newly created account – a process that requires a device with at leastiOS 13.4,iPadOS 13.4,macOS 10.15.4 or later.[40][41]
Bug fixes, video conversion for home movies, AirTunes enhancements, iTunes MiniStore, nowUniversal binary (running on both Intel and PowerPC Macs).[119]
Allows activation of iPhones outside of theUnited States wherever activation is available, (e.g.United Kingdom andGermany) as well as security and stability fixes. Also included is a GUI update forLeopard, and the ability to add custom ringtones for free.[138] Includes support for iPod gamePhase. Shows iPod battery level in source list (iPod Nano 3G, iPod Classic, iPod Touch, and iPhone with 1.1.2 software).Last version to support Windows XP RTM and Service Pack 1 (32-bit).
7.6
January 15, 2008
Rent movies from the iTunes Store. Transfer Apple TV purchases to your computer. Allows manual management of music on iPhones. Added support for Windows Vista 64-bit.[139][failed verification]
7.6.1
February 21, 2008
Better compatibility with Apple TV "Take Two" (version 2.0)[140][141]
adds support forGenius Sidebar and playlists, Grid View, HD TV shows, Shows capacity of Apps oniPhone/iPod Touch on device summary tab, new default visualizer, more flexible podcast options and support for second generationiPod Touch and 4th generationiPod Nano.[145]
Bug fixes. Addresses an issue with verification of Apple devices. The latter refers to the disabling of iTunes' ability to sync with thePalm Pre; the Pre has a feature called "MediaSync" which allowed version 8.2 to register and sync songs and videos between iTunes and the Pre.[153] This functionality has since been restored with the latest version ofwebOS.[154] This is the last version that fully supports Macs with a G3 processor.
New UI and redevelopment of the iTunes Store usingWebKit. Genius Mixes were added, as were Home Sharing,iTunes LPs and iTunes Extras.[155] Support for activation/syncing of iPod Touch (late 2009). Music is automatically added to the library from a watched folder.[156] The shopping cart in the Store has been removed, replaced by a "Wish List."[157] Some compatibility issues with the iPod Classic.[158]
Adds support foriPad, adds the ability to sync downloaded books between iPad and the iTunes library, and Genius Mixes can now be renamed, rearranged, or removed. "Applications" are renamed "Apps".[163]
9.1.1
April 27, 2010
Fixes issues withVoiceOver,Genius Mixes, song conversions to 128 kbit/s AAC while syncing, and conflicts with some third-party software which may cause iTunes for Windows to crash.[164][165]Last version to support PowerPC G3.
9.2
June 16, 2010
Added ability to sync withiPhone 4. Also added ability to sync and read books with iPhone or iPod Touch with iOS 4 andiBooks 1.1. Added ability to organize and sync PDF documents as books, and to read PDFs with iBooks 1.1 on iPad and any iPhone or iPod Touch with iOS 4. Added option to organize your apps on iOS 4 home screens into folders using iTunes. Speed up back-ups while syncing an iPhone or iPod Touch with iOS 4. Album artwork improvements make artwork appear more quickly when exploring your library.[166]
9.2.1
July 19, 2010
Bug fixes.[167]Last version to support Mac OS X Tiger 10.4 on PowerPC G4, G5, and Intel Mac.[25]
Adds new social networking layer named "Ping".[168] Adds support for fourth generationiPod Shuffle, sixth generationiPod Nano, fourth generationiPod Touch, andApple TV (late 2010). AirTunes renamed to AirPlay. Adds support for VoiceOver Kit for iPod. Break compatibility with iTunes Server found on many NAS. New application icon.[169]
10.0.1
September 24, 2010
Replace Genius sidebar with Ping sidebar. Bug fixes. Restore recognition of iTunes Server found on NAS Server.[170]
10.1
November 12, 2010
Bug fixes. Streaming to AirTunes speakers working again. AddsTwitter connectivity to Ping. Adds printing support[171] and support for devices running iOS 4.2.
10.1.1
December 15, 2010
Fixes playback, sync issues, and crash when connecting aniPod to aPowerPC Mac.[172][173]
Adds support foriPad 2, andiOS 4.3. Improves Home Sharing, allowing browsing and playback of entire iTunes libraries on devices running iOS 4.3, and brings back the colored icons in the Preferences window.[175]
Fixes an issue with unresponsiveiPad syncing. Fixes an issue with slow syncing of photos oniPhone,iPad, andiPod Touch. Fixes an issue with video previews skipping while playing on theiTunes Store.[177]
10.3
June 6, 2011
Adds support foriTunes in the Cloud (beta), allowing automatic downloading of purchased content betweeniTunes andiOS devices, and downloading previously purchased music. Adds support for iBookstore on theiTunes Store.[178]
Adds support forMac OS X Lion. It now allows users to take advantage of the Full-Screen App capability.[180]GUI slightly improved. Better integration withWindows Vista andWindows 7 (Aero effects support). Many Windows users originally experienced problems with the iCloud purchased music feature on the iTunes Store soon after this update.[181]
10.4.1
August 22, 2011
Fixes a problem where the media keys on non-Apple keyboards work inconsistently. Addresses issues with adding artwork to songs and videos. Resolves an issue which causes unresponsiveness when purchasing an HD movie. Fixes a problem where iTunes takes longer to open after waking the computer from sleep. Addresses issues with VoiceOver support.[182]
10.5
October 11, 2011
Adds support foriPhone 4S,iCloud,iTunes in the Cloud, Wi-Fi Syncing, andiOS 5.QuickTime for Windows no longer bundled in the iTunes installer. Many users have had issues with MP3 playback on computers with processors that lackSSE2 instructions.[183] Because of an oversight, the help wasn't originally available in this version.[184]
Improves iTunes Match. Fixes an audio distortion problem when playing or importing CDs.[186]
10.5.3
January 19, 2012
Adds support for syncing textbooks withiBooks 2.[187]
10.6
March 7, 2012
Adds support foriPad (3rd generation). Adds the ability to play 1080p HD movies and TV shows from the iTunes Store. Higher bit rate songs can be converted to 128, 196, or 256 kbit/s when syncing to iOS devices or iPods. Improvements for iTunes Match.[188]
10.6.1
March 28, 2012
Fixes possible crash when playing videos, changing artwork size in grid view, or at syncing photos to devices. Addresses issues withVoiceOver and WindowEyes. Fixes problems withiPod nano andiPod shuffle. Resolves an ordering problem withApple TV.[189]
10.6.3
June 11, 2012
Includes support for OS X Mountain Lion.
Last version of iTunes to support Mac computers with Mac OS X 10.5.8 or any PowerPC processors.[190]
Interface redesign, redesigned iTunes Store, iCloud purchases are now shown in the library, queue management support with a new "Up Next" button, redesigned MiniPlayer, iCloud syncs playback position of movies and TV shows.[192]
11.0.1
December 13, 2012
Fixes bugs with purchases in iCloud, slow search, AirPlay, and returns the ability to display duplicate items within one's library.[193]
11.0.2
February 19, 2013
Adds a new Composers view, improves responsiveness when syncing playlists with a large number of songs, and fixes an issue where purchases may not show up in your iTunes library.[194][failed verification]
11.0.3
May 16, 2013
MiniPlayer can show album art with the player controls hidden, and regains the removed "seek" bar. Adds album art to the songs view, combines multiple disc albums together as one album when in album view, changes to app update management, and improvements in search performance and sorting of large libraries.
11.0.4
June 5, 2013
Fixes a problem when switching between wired and wireless syncing which causes iTunes to quit and a problem relating to repeated iTunes store logins.
11.0.5
August 16, 2013
Fixes issue with iTunes in the Cloud.
11.1
September 18, 2013
Support for iOS 7. Adds Apple's new radio service,iTunes Radio.[195]
11.1.1
October 2, 2013
Adds Windows 8.1 Support.
11.1.2
October 22, 2013
Added Hebrew and Arabic language support, support forOS X Mavericks. Mavericks users are forced to use iCloud to sync an iOS device'sContacts andCalendars with the desktop OS, as the "local sync" option in iTunes was removed.
11.1.3
November 6, 2013
Fixes a bug in the equalizer, slowness when switching views in large iTunes libraries, and fixes to Sound Check.
11.1.4
January 22, 2014
Wish List can be access from the main iTunes library, improved Arabic and Hebrew support. The Windows installer now packages iCloud, increasing the installer size by around just under 40 MB for the 32-bit and just under 50 MB for the 64-bit.
11.1.5
February 26, 2014
Fixes a crash that occurred when a device is connected, compatibility improvements withiBooks for Mac onOS X Mavericks.This is the last version available to Windows XP SP2 32-bit.[196]
11.2
May 15, 2014
Released alongside a new version ofOS X Mavericks, this release revamped the "Unplayed" tab and made it easier to find podcasts which have not yet been played. Podcast episodes can be automatically saved locally and removed after being played. This version introduced an issue, which was quickly fixed, where the /Users folder became hidden.[197] The ability to locally sync an iOS device'sContacts andCalendar with iTunes on Mavericks was re-introduced together with OS X Mavericks version 10.9.3.
11.2.1
May 16, 2014
Fixes a problem that may cause the /Users directory to become hidden onOS X Mavericks.
11.2.2
May 28, 2014
Fixes a bug with podcast episodes downloading against users' wishes
11.3
July 10, 2014
New iTunes Extras (behind the scenes, galleries, director commentary) for HD movies
11.3.1
August 8, 2014
Addresses a problem where subscribed podcasts may stop updating with new episodes, and where iTunes may hang while browsing podcasts episodes.
11.4
September 9, 2014
Adds support for devices running iOS 8This is the last version to support Mac OS X 10.6.8 (Snow Leopard)[198][failed verification]
New Beats 1 banner showing the current song, followed Apple Music artists are now available in a list, iTunes Connect supports artists sharing text, photos, music, and videos.
Adds support for iOS 9 and Windows 10. Fixes a bug with reordering songs in Up Next, radio stations not appearing in Recently Played, and songs 'loved' on iOS not appearing as 'loved' on iTunes[203]
Unsupported: 12.3.2.35
December 11, 2015
Adds the ability to view works, composers, and performers for some Classical music within Apple Music[204]
Unsupported: 12.3.3.17
March 21, 2016
Adds support for the 9.7-inch iPad Pro and the iPhone SE
Unsupported: 12.4.0.119
May 16, 2016
Adds Back and Forward buttons for navigation between Library, Apple Music and iTunes Store
Adds Media Picker for easy switching between Music, Movies, TV shows and more
^abBarrett, Brian (June 3, 2019)."iTunes Is Dead, Let's Pay Our Respects".Wired (magazine).Archived from the original on June 4, 2019. RetrievedJune 4, 2019.Apple clarified Monday that iTunes for Windows would continue on its current state.
^abcd"iTunes Faq old". Archived from the original on October 14, 2007. RetrievedOctober 10, 2007.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
^"iTunes 5.0.1 is available".TUAW: Apple news, reviews and how-tos since 2004.Archived from the original on January 30, 2015. RetrievedOctober 2, 2014.
