Owners of 435 million iTunes accounts will soon receive a version of Apple's media player that, according to Apple SVP Eddy Cue, will be "dramatically simpler." Apple said in its press event Wednesday that iTunes 11 will have a redesigned music player, seamless integration with iCloud, and a grid user interface. iTunes listeners will now be able to "like" songs and "share" their purchases on Facebook and Twitter. iTunes 11 launches with iOS 6 for the iPhone and iPad on September 19th, and it'll be coming to Windows and Mac desktops in October.
What Else You Need To Know
- Additional new features include a cleaner and simpler interface, a split-screen view, improved search functions to include inline results, a mini-player for listening to new songs while the library's in sight, Up Next feature that displays songs coming up in the playlist, and ability to watch movies from iCloud.
- Called by Apple as the "world's most popular media player," iTunes now has 26 million songs, and 20 billion copies have been purchased since it launched nine years ago.
- Apple is rumored to be working on a music streaming service that compete with Pandora but the Cupertino, California-based company was mum on those plans Wednesday.
Other sources
Apple loves creating music products. Apple is deeply embedded in our DNA. This is the reason that we created iPod and iTunes, and these products have gone on to revolutionize the music industry.- Tim Cook, Apple
With more than 200 million people using iTunes on the Cloud, it should come as no surprise that Apple will be including better iCloud integration when the update arrives.- Luke Brown, Tech Radar
- Tech Radar
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iTunes getting major revamp this October
With more than 200 million people using iTunes on the Cloud, it should come as no surprise that Apple will be including better iCloud integration when the update arrives.
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The New iTunes – Simplicity is a Beautiful Thing
Sometimes it’s the little things that make all the difference which is true of the revamped MiniPlayer. Want to know which song is going to play next? Click to see and select something different (or get an instant recommendation) if that isn’t what you were hoping to hear –all without leaving to go back to your library!
- Tech Radar
- iTunes gets 10.7 update as iOS 6 GM for developers drops
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iTunes 11: New Version Of Apple Media Player Announced
In addition to the new features and improved UI, Apple is also promising "improved performance throughout,"
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New iTunes to feature Facebook, iCloud integration
At a Wednesday morning press conference in San Francisco dominated by iPhone 5 news, Apple also announced that it would open up iTunes to Facebook and Twitter integration in October, among other changes the company will make to its online marketplace. The move effectively shelves Apple's previous internal efforts at creating its own social network for music listeners, called Ping