Apple has announced it’s releasing separate apps for Music, TV and Podcasts in macOS Catalina later this year, breaking up the iTunes hegemony that’s been in place for 18 years. Rumors emerged in April about the separate apps, while screenshots of Music and TV leaked last week.
When you plug in your iPhone, iPad or iPod to sync, update your OS or manage your media library, the old, annoying iTunes popup won’t appear anymore. Instead, your device will sync via the sidebar in Finder.
The new apps feature colorful sidebars and clear menus that are easy to navigate, especially compared to the bloated iTunes. Apple Music, as the name suggests, is singularly focused on music and offers personalized recommendations while the Podcasts is dedicated to the podcast listening experience. Along with the podcast app, Apple says it’s introducing a new machine learning feature that indexes shows so that people can search for content more easily. The TV app will include Apple’s exclusive content along with other providers’ shows, including Showtime and HBO. It supports 4K HDR and Dolby Atmos audio.
It makes sense for Apple to release separate TV and Music apps as it chases subscribers for its growing services side of the business and gears up for the arrival of its Apple TV+ streaming video service in the fall.
