Why is Apple cutting its iconic iTunes product?

Apple fans must bid adieu to the product that brought them their first music library: iTunes.

The tech giant is killing iTunes nearly two decades after its initial launch and is set to replace it with standalone music, television and podcast apps.

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With the rise of other music and media apps like Spotify and Audible, Apple definitely needed to make a move.

But why kill iTunes?

It’s been rumoured that Apple would end iTunes for some time, but according to Bloomberg, Apple CEO Tim Cook is set to detail the cut on Monday’s Worldwide Developers Conference and unveil new updates to Apple’s operating system.

The new move would align Apple’s media strategy across the board, Bloomberg said.

iPhones and iPads already offer separate music, TV and podcast apps in lieu of the centralised iTunes app that lives only on Macs and Macbooks.

It means users can expect the new Music app to offer what iTunes currently does, but with a better interface.

By separating its offerings, Apple is moving towards becoming a multifaceted entertainment services provider, rather than a hardware provider that just happens to sell entertainment apps.

What will happen to my music library?

Responding to some pretty disgruntled iTunes fans on Twitter, Apple assured users that the music you’ve purchased in iTunes would still be available without an Apple Music membership.

And if you bought an iTunes gift card, you can redeem it to add credit to your Apple ID balance, and then use that credit to make purchased in the App Store, or upgrade your iCloud storage.

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