The iTunes media platform was first released by Apple in 2001 as a simple music player for Mac 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 older operating systems and for Windows computers to ensure updated compatibility for syncing with new releases of iOS devices (refer to Devices section).
iTunes enables users to manage media content, create playlists, synchronize media content with handheld devices including the iPod, iPhone, and iPad, re-image and update handheld devices, stream Internet radio and purchase music, films, television shows, and audiobooks via the iTunes Store.
iTunes has been credited with accelerating shifts within the music industry. 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 the Album Era in popular music.
In 2000, Apple purchased the MP3 encoder-and-player software SoundJam MP, a program developed by Bill Kincaid and released by Casady & 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 and skin 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 name iTunes for Mac OS 9. Macintosh users immediately began poking through iTunes's resource fork, where they discovered numerous strings 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 smart playlists and a ratings system.[5] In April 2003, version 4.0 introduced the iTunes Store; in October, version 4.1 added support for MicrosoftWindows 2000 and Windows XP.[6] Introduced at Macworld 2005 with the new iPod Shuffle, Version 4.7.1 introduced the ability to convert higher-bitrate songs to 128 kbit/s AAC automatically, as these devices did not natively support audio encoded in AIFF or Apple Lossless formats, also improving the value proposition of the Shuffle's limited flash-only storage.[7] Version 7.0 introduced gapless playback and Cover 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 and Windows Server 2003 are not supported by Apple, but a workaround has been devised for both operating systems.[11] Version 8.0 added Genius playlists, a grid view, and a new default visualizer.[12]
On September 9, 2009, iTunes 9 added Home Sharing, enabling automatic updating of purchased items across other computers on the same subnet and offering a new iTunes Store UI. Genius Mixes were added, as well as improved App synchronization abilities, extending the iPod Shuffle 128 kbit/s down-convert feature to all of Apple's AAC-capable devices.[13] It also adds iTunes LPs to the store, which gives additional media with an album. Apple added iTunes Extras as well to the store, which adds content usually reserved for films on DVD and Blu-ray discs.[14] Both iTunes LPs and Extras use web-standards HTML, JavaScript, and CSS.[15]
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 was iTunes Ping, which brought a social factor to the iTunes experience. Apple CEO Steve 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 the iPhone 5 and iPad Mini, the refresh of the iPod and Mac 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 with iCloud, 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, the iTunes Store was redesigned to remain consistent with the new interface, and the stores available on iOS devices. The social element Ping was also removed and replaced by increased Twitter and Facebook integration. Other minor changes included disabling the sidebar by default, and slightly altering the icon to match that of the Mac App Store better.
On October 16, 2014, Apple released iTunes 12, with a redesigned icon and interface, inspired by OS 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 for Windows 10 via the Windows Store. The Universal 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 system macOS Catalina, Apple instead split iTunes into separate apps: Apple Music, Apple TV, and Apple 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 on macOS Catalina to macOS Sonoma using the Retroactive app.[19][20]
iTunes 2.0.4 can only run if Classic 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 iTunes 12.6.4 (released in April 2018) and 12.7.5 (released in May 2018).[32][33][34]
To manually update iOS device drivers on Mac computers, users can extract & install the MobileDevice.pkg package that is bundled inside the latest version of Xcode installer.[35][36]
To manually update iOS device drivers on Windows computers, users can extract & install the AppleMobileDeviceSupport.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 with iOS 16 and the iPhone 14, the minimum OS requirement was raised to at least macOS 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 activating iTunes & App Store functionality on a newly created account – a process that requires a device with at least iOS 13.4, iPadOS 13.4, macOS 10.15.4 or later.[40][41]
Copying photos to iPod Photo, Windows taskbar minimizing.[109]
4.7.1
2005-1-11
iPod Shuffle support added, blocks DRM stripping applications, limited to 5 connections per day to networked music libraries.[110]Last version to support Mac OS X 10.1. Bundled with Mac OS X v10.4 Tiger.
4.8
2005-5-9
Video support, international music stores supported,[111][112] security enhancements.[113]
4.9
2005-6-28
Podcasting,[114] Motorola ROKR E1 mobile phone support added. |}
Bonjour for Windows removed from bundle after DNS conflict problems, bug fixes.[116]
iTunes 6
iTunes 6 version history
Version
Release date
Release notes / Features
6.0
2005-10-12
GUI/music store changes, blocks DRM remover utilities, transfer videos to 5th generation iPod classic.[117]
6.0.1
2005-10-20
Bug fixes,[118] Motorola SLVR L7 and RAZR V3i mobile phone support added.[51]
6.0.2
2006-1-10
Bug fixes, video conversion for home movies, AirTunes enhancements, iTunes MiniStore, now Universal binary (running on both Intel and PowerPC Macs).[119]
Added Nike+iPod support and Nike Sport area on the iTunes Store.[122]Last version to support Mac OS X 10.2 Jaguar.
iTunes 7
iTunes 7 version history
Version
Release date
Release notes / Features
7.0
2006-9-12
Video playback/purchasing improvements, iPod games, Major GUI changes, gapless playback and album, sync purchased content from iPod to computer, Cover Flow added.[123]
Allows activation of iPhones outside of the United States wherever activation is available, (e.g. United Kingdom and Germany) as well as security and stability fixes. Also included is a GUI update for Leopard, and the ability to add custom ringtones for free.[138] Includes support for iPod game Phase. 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
2008-1-15
-
7.6.1
2008-2-21
Better compatibility with Apple TV "Take Two" (version 2.0)[140][141]
Support for iPhone 3G,[61]iOS 2.0 and the new App Store which features application downloads for the iPhone and iPod Touch as well as enabling the two products to act as remotes for wireless iTunes control.[143]
7.7.1
2008-7-31
Improved stability/performance. Last version to support Mac OS X 10.3 Panther.[144]
iTunes 8
iTunes 8 version history
Version
Release date
Release notes / Features
8.0
2008-9-9
adds support for Genius Sidebar and playlists, Grid View, HD TV shows, Shows capacity of Apps on iPhone/iPod Touch on device summary tab, new default visualizer, more flexible podcast options and support for second generation iPod Touch and 4th generation iPod Nano.[145]
Bug fixes. Addresses an issue with verification of Apple devices. The latter refers to the disabling of iTunes' ability to sync with the Palm 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 of webOS.[154] This is the last version that fully supports Macs with a G3 processor.
iTunes 9
iTunes 9 version history
Version
Release date
Release notes / Features
9.0
2009-9-9
New UI and redevelopment of the iTunes Store using WebKit. 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 for iPad, 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
2010-4-27
Fixes issues with VoiceOver, 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
2010-6-16
Added ability to sync with iPhone 4. Also added ability to sync and read books with iPhone or iPod Touch with iOS 4 and iBooks 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
2010-7-19
Bug fixes.[167]Last version to support Mac OS X Tiger 10.4 on PowerPC G4, G5, and Intel Mac.[25]
iTunes 10
iTunes 10 version history
Version
Release date
Release notes / Features
10.0
2010-9-1
Adds new social networking layer named "Ping".[168] Adds support for fourth generation iPod Shuffle, sixth generation iPod Nano, fourth generation iPod Touch, and Apple 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
2010-9-24
Replace Genius sidebar with Ping sidebar. Bug fixes. Restore recognition of iTunes Server found on NAS Server.[170]
10.1
2010-11-12
Bug fixes. Streaming to AirTunes speakers working again. Adds Twitter connectivity to Ping. Adds printing support[171] and support for devices running iOS 4.2.
10.1.1
2010-12-15
Fixes playback, sync issues, and crash when connecting an iPod to a PowerPC Mac.[172][173]
Adds support for iPad 2, and iOS 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 unresponsive iPad syncing. Fixes an issue with slow syncing of photos on iPhone, iPad, and iPod Touch. Fixes an issue with video previews skipping while playing on the iTunes Store.[177]
10.3
2011-6-6
Adds support for iTunes in the Cloud (beta), allowing automatic downloading of purchased content between iTunes and iOS devices, and downloading previously purchased music. Adds support for iBookstore on the iTunes Store.[178]
Adds support for Mac OS X Lion. It now allows users to take advantage of the Full-Screen App capability.[180] GUI slightly improved. Better integration with Windows Vista and Windows 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
2011-8-22
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
2011-10-11
Adds support for iPhone 4S, iCloud, iTunes in the Cloud, Wi-Fi Syncing, and iOS 5. QuickTime for Windows no longer bundled in the iTunes installer. Many users have had issues with MP3 playback on computers with processors that lack SSE2 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
2012-1-19
Adds support for syncing textbooks with iBooks 2.[187]
10.6
2012-3-7
Adds support for iPad (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
2012-3-28
Fixes possible crash when playing videos, changing artwork size in grid view, or at syncing photos to devices. Addresses issues with VoiceOver and WindowEyes. Fixes problems with iPod nano and iPod shuffle. Resolves an ordering problem with Apple TV.[189]
10.6.3
2012-6-11
Includes support for OS X Mountain Lion.
Last version of iTunes to support Mac computers with Mac OS X 10.5.8 Leopard 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
2012-12-13
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
2013-2-19
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]
11.0.3
2013-5-16
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
2013-6-5
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
2013-8-16
Fixes issue with iTunes in the Cloud.
11.1
2013-9-18
Support for iOS 7. Adds Apple's new radio service, iTunes Radio.[195]
11.1.1
2013-10-2
Adds Windows 8.1 Support.
11.1.2
2013-10-22
Added Hebrew and Arabic language support, support for OS X Mavericks. Mavericks users are forced to use iCloud to sync an iOS device's Contacts and Calendars with the desktop OS, as the "local sync" option in iTunes was removed.
11.1.3
2013-11-6
Fixes a bug in the equalizer, slowness when switching views in large iTunes libraries, and fixes to Sound Check.
11.1.4
2014-1-22
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
2014-2-26
Fixes a crash that occurred when a device is connected, compatibility improvements with iBooks for Mac on OS X Mavericks. This is the last version available to Windows XP SP2 32-bit.[196]
11.2
2014-5-15
Released alongside a new version of OS 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's Contacts and Calendar with iTunes on Mavericks was re-introduced together with OS X Mavericks version 10.9.3.
11.2.1
2014-5-16
Fixes a problem that may cause the /Users directory to become hidden on OS X Mavericks.
11.2.2
2014-5-28
Fixes a bug with podcast episodes downloading against users' wishes
11.3
2014-7-10
New iTunes Extras (behind the scenes, galleries, director commentary) for HD movies
11.3.1
2014-8-8
Addresses a problem where subscribed podcasts may stop updating with new episodes, and where iTunes may hang while browsing podcasts episodes.
11.4
2014-9-9
Adds support for devices running iOS 8.
This is the last version to support Mac OS X 10.6.8 (Snow Leopard)[198] |}
iTunes 12
colspan="3" iTunes 12 version history
Version
Release date
Release notes / Features
12.0.1.26
2014-10-16
Family Sharing feature for iTunes purchases, new interface, new Recently Added view,[199] removed ability to play .m4v iTunes files in QuickTime
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]
12.3.2.35
2015-12-11
Adds the ability to view works, composers, and performers for some Classical music within Apple Music[204]
12.3.3.17
2016-3-21
Adds support for the 9.7-inch iPad Pro and the iPhone SE
12.4.0.119
2016-5-16
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
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