iTunes for Windows, RIP: Apple TV and Music apps for Windows now available, alongside redesigned iCloud PC app
Apple has finally launched its TV and Music apps for Windows 10 and above.
In October 2022, Microsoft announced that Apple Music and Apple TV would come to Windows as beta apps. Over a year later, these apps have officially launched, with the same look and features as their Mac counterparts. The iCloud for Windows app has also been redesigned and renamed as Apple Devices — so you can manage your devices connected to a PC, as well as iCloud photos between an iPhone or iPad to a Windows PC.
iTunes arrived on Windows XP back in 2003, letting users browse and buy music from Apple’s iTunes store, while enabling its third-generation iPod to work with Microsoft’s operating system. Apple has decided to leave iTunes available as a separate download if you want to listen to your subscribed podcasts, but otherwise, there’ll be no need to use the app anymore.
With the iPod and now iTunes put out to pasture, managing your music on Windows with Apple’s iconic app has come to an end after 20 years. You can now download Apple Music and Apple TV from the Microsoft Store.
The end of an era, the start of a new one? — iMore’s take
After 20 years, iTunes is being left by the wayside so that Apple Music and Apple TV can both take the app’s place on Windows instead — and good riddance. Before iTunes on the Mac was retired in 2019, the app felt bloated, slow, and annoying to use as you would get lost in its user interface.
Apple Music and Apple TV are great apps on Windows — they’re far simpler to use compared to iTunes, mainly because of what they offer. Apple Music is for listening to music, and Apple TV is for watching content. The apps do what they say on the tin — it’s a straightforward affair.
If you’re someone who prefers to use a Windows PC instead of a Mac, Apple now has you covered (if you’re a subscriber to these two apps). If you save an album on your iPhone in Apple Music, that will now sync to your PC through the new Apple Music app. This finally helps users manage their music without having to deal with the bloat of iTunes.
Granted, it took a while for these apps to be brought out of beta, but it’s great that they’re here — and if you’re planning on watching Severance Season 2 on a Windows laptop later this year, the new Apple TV app will finally let you do that, whenever you want.
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