SAN JOSE, Calif.– After much speculation and excitement in journalism, Apple verified today that it will sunset iTunes in the next variation of macOS and spin its performance into 3 brand-new apps– Apple Music, Apple Podcasts, and Apple TELEVISION. As we kept in mind previously, this marks completion of an age of sorts on the Mac– however there were lots of unanswered concerns. What functions will Music keep from iTunes? And what occurs to Windows users who depend on iTunes?

While some information are still fuzzy and will stay that method up until we begin digging into the beta releases, we got some broad responses from Apple on those high-level concerns.

Old iTunes libraries and files

Apple Music in macOS.
Catalina will import users’ existing music libraries from iTunes in their whole, Apple states. That consists of not simply music bought on iTunes, however rips from CDs, MP3s, and so forth included from other sources.

Even more, the existing function that synced users’ non-iTunes files to the cloud will continue to work, and obviously, users will still have the ability to purchase tunes from Apple. Apple is not turning Apple Music into a streaming-only experience. For the many part, completion of iTunes appears to be an end in name just: crucial functions will be kept in the Music app.

Syncing iPhones, iPads, and iPods

Apple currently discussed throughout the keynote that syncing with and handling your iOS gadgets from your Mac– which utilized to be an iTunes job– will now take place within Finder, Apple’s file-management application. When you plug your iPhone, iPod, or iPad in, you’ll see it in the sidebar for Finder similar to you would any external drive or USB stick.

However when you click it, you will not simply see a file system like you would with those devices. Rather, you will exist with a user interface really comparable to the one you’re utilized to in iTunes, with numerous (if not all) of the exact same functions. It’s definitely a more natural location for this to take place, considered that it more carefully looks like the experience you have when you plug other gadgets in to your Mac.

iTunes in Windows

Lots of people utilize iTunes to handle their media libraries in Windows– not simply music, however videos and podcasts, too. Apple revealed today that iTunes will be gotten into numerous applications in macOS, however the business didn’t define onstage what will take place to the exact same program in Windows.

The response, it ends up, is very little. Apple states users of iTunes under Microsoft Windows will not see any modifications. It will not be separated into numerous apps; it will work similar to it does now. Nevertheless, Apple did not supply any information about what assistance will resemble for future functions. The business merely states that Windows users will continue to have the exact same experience as previously which it is not revealing any strategies to end assistance for iTunes in Windows.

However remember: that just suggests in the meantime Apple may one day bring an Apple Music application to Windows simply as it needs to Android. However simply as the iTunes period appears to be ending for the Mac, it will continue for the right away foreseeable future in Windows– so iTunes is not actually dead. A minimum of not yet.

4K HDR and Dolby Atmos on the Mac

Apple likewise clarified that you’ll have the ability to output 4K HDR and Dolby Atmos material from the Apple TELEVISION macOS app to your TELEVISION by means of HDMI with an adapter. For Atmos, however, you’ll require a Mac laptop computer presented in 2018 or later on.

So generally, your current Mac can be a full-fledged Apple TELEVISION 4K. Just Apple’s brand-new, ultra-high-priced professional display can actually do HDR like a modern-day TELEVISION can, so we wondered precisely what the point was of HDR in the Mac Apple TELEVISION app. This is it– a minimum of up until more real HDR shows possibly concerned Macs later on.

Noting image by Ron Amadeo