Apple will announce applications to replace iTunes at an event on Monday, Bloomberg reports. The company plans to break music, television, and podcasts into distinct apps once and for all, phasing out iTunes, as has been rumored for years.
The landmark store and library launched in 2001 amid the rise of piracy and came to dominate the music industry during the mp3 era. Today subscription-based streaming services, including Apple’s own Apple Music, have supplanted iTunes as the primary way we access and listen to digital tunes.
Monday’s expected announcement will conclude years of speculation about iTunes’ demise as sales and downloads have rapidly declined this decade. The timeline for the phase-out remains unclear, as does how the transition will impact the remaining mp3 collectors in our midst.
May iTunes rest in peace.
