The most important questions and answers for musicians and users.

What the imminent deactivation of iTunes will mean for you and your music:

At their Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) in June 2019, Apple announced that it would shut down iTunes for Desktop and Mobile. Of course, many musicians are now wondering: what does the end of iTunes mean, and what will happen to my music?

Here is what’s new:

The end of iTunes: 1 app becomes 3

With the introduction of the new operating system MacOS Catalina in the fall of 2019, iTunes will be shut off. Instead, there will be three separate media apps for Mac:

• Apple Music
• Apple TV
• Apple Podcasts

All of your favorite iTunes features, including the iTunes Store, will be available in these three apps. That means nothing really changes for you and your music. Music will continue to be available for download and streaming via the Apple Music App.

The shutdown of iTunes: These are the most important facts for musicians and users

Will iTunes disappear for all users?

For Mac users, iTunes will disappear after an update to MacOS Catalina, which is announced for fall 2019. On older Versions of MacOS, iTunes will still be available. There might, however, not be updates for the app anymore.

For Windows users there won’t be too many changes as iTunes will continue to run normally there. It’s still unclear, though, if the app will continue to receive any updates or bug fixes.

Which alternative(s) can I use after iTunes has been discontinued?

For mac users there will be 3 separate media apps replacing the functions of iTunes:

• The Apple Podcasts app for podcasts
• Apple TV for TV shows and movies
• Apple Music to stream music and listen to music already downloaded/bought

Will the iTunes store package on recordJet continue to be available?

Yes. If you select the iTunes/Apple store package you will still be able to distribute your music to Apple Music for download and streaming.

After iTunes is gone, will there be only streaming and no more downloads on Apple Music?

No, music downloads will still appear alongside streams in the Apple Music app.

I’m a recordJet passenger and my music is already on iTunes. What will I have to do to get my music into the new Apple Music app?

Nothing. Apple will automatically transfer all existing releases into Apple Music where they will be available for download and streaming.

What will happen to downloaded music (mp3) once iTunes is shut off?

All songs and albums a user has bought in the past will move into the Apple Music app. The same goes for their iTunes playlists and smart playlists.

In the future, how will I be able to synchronize music to my iPhone without iTunes?

Mac users will now be able synchronize their iPhones using the Finder on MacOS. Windows users can still do the same using iTunes.

Will all users have to pay for a streaming subscription in order to access Apple Music and listen to their music collection?

No. Your entire offline music collection will continue to be available on Apple Music. Downloaded music within the app can be accessed without having to pay for a streaming subscription.

What will happen to the iTunes store which used to be integrated in the iTunes app?

The iTunes store and all its functionalities will move into the Apple Music app, so you will still be able to purchase music for download there.

What will happen to existing iTunes credit?

iTunes Credit will not expire and can still be used in the new apps and in the app store.

I have more questions about the shutdown of iTunes. Who can I ask?

Apple Support is the correct contact for all questions related to iTunes, Apple Music and everything Mac.