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NewUsername

macrumors 6502a
Original poster
Aug 20, 2019
587
1,319
I am somewhat confused by the iTunes Store app. iTunes doesn't exist anymore, and on macOS we just have three apps: Music, Podcasts, and TV. So what is this iTunes Store app for? Why not add the iTunes Store to the Music app like in macOS?
 

casperes1996

macrumors 604
Jan 26, 2014
7,593
5,764
Horsens, Denmark
It's partly historic - iOS just hasn't caught up yet. And partly limited UI opportunities on the smaller iOS devices for both local music, Apple Music, and music purchase and ringtones all in one. macOS moved to the several apps instead of iTunes to get more in-line with iOS from a normal usage perspective, where the store is rarely used. Instead of introducing a new iTunes Store app on macOS which would feel weird at that point, the relevant store sections got baked into the individual apps. iOS already had the individual apps but also the iTunes Store. I'm sure iOS will eventually lose the iTunes Store as well, but iTunes also still exists on Windows, so things haven't quite coalesced yet
 

Fishels

macrumors 6502
Feb 25, 2015
260
67
It's partly historic - iOS just hasn't caught up yet. And partly limited UI opportunities on the smaller iOS devices for both local music, Apple Music, and music purchase and ringtones all in one. macOS moved to the several apps instead of iTunes to get more in-line with iOS from a normal usage perspective, where the store is rarely used. Instead of introducing a new iTunes Store app on macOS which would feel weird at that point, the relevant store sections got baked into the individual apps. iOS already had the individual apps but also the iTunes Store. I'm sure iOS will eventually lose the iTunes Store as well, but iTunes also still exists on Windows, so things haven't quite coalesced yet
How will we do backups once iTunes is gone from windows
 

Gypsy36

macrumors regular
Mar 23, 2013
197
175
Canada
I think they have left it in place solely to taunt all of those of us who have had issues trying to locate everything in the wake of the demise of iTunes (Home videos, gone! Playlists, gone! Old ripped music, gone! Photos, good luck!).

sigh.
 

MarkC426

macrumors 68040
May 14, 2008
3,690
2,093
UK
Yep that’s me..... 😬
I have tons of cd‘s and vinyl which I have put into iTunes.

Plus I am on Mojave so it’s needed.
 
Last edited:

Shirasaki

macrumors P6
May 16, 2015
16,250
11,745
iTunes Store, however feeling redundant it is, is how some people like me who lived through the period of buying CD ripping off music from them, buying music.

Also, not everyone wants to stream music/movie etc or like the idea of renting everything. Ownership, despite being heavily attacked from all sides, still has lots of supporters.

These factors make iTunes Store still relevant even today, although given Apple’s track record, I can see Apple forcing everyone to stream contents instead of purchasing contents to maximise their service revenue.
 

Princess C.

macrumors newbie
Jun 9, 2013
15
3
U.S.A.
iTunes Store, however feeling redundant it is, is how some people like me who lived through the period of buying CD ripping off music from them, buying music.

Also, not everyone wants to stream music/movie etc or like the idea of renting everything. Ownership, despite being heavily attacked from all sides, still has lots of supporters.

These factors make iTunes Store still relevant even today, although given Apple’s track record, I can see Apple forcing everyone to stream contents instead of purchasing contents to maximise their service revenue.
This is not the point that OP is making. This isn’t a streaming vs owning topic. He/she understands why the purchasing platform still exists but doesn’t understand why it’s not being baked into their respective Music.app and TV.app like it is on MacOS. On MacOS, there is no iTunes app anymore, but the iTunes functions still exist. You can still purchase albums in the Music app like you could before and purchase movies in the TV app like you could with iTunes. So why isn’t it the same for iOS which has the same exact apps? Why is there still a separate iTunes app?
 
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casperes1996

macrumors 604
Jan 26, 2014
7,593
5,764
Horsens, Denmark
I think they have left it in place solely to taunt all of those of us who have had issues trying to locate everything in the wake of the demise of iTunes (Home videos, gone! Playlists, gone! Old ripped music, gone! Photos, good luck!).

sigh.

Home videos, in the TV app, playlists and ripped music in the Music app, Photos; Why would that be affected by iTunes being removed? iTunes was never a photo app - they’re still in Photos, the app that long ago now replaced iPhoto
 

Gypsy36

macrumors regular
Mar 23, 2013
197
175
Canada
Home videos, in the TV app, playlists and ripped music in the Music app, Photos; Why would that be affected by iTunes being removed? iTunes was never a photo app - they’re still in Photos, the app that long ago now replaced iPhoto

home videos I had to find in an old file and drag and drop into Apple TV which then created the home video “file”. Playlists gone forever, ripped music had to be brought over from an old iTunes library(with all artwork changed to Frank Sinatra’s Christmas album - awesome) and the Photos were still there but there was an issue transferring specific albums to my iPhone. It was a mess.
 

Princess C.

macrumors newbie
Jun 9, 2013
15
3
U.S.A.
home videos I had to find in an old file and drag and drop into Apple TV which then created the home video “file”. Playlists gone forever, ripped music had to be brought over from an old iTunes library(with all artwork changed to Frank Sinatra’s Christmas album - awesome) and the Photos were still there but there was an issue transferring specific albums to my iPhone. It was a mess.
Hmmm. Sorry to hear you had such troubles.

I did not have this problem at all. Most if not all of my music is ripped and were automatically transferred from iTunes to the Music app along with the artwork and playlists. And I don’t have any home videos, but a “home videos” tab is present in my TV app.
 

Gypsy36

macrumors regular
Mar 23, 2013
197
175
Canada
Yup. To paraphrase one of the Techs I spoke to I “just got lucky”. It’s ok. At least I knew what to do mostly and where to look.

The album art seems to be a common problem. But why Sinatra? Lol.
 

TimFL1

macrumors 68010
Jul 6, 2017
2,003
2,409
Germany
They kept the iTunes Store because it‘s the only place on iOS where you can buy music. There‘s no option in the Music app so far.
 

rorschach

macrumors 68020
Jul 27, 2003
2,298
1,976
This is not the point that OP is making. This isn’t a streaming vs owning topic. He/she understands why the purchasing platform still exists but doesn’t understand why it’s not being baked into their respective Music.app and TV.app like it is on MacOS. On MacOS, there is no iTunes app anymore, but the iTunes functions still exist. You can still purchase albums in the Music app like you could before and purchase movies in the TV app like you could with iTunes. So why isn’t it the same for iOS which has the same exact apps? Why is there still a separate iTunes app?

Because macOS never had a separate "iTunes Store" app; it was always built-in to iTunes, and the "Music" app is essentially iTunes with all the non-music sections removed. There's really no reason (imo) to expend the effort to integrate the store into various iOS apps when the dedicated iTunes Store app already exists and works perfectly fine.
 

Traverse

macrumors 604
Mar 11, 2013
7,711
4,490
Here
I hope they keep it. There are certain things that I know are in the iTunes Store that I can only find on this app versus when I search in the new Catalina TV app. Things like bundles and what not. Not sure why they are missing from the new applications
 

Ansath

Cancelled
Jun 9, 2018
4,791
5,249
There’s a weird discrepancy between the TV app & iTunes app. The TV app won’t let me but TV seasons in bundles, have to buy them individual, which is more expensive.

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