Apple Releases iTunes SDK for Windows

i Tunes is great, but that doesnit mean there isnit room for improvement, or new features. While Apple is likely to continue to improve iTunes itself, the company is looking to developers to enhance the music managing software. Developers for Mac-based iTunes have had a software development kit (SDK) for a while now, but what about the Windows side of the house?

CNet News is reporting that Apple has quietly released a new software development kit for Windows. The new SDK will allow Windows developers to more easily write apps and tools that let other Windows-based applications work better with iTunes. From CNet News:

Early in the month, the company quietly released a Windows-based software development kit for its media player. The tools provide instructions on how to let other programs talk to iTunes. A similar set of instructions for Macintosh computers had long been available.

The tools do not go so far as to allow other media players to play songs purchased from the iTunes Music Store, but they do allow a variety of applications to extend iTunes use. For instance, using the tools, a developer could write new software that launches and controls iTunes remotely.

"It looks like itis exactly what I was hoping for," said Andrew Carson, a Chicago-based developer who is using the tools to create a continuously updated list of recently played songs on his Web log. "Until this release, we havenit had a Windows equivalent to what iTunes users could do with AppleScript on a Mac."

The article goes on to discuss a possible motive behind the enhance Windows support for iTunes development. Stop by CNet News for the full article.