Apple is said to be working on a major redesign of its iTunes application that will tie in better with its iCloud service and offer new options for sharing music. The company is planning on releasing the new version of the media management and playback application by the end of the year.
News of the iTunes overhaul comes courtesy of unnamed sources that Bloomberg said have “direct knowledge of the matter.”
An app redesign that better handles media management, improves the iTunes Store purchasing experience, and makes it easier to share content between devices will be a welcome change. When the iTunes app was first released for the Mac, it managed music ripped from user’s own CDs, but over time has had more features bolted on to handle functions like buying iTunes Store content and syncing files with iOS devices.
The new app will apparently make it easier to manage music stored on Apple’s iCloud service, and to access that content from your Mac, iPhone, iPad or iPod touch. Apple is also said to be working on getting more photos, notes and other content to include with iTunes Store album purchases.
Apple isn’t saying whether or not an iTunes app redesign is in the works, which doesn’t come as a surprise since the company rarely talks about unannounced products or rumors. The likelihood that a new iTunes app is on the way, however, seems plausible — and for many iTunes users will be a welcome change.