Apple is beginning to remove iTunes branding from many of its URLs.
Any link to the iTunes Store, Apple Music, the App Store, the Mac App Store, Podcasts, Apple TV and more previously linked via an itunes.apple.com URL, but the company is beginning to phase these out ahead of the removal of iTunes from macOS this September.
The move first began days before WWDC 2019, but it now appears as though the company is ramping up the change, with many more URLs now updating or redirecting to new ones.
When Apple updated Podcasts on the Web earlier in the year, it first began the change and added podcasts.apple.com as the default URL handle, but the latest change streamlines this further and allows users to see what sort of content they can expect when clicking on a link.
The iTunes subdomain is still being used for a couple of features, like movies and TV shows that can be purchased on the iTunes Store, although it’s expected that these will change with the launch of Apple TV+, Apple’s new TV streaming service that will launch later in the year.
Some users have also spotted arcade.apple.com URLs ahead of the launch of Apple Arcade, the company’s premium gaming subscription service that will work across iOS, macOS, and tvOS devices.
The Apple Arcade service is also expected to launch later in the year, with many suggesting September or October to coincide with new iPhones and iOS 13/macOS Catalina’s release.
Earlier in the month, Apple shared details on what life would be like without iTunes.
The company has promised that the iTunes brand would be sticking around for those who prefer to purchase movies and music, but on the Mac, iTunes as a program will be no more, and new apps for Music, Podcasts, and TV are to be introduced to streamline the experience.
Features previously available inside of iTunes, like syncing devices, will move to Finder on the Mac, offering a new and straight-forward way to manage iPhones, iPads, and iPods.
Are you sad to see iTunes disappear? Let us know on Twitter using @AppleMagazine, and check back soon for more news on Apple and iTunes, as and when we get it.
