According to Bloomberg, Apple plans a complete iTunes makeover, that will only be unveiled at the end of this year. No details have been revealed yet but it is described as ‘one of the largest changes to the world’s biggest music store since its 2003 debut’.
Bloomberg speculates that iTunes will ‘more closely integrate its iCloud file-storage service with iTunes’ in order for users to have easier access to their music and videos, and will have new features for sharing music.
Sharing music? I thought it was what the music industry was fighting against! But Bloomberg insists by saying that ‘one of the main ways Apple will to improve discovery is by making it easier for people to share songs’, and that ‘Apple has been negotiating with major record labels for rights that would let a user listen to a song sent to them from a friend for free’. For this, there will be a tighter integration of Facebook and Twitter.
ITunes is the gateway for iPhones, iPods and iPads so any major change will have big implications, but will iTunes also offer a streaming service just like its biggest concurrent Spotify? The article reports that Apple representatives say it is unlikely,.. and that may be a mistake?