The popular iTunes Store has been a platform used by millions of people worldwide. However, reports are now circulating that tech giant Apple may be closing down the popular service. Reportedly, the company is looking into dividing up its services in favor of apps.
A report via Tech Radar indicates that a Reddit user u/MalteseAppleFan posted on the forums that the iTunes Instagram account deleted almost all of its content. It’s also been pointed out that iTunes Twitter hasn’t been updated in about a week as of this report, and that the iTunes Facebook page is also removed.
The buzz is that Apple will divvy up its various media into its different apps. The company has the upcoming Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) which starts on Monday (June 3). That conference spans the week. Apple representatives could give more of an update about what’s on the way, and give an official statement about iTunes Store coming to a close.
The Apple iTunes Store was initially called the iTunes Music Store. It first launched back in April of 2003 and involved special encryption layers to provide digital rights management (DRM). That made it difficult to use the purchased music on other apps or website that didn’t cooperate with Apple’s format.
Over the years, the iTunes store began to provide more media for purchase. That included audiobooks, movies, TV shows, and most recently mobile apps. With the massive movement for mobile gadget owners to consume more content on their devices, it’s likely paved the way for Apple to do away with the iTunes platform. That platform is currently available on laptops or personal computers and allows the download of content.
Based on the reports, fans of the iTunes Store who use it on computers may see the store close down abruptly. However, one has to think Apple will make the major announcement ahead of any such action. It’s not expected that the actual platform will stop functioning on computers for playing music or other media, rather that the iTunes Store will no longer function. However, that remains to be seen based on this week’s conference.
As of Friday’s market close, Apple stock (AAPL) was trading at $175.07, down $3.23 or 1.81 percent for the day’s trading. The company is still above its 52-week low of $142, but down from a 52-week high of $233.47.
Dil Bole Oberoi
