The Trouble With iTunes

By no means am I the first to write on this subject, but in the wake of the launch of  Music, I think it’s time to re-visit this topic again.

iTunes is a mess.  A Bloated, confusing, mess.  And it’s unfortunate- because I’m sure Apple doesn’t want it that way.

Making matters worse is that the software has become a key crutch for so many things that untangling that mess is no short feat.  So rather than re-hash the many problems iTunes has, I’m going to offer up a vision of the future that could be a solution.

1) Let the cloud be the cloud and cut the cord.  The factor that most limits iTunes today is it’s use as the interface for iOS devices on Windows machines.  Much of the need to keep things like “Movies” and “Podcasts” and such in iTunes is really because Windows users need an interface.  I say it’s time to let the cloud be the cloud.  Apple typically doesn’t shy away from killing dead tech to advance newer methods- so why not here too?  Let Windows users use iOS through the cloud for movies, tv, podcasts, etc, and take all that crap out of iTunes.  Conversely, create Mac apps for all those separate genres just like it is on iOS.  One more way to say “if you want the BEST experience, get a Mac.”  Bottom line, there are plenty of ways to get content onto an iOS device now that doesn’t require iTunes anyway.  Cut the cord once and for all.

2) Focus on search & discovery.  iTunes on the desktop (now free from doing anything but being a music player) should act like the ultimate jukebox.  Make it easy to find what I want and easy to find new stuff.  Make adding to “up next” or creating a playlist super simple.  And get more social- let me see what my friends are playing.  Make “party lists” a thing again with home sharing so if I have friends over, they can browse my library and add to the mix.  Bottom line make getting to the song I want now (and next) as easy as it can be.

3) Tailor the experience.  Time to take Bitcode out for a spin (maybe… honestly I’m not sure if Bitcode is the right tool for this problem… just trying to hop on the hype) and make iTunes adjust for the services I’m subscribing to.  Why do I need the “store” view if I’m subscribed to  Music?  Sure, there might be some stuff I want to listen to that’s not in the service, but you can tell me that when I search for it.  Right now, the “Store” homepage looks almost identical to the “New” tab.  I don’t need both.  Also, “My Music” is ALL music when I’m subscribed, so I don’t need the confusion of what’s “mine” and what’s “theirs” until I go to unsubscribe.  There are too many layers to accommodate too many configurations.  Find a way to serve up just what I need based on how I’m paying for it.  That would be a huge leap forward.

I’m sure there’s more, but this would make leaps forward and make  Music front and center. Bottom line, it’s time for Apple to cut back Windows support through iTunes.  Either let the cloud do the work and make the best features part of the ecosystem, or develop a new iOS device management software separate from iTunes.  Because for  Music to succeed in the long run, it can’t continue to be weighed down by the bloat of legacy features for non-platform users.

But that’s just my opinion...