Apple today announced iTunes 5, bringing new features and a refined look to the world’s most popular digital music jukebox and online music store. iTunes 5 includes a new Search Bar to make it even easier for users to find what they’re searching for; the ability to organize playlists into folders; Smart Shuffle, which lets the user change the “randomness” of shuffled songs; and the ability for Windows users to automatically sync contacts and calendars from Outlook onto their iPods. The iTunes Music Store has also added parental controls and album reviews, and now features a catalog of over two million songs, making it the largest online music catalog in the world.
“iTunes is widely regarded as the best jukebox, with the world’s most popular online music store built right in,” said Steve Jobs, Apple’s CEO in the press release. “We are constantly improving iTunes with new features like Podcasting and better searching because we love music ourselves and want to surprise and delight music fans around the world.”
iTunes 5’s new Search Bar helps users find exactly what they are looking for within the catalog of two million songs, 15,000 Podcasts and 10,000 audiobooks on the iTunes Music Store, plus everything in their own iTunes music library. iTunes and the iTunes Music Store have a new refined look, as well as parental controls allowing parents to determine which music and Podcasts their children can access on the iTunes Music Store. Users can now do even more with playlists, including the ability to organize them into folders and have greater control over random playback with the new Smart Shuffle feature. Windows iPod users can now use iTunes to automatically sync calendars with Outlook or contacts with Outlook or Outlook Express.
The iTunes Music Store now features over 1,000 album reviews from Apple’s team of music experts. The reviews cover some of the best albums over the past 50 years, including current hits from Coldplay, Kanye West and Yo-Yo Ma, as well as classic artists such as Pink Floyd, Johnny Cash and Frank Sinatra.
With Apple’s legendary ease of use, pioneering features such as integrated Podcasting support, iMix playlist sharing, seamless integration with iPod and groundbreaking personal use rights, the iTunes Music Store is the best way for Mac and PC users to legally discover, purchase and download music online. The iTunes Music Store features more than two million songs from the major music companies and over 1,000 independent record labels, 10,000 audiobooks, gift certificates and exclusive music not found anywhere else online.
iTunes 5 for Mac and Windows includes the iTunes Music Store and is available as a free download immediately. Purchase and download of songs from the iTunes Music Store for Mac or Windows requires a valid credit card with a billing address in the country of purchase.
More info and download link here.
Advertisement: Apple iPod nano. 1,000 songs. Impossibly small. From $199. Free shipping.
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Is there is a way to immediately add a folder of tunes to iTunes without dragging and dropping. I find drag & drop awkward. Or to control click/right click on a folder of tunes and have iTunes just play them all?
Thanks.
Did anyone else notice that the screenshot of itunes 5 on apple.com is a window’s version of itunes? What’s up with that?
http://www.apple.com/itunes/overview/
“Did anyone else notice that the screenshot of itunes 5 on apple.com is a window’s version of itunes?”
Mine looks like a Mac version…
Actually, I just looked at with a Windows machine and it shows the Windows version. Very well done, Apple!
Fortunately, it still says “Mac + PC” like it should…
Does anybody else think iTunes 5’s new “streamlined” look is ugly? Didn’t Apple hire some new interface designer a while back? I hope this isn’t the fruit of that person, because I don’t like the looks one bit. Moreover, I don’t like the monichrome color scheme of the iPod nano, I want colors, not black or white. -10 to Apple for not giving color more choices on the nano and -5 for the ugly iTunes 5!
I knew today would be bad:( And now no keynote at AEP? I think the words “What the hell are they thinking?” about sum up today and the past week for Apple. Granted, I love Apple and stand by everything, I just think this is a step backwards in the cool factor (not so much for the nano maybe, being so slim and all, but I want pink!)
Thats all for my rant.
Did anyone else notice that the screenshot of the new iTunes 5 on apple.com is of the PC version? Whats up with that?
http://www.apple.com/itunes/overview/
Sorry for the double post. I am on a PC at work and noticed that about the PC screenshot. Leave it to apple to think about the small details like changing the screenshot based on what machine you are looking at the website with. I can’t wait to get home to my Powerbook.
Kassandra,
The new iPod nano tubes address the pink issue.
down, this is not the place for that kind of question. But just go File –> Add to Library. And you shouldn’t use iTunes to play things that aren’t in it’s library. Set Quicktime or something for that.
itunes 5 won’t install for some reason
1607:Unable to install installshield Scripting Runtime.
Damn Dell.
Just noticed a new tab on each track’s ‘Get info’ screen: Lyrics.
It just appears to be a big ol’ text field – nothing more snazzy than that.
Wonder if iTMS is going to start selling tracks with lyrics. And a Karaoke visualiser? Lord save us.
I’m going to sound like a right old woman here, but I want to moan about the adoption of the Mail-style interface.
Ugh!
I really hope those playlist folders are going to be implimented on the iPod as well!!!
scorp_56,
The nano tubes don’t even come close to the look and feel of the ipod minis. It looks more like the Creative Zen colors.
Kassandra,
I fell the same way, I think the new version is ugly. Way too Windows-looking for me.
so now we know what the brushed metal interface of mac os x 10.5 will look like (iTunes 3 i think had some interface elements of Jaguar before os x 10.2 was introduced) … for the good I never liked the current.
I think the new iTunes interface is so much cleaner … i kinda like it a lot
we can also use the “Lyrics” text to say what a dumb ass Kanye West is!
one thing I DONT like about iTunes 5, it now shows ALL my Podcast in the main Library!!!!! is this an option?
fixed it “Show Search Bar” under Edit menu, choose Music
FUCK IT!! I just installed iTunes 5 and it didn’t import my old Library/Playlists/Podcasts, I’m MAD as HELL!!!
Kassandra,
I really like the interface. They’re stripping out the unecessary, there’s a lot less ‘Brushed Metal’, and more room to see what you need to see – information.
It seems faster too, less metal = less weight!
Regarding iTunes interface: Looks just like it did yesterday, only a bit simplified. If it looks too “Windows” for you today, it had to look too “Windows” for you yesterday as well.
StarkHalo: “Didn’t import”? What is there to “import”? iTunes 5 should just replace iTunes 4 when it installs and access the same files.
LordRobin: Exactly! That’s what it’s SUPPOSED to do. In my case I just got a clean library, no podcasts, no playlists, no ratings(!)…