Apple Launches iTunes 9

Apple has unveiled a new version of of its iTunes software today. The unveiling was done by none other than Steve Jobs who came in public after a very long time after his operation.

Coming back to iTunes 9, the new version has got some major changes in its design and content.

iTunes LP:
The new version will now come with iTunes LP which are the bonus tracks which come with the album. These tracks are much similar to the ones to the bonus tracks which we see in the DVDs. Not just that, with iTunes LP you also get video and lyrics to these bonus tracks. But one bad news is that you cannot download these songs individually, but will get them only if you buy the whole album for $20.

iTunes Extras:
If  iTunes LP was for music, then there is iTunes Extras for videos where you can purchase and download movies. With this also you get some additional videos and other stuff which we usually see when we buy blu-ray disk or a DVD.

All new iTunes Store:
Then there is a completely new redesigned iTunes Store. Also the iTunes Store can now open in a full screen mode giving users much space to view the content. Now searching movies, music and other content on iTunes Store is much easy in the new design. Now each section has got its own drop down menu on the top of the screen instead of the breadcrumb navigation which was getting difficult in search millions of files in the iTunes Store.

Genius Mixes:
iTunes has also got “Genius Mixes” which will have remixed versions of those 54 billion songs in iTunes which Apple thought you would like.

Home Sharing Tool:
iTunes 9 has got a new “Home Sharing” tool with which you can copy the the downloaded music, movies and other content into five authorized computers and stream them.

Apps Manager:
There is a new “Apps Manager” for the iPhone and iPod users which allow users manage and rearrange the apps by just dragging, dropping or syncing all with in the iTunes itself.

Social Networking:
Apple has added a simple feature in iTunes where users can share their tracks on Facebook and Twitter showing their love for those tracks.

With all these updates we think iTunes users will be much happy especially with the additional features like the iTunes LP, Extras and the Apps Manager.

Apple iTunes 9 is available from today and can be downloaded for free from here.

SAN FRANCISCO, Sept. 9 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ — Apple today introduced iTunes 9, the latest version of the world’s most popular software application to purchase, manage and play media, packed with innovative features such as iTunes LP, Home Sharing and Genius Mixes, as well as a redesigned store and improved syncing. iTunes 9 makes it easier than ever to discover, purchase and enjoy your music, movies, TV shows, and apps for iPhone(TM) and iPod touch from Apple’s revolutionary App Store. Plus, Home Sharing now lets you easily transfer songs, movies and TV shows to other computers in your home.

“iTunes 9 is a great iTunes release, with innovative features that make using iTunes better than ever and iTunes content richer than ever,” said Steve Jobs, Apple’s CEO. “iTunes LP, for example, lets artists share more of their creativity with fans and gives music lovers the feeling of being immersed in an entire album with art, lyrics, liner notes, photos and videos.”

iTunes LP is the next evolution of the music album delivering a rich, immersive experience for select albums on the iTunes Store by combining beautiful design with expanded visual features like live performance videos, lyrics, artwork, liner notes, interviews, photos, album credits and more. iTunes LP debuts today with albums including Bob Dylan’s “Highway 61 Revisited,” Norah Jones’ “Come Away With Me,” The Grateful Dead’s “American Beauty” and Dave Matthews Band’s “Big Whiskey and the GrooGrux King: iTunes Pass.” The new iTunes Extras provides a similar experience for movies on iTunes with features including documentaries, deleted scenes, interviews and interactive galleries. iTunes Extras is now available for select movies including “Twilight,” “Batman Begins,” “WALL-E,” “Iron Man” and “The Da Vinci Code.” Customers can enjoy iTunes LP and iTunes Extras on a Mac or PC.

iTunes 9 also introduces Home Sharing, which lets you easily transfer music, movies and TV shows among up to five authorized computers in your home. Family members can now view up to five iTunes libraries on their home network, see only the portion of these libraries they don’t already have, import their favorite content directly to their own libraries, and automatically add new purchases from other computers into their library.

The incredibly popular Genius feature gets even better with Genius Mixes which are created using the results of over 27 million music libraries with over 54 billion songs that have been submitted and analyzed by Genius. The new Genius Mixes feature is like having a “Genius” DJ that automatically generates up to 12 endless mixes of songs from your iTunes library that go great together.

With improved syncing in iTunes 9 and iPhone OS 3.1, you can now organize your iPhone apps right in iTunes and they will automatically appear on your iPhone with the same layout. Plus, syncing music, photos, movies and TV shows is easier than ever with the added ability to sync music by artist and genre and sync photos by Events and Faces. The iTunes Store on iPhone now features precut ringtone downloads with over 20,000 ringtones priced at just $1.29.

iTunes 9 is available immediately as a free download at www.itunes.com.

The iTunes Store is the world’s most popular online music, TV and movie store with a catalog of over 11 million songs, over 50,000 TV episodes and over 7,500 films including over 2,000 in stunning high definition video. With Apple’s legendary ease of use, pioneering features such as iTunes Movie Rentals, integrated podcasting support, the ability to turn previously purchased tracks into complete albums at a reduced price, and seamless integration with iPod and iPhone, the iTunes Store is the best way for Mac and PC users to legally discover, purchase and download music and video online.

Apple ignited the personal computer revolution in the 1970s with the Apple II and reinvented the personal computer in the 1980s with the Macintosh. Today, Apple continues to lead the industry in innovation with its award-winning computers, OS X operating system and iLife and professional applications. Apple is also spearheading the digital media revolution with its iPod portable music and video players and iTunes online store, and has entered the mobile phone market with its revolutionary iPhone.

2009 Apple Inc. All rights reserved. Apple, the Apple logo, Mac, Mac OS, Macintosh, iTunes, iPhone, iPod touch and iPod are trademarks of Apple. Other company and product names may be trademarks of their respective owners.

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