Is Apple working on a successor to iTunes for Windows 10 – and Xbox?

(Image credit: Apple)

It appears Apple could be working on a new media app for Windows 10, and could finally be killing off iTunes – like it did on its Mac PCs.

For anyone who uses an Apple mobile device such as an iPhone, iPad or iPod, but had a Windows PC, iTunes was a necessary – but often unwelcome – installation. Many people who had to use iTunes in Windows did so because they had to – but the user experience was usually poor.

And, while Apple broke iTunes into individual apps on the Mac, it stuck with a single iTunes app for Windows 10 devices. However, a new job listing for a senior software engineer has appeared online, “to work on the next generation of media apps for Windows.”

This suggests that Apple is now looking to replace iTunes with a new (and hopefully improved) media playing app for Windows 10.

Coming to Xbox as well?

Interestingly, as Windows Latest points out, the job description says that “experience with UWP is a big plus.” This suggests that the media app will be based on Microsoft’s UWP (Universal Windows Platform), which means you can download it from the Microsoft Store, the built-in app store in Windows 10.

It should then also be available on PCs running Windows 10 S mode. However, UWP apps can also be run on the Xbox One (and we assume the upcoming Xbox Series X), so it’s likely that Apple’s media app will also be available on Microsoft’s consoles.

Hopefully this media app improves on some of iTune’s biggest complaints and annoyances when it arrives at some point in the future.

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Matt is TechRadar's Managing Editor for Core Tech, looking after computing and mobile technology. Having written for a number of publications such as PC Plus, PC Format, T3 and Linux Format, there's no aspect of technology that Matt isn't passionate about, especially computing and PC gaming. He’s personally reviewed and used most of the laptops in our best laptops guide - and since joining TechRadar in 2014, he's reviewed over 250 laptops and computing accessories personally.