Apple to shut down Ping on September 30

Apple to shut down Ping on September 30
The end is nigh for Apple's social networking experiment

A new version of iTunes will launch in October, but Apple's music-themed social network Ping will not be part of it.

Apple says the service, which allowed users to follow artists and recommend music, will shut down on September 30 and, as a result, has ceased accepting new members.

The quiet termination was announced through its section of iTunes immediately following the iPhone 5 keynote address, during which the new iteration of the content portal was extensively previewed.

Ping launched in 2010 to promote music discovery and, above all, sell more digital music through iTunes.

More Facebook and Twitter integration

In one of Apple's few failures of recent years, Ping was never widely adopted and served only to cause friction between Cupertino and Facebook - a relationship which is still somewhat in recovery.

During a recent interview Apple CEO Tim Cook said: "We tried Ping, and I think the customer voted and said 'This isn't something that I want to put a lot of energy into.'"

It seems that Apple is abandoning its own social networking aspirations in order to focus on deeper integration with Twitter and Facebook.

The new version of the iTunes Store will have a Facebook 'Like' button on every page to enable easier sharing of albums, music, apps, movies and more.

Via: 9to5Mac

Chris Smith

A technology journalist, writer and videographer of many magazines and websites including T3, Gadget Magazine and TechRadar.com. He specializes in applications for smartphones, tablets and handheld devices, with bylines also at The Guardian, WIRED, Trusted Reviews and Wareable. Chris is also the podcast host for The Liverpool Way. As well as tech and football, Chris is a pop-punk fan and enjoys the art of wrasslin'.