Although we finally got a 64-bit version of iTunes last fall with the arrival of version 10.6, it wasn't quite the sweeping overhaul that many of us were hoping for. According to a new report, that may be coming soon enough.
Bloomberg is reporting that Apple is hard at work on an overhaul of its iconic iTunes media player software "that would mark one of the largest changes to the world’s biggest music store since its 2003 debut, according to people with direct knowledge of the matter."
Presumably arriving in the guise of iTunes 11, the overhaul is expected to arrive by the end of the year -- most likely alongside iOS 6 and a new iPhone this fall.
"The company will more closely integrate its iCloud file-storage service with iTunes so users can more seamlessly access and manage their music, videos and downloaded software apps across different Apple gadgets," the report reveals. "Apple also plans new features for sharing music."
Needless to say, any substantial changes to iTunes could also affect the iTunes Store that powers it, which is now home to more than 28 million songs, 45,000 feature films and more than 650,000 iOS apps.
"With an increasing amount of content available on the store, the overhaul is intended to improve how people manage all their files," one source explained. "That includes changes to how users find new material and how they access what they already own on different Apple devices.
"One of the main ways Apple will attempt to improve discovery is by making it easier for people to share songs, a popular feature of Spotify Ltd.’s music-subscription service," the report continues. "Apple has been negotiating with major record labels for rights that would let a user listen to a song sent to them from a friend for free."
Apple is also likely to integrate Facebook deeper into iTunes, following similar moves on the upcoming OS X Mountain Lion and iOS 6 -- although it's unclear what the fate of its own music-centric social network, Ping, might be.
The report also notes that a music subscription service isn't likely to be part of the next iTunes, despite the urging of music labels to offer such a feature.
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