iTunes marks just over 25 years since Steve Jobs unveiled it, but the once-dominant Apple application has effectively been dismantled rather than discontinued. At its peak it commanded roughly 63% of the US paid digital download market, before subscription services such as Apple Music and Spotify eroded its position and its interface grew increasingly bloated and unwieldy. Its functions have since been split across separate apps, meaning what was once a single hub is now scattered throughout the Apple ecosystem.

On the Mac, music now lives in the Music app, films and TV in the TV app, podcasts in Apple Podcasts, and device syncing in Finder rather than iTunes. Purchases remain tied to a user's Apple Account regardless of these changes, so old libraries stay accessible without needing a subscription. iTunes itself survives more fully on Windows, where it still handles the iTunes Store, audiobooks and free podcasts unless newer Apple apps have been installed, while iPhone and iPad users access purchases via a dedicated iTunes Store app.