Twenty-one years ago, Apple Inc. developed and released iTunes, a software program that Mac users can use to play music. iTunes was made available on macOS and was later released on iTunes in 2003. If you have a Mac that uses macOS Monterey and would like to listen to music or podcasts, you might wonder if it has iTunes.
So, does macOS Monterrey have iTunes? MacOS Monterey does not have iTunes because Apple replaced iTunes with other apps. Apple replaced iTunes with Apple Music, Apple Podcasts, and Apple TV. After the release of macOS Catalina in 2019, iTunes is only available on macOS Mojave and earlier.
To install iTunes on your Mac, you must downgrade to a macOS version that supports iTunes. If you have music and other media stored in your iTunes library, you can transfer them to your new Mac.
Apple Inc. usually releases new versions of its operating systems that users can install on their devices. When a newer version of an operating system is released, sometimes Apple decides to introduce new apps that replace apps used in the older operating systems.
Apple introduced iTunes so people can easily access music, podcasts, and other media on their Macs and iPhones. On some Apple devices, you can find iTunes pre-installed; in others, you will have to download and install it. If you are using a Mac with the macOS Monterey, you might wonder if it has iTunes.
MacOS Monterey does not have iTunes because Apple Inc. replaced it with other apps. In 2019, Apple Inc. released macOS Cataline and announced that iTunes would be replaced with three different apps: Apple Music, Apple Podcasts, and Apple TV.
This replacement will occur in all future releases after macOS Catalina. Apple released macOS Monterey on October 25, 2021, and it has three apps instead of iTunes. During the announcement after releasing macOS Catalina, Apple assured users that this change would not affect the older macOS versions or Windows. To install iTunes on your Mac, you must install macOS Mojave or earlier.
After a positive reception in its early days, iTunes began to receive criticism from many users. Most people complained that it has a bloated user experience after Apple released an all-encompassing feature-set rather than sticking to its main purpose.
iTunes was released to focus on music, but Apple later included other features that made the app too many features. As a response to this criticism, Apple decided to introduce three applications that will replace iTunes on macOS Catalina and later versions.
Now people have different apps for services that they can find under the iTunes app. If you want to listen to music, you can open the Music app, but if you want to listen to podcasts, you access them from the Podcasts app.
To listen to music on macOS Monterey, you can use Siri by saying something like “Play music.” Your computer will open the Music app and play the music in the library. You can also play music by searching the Music app on the Spotlight.
Click on the Music app to open it and play any specific music you have in the library. You can use the same procedure to listen to podcasts or watch TV on your Mac. For example, if you have been listening to a certain podcast, you can use Siri to open the podcast by saying “Continue playing the last podcast” or play the latest episode of the Joe Rogan Podcast.”
iTunes macOS Big Sur
macOS Big Sur is the seventeenth operating system for Macintosh computers released by Apple Inc. on November 12, 2020. macOS Big Sur succeeded the macOS Catalina and was succeeded by macOS Monterrey in 2021. If you have purchased a Mac with a macOS Big Sur and want to listen to music or podcasts, you might wonder if the macOS Big Sur supports iTunes.
iTunes is not available on macOS Big Sur because Apple introduced other apps that replaced iTunes on newer versions of macOS. Apple Inc. announced that Apple Music, Apple Podcasts, and Apple TV apps would replace iTunes in macOS Catalina, which was released a year before macOS Big Sur.
The change would affect all versions of macOS released after macOS Catalina. macOS Big Sur was the second version of macOS to be affected by this change after macOS Catalina. If you want to use iTunes on your Mac, you will have to downgrade the macOS version to one of the earlier versions with iTunes.
Apple Inc. usually releases updates to improve stability, performance, and compatibility. iTunes has been present for more than twenty years, and many people began to complain about how its user interface was boring and had too many features. Apple introduced three different apps with the features combined in the iTunes app.
You can now access music, podcasts, and TV on different apps after the release of macOS Cataline. If you want to listen to music on a mac with macOS Big Sur, you cannot find iTunes. You will have to use the Music app to listen to music on your Mac.
To use Apple Music on your Mac with macOS Big Sur, click on the Music app icon on the Dock. You will be prompted to try using the app for free; click “Try It Free” to continue. You must authorize your device to access your iTunes library if you use Apple Music.
After authorizing your computer, all your music stored in the iTunes library will be accessible in the Apple Music library. You should note that you can authorize only up to five computers to access your iTunes library. You will have to remove one computer if you have reached five.
If you want to use iTunes on your Mac, you will have to downgrade from macOS Big Sur to an older macOS version that has iTunes. iTunes is available on macOS Mojave and earlier; therefore, you will need to install one of the earlier versions to access iTunes.
However, you should note that you can only install an earlier macOS version if it meets the hardware requirement. For example, if you bought your mac came with the macOS Big Sur, it cannot use macOS Catalina or any of its predecessors. If you want to downgrade to macOS Mojave, check Apple’s website for hardware requirements.
How Do I Install iTunes on Mac?
Apple released iTunes in 2001 as a simple music player, and it was gradually upgraded to a media app. You can use iTunes to buy, download and listen to music, podcasts, and movies. If you want to listen to music or watch a movie on your Mac, here is how you can install iTunes.
To install iTunes on your Mac, you must ensure that it has macOS Mojave or earlier. iTunes was only available on macOS Mojave or earlier after Apple Inc. released macOS Catalina in 2019. You can download the iTunes app from the App Store if your Mac has a compatible macOS. Go to the App Store and search the iTunes app.
Click on the iTunes for Mac icon and follow the instructions on the screen to install iTunes after it is downloaded. If your Mac does not have a compatible macOS version, you can either downgrade the macOS version or use the three apps that replaced iTunes after the release of macOS Catalina.
If you were using iTunes on your previous Mac and your new Mac does not have a compatible macOS version, you can transfer your iTunes library to Apple Music or Apple Podcasts. After setting up Apple Music on your Mac, you can transfer your iTunes library.
First, you need to ensure your new Mac has the authorization to access the library. Open the Apple Music app,
- click on “Account”
- click on “Authorizations”
- select “Authorize This Computer”
- select the “iTunes Store”
- click on “Purchases” under “Music Quick Links”
You will see all the items you purchased through iTunes. To transfer the iTunes library,
- click on the “Download” icon and
- select “Download All”.
If you have a Mac with a newer version, such as macOS Big Sur or macOS Monterey, you cannot access iTunes. iTunes has been replaced by Apple Music, Apple Podcasts, and Apple TV, which have improved features.
After setting up Apple Music on your Mac, you can play music, discover new artists and tracks, listen to music offline after download, and create the perfect playlist for you. Podcasts have become popular, and Apple Inc. developed Apple Podcasts, where you can search podcasts by title, guest, host, content, and more. The app also has the Listen Now Tab that enables you to listen to any podcasts where you left off on any of your Apple devices.
When you transfer music from your iTunes library to Apple Music, you will not be charged to listen to any music purchased through iTunes. You will be charged for any purchases you make through Apple Music.
You will need to get an Apple Music subscription to purchase new music on Apple Music. You can get an individual plan for 9.99 USD per month or a Family Plan for 14.99 USD per month. You can also use the free trials that you are free to cancel at any time. You can select the student plan for 1.99 USD per month, the individual plan for 2.99 USD per month, or the Family plan for 4.99 per month.
What Platforms Is iTunes Available On?
When software developers create a new software program, they usually select which platform can run their program. Apple Inc. likes a close environment where most software programs can only work with Apple devices. iTunes is an Apple Inc. software program, and here are the platforms that iTunes is available on.
iTunes is available on MacOS and Windows. iTunes was first released for macOS, and Steve Jobs wanted it to be an application focused mainly on music. Two years later, Apple released iTunes for Windows. In 2019, Apple released macOS Catalina and announced that iTunes would no longer be available on macOS Catalina and later versions.
However, this announcement did not affect Windows. If you are using a Windows PC, you can download iTunes through the App Store or the Microsoft Store. iTunes is usually pre-installed on compatible Macs, but you can also download it if it is not available on your Mac.
To download and install iTunes on your Windows PC, close all apps and open any browser on your PC. Search “Download iTunes for Windows”,
- click on the link by Apple
- click “Get it from Microsoft”
- select “Get” Click on “Save” and note where the file will be saved on your PC.
After the download is completed,
- click “Run” on the pop-up window, but if it does not show, locate the downloaded file and double-click it.
- click “Next”
- select any options you want that will appear on the screen, such as “Add iTunes shortcut to my desktop”
After installing it, click “Finish,” launch iTunes and start using it.
To make purchases on iTunes, you need an Apple ID. You will have to create an Apple ID if you have never used an Apple device. You can set up one using iTunes. If you already have an Apple ID,
- open the iTunes app
- click Account
- select sign in
- enter your Apple ID and password
- click “Next”.
To create an Apple ID, click “Create New Apple ID” and follow the instructions on the screen. You can also change your Apple ID information on the iTunes app on your Windows PC. To change your account information, go to the iTunes app,
- select “Account”
- click on “View My Account,” and sign in
- click “Edit” and change the information you want.
You should note that any changes made will apply to all apps using that Apple ID.
Wrap Up
Apple usually releases updates on their devices’ operating systems. The updates usually improve the performance and compatibility of certain apps. iTunes is available on macOS Mojave and earlier, while Apple Music and Apple Podcasts are available on macOS Catalina and later. If you want to use iTunes on a mac, the only option you have is to get a mac with a macOS Mojave or earlier operating system or downgrade to an earlier macOS version.
If you cannot downgrade, you have no choice but to use the Apple Music or Apple Podcast apps. Apple has made it possible to access your iTunes library through Apple Music. Therefore, all your music downloads on iTunes can be accessed on your new Mac for free. iTunes is also available on Windows; if you cannot access it on your mac, you can purchase a Windows PC and install it.
