Apple began hiring engineers to “build the next generation of media apps for Windows” in 2019, which resulted in the Apple TV app for Xbox last year. 9to5Mac has now learned that the company is working to bring Music and Podcasts apps to Microsoft Store, which could be released to the public later this year.
Sources told 9to5Mac that Apple has been testing both Music and Podcasts apps for Microsoft platforms in a private beta. We cannot confirm if the apps will be compatible with Windows PCs or if they were developed to work exclusively with Xbox, just like the Apple TV app.
However, we can easily imagine that these apps will be available for PC users since iTunes was discontinued in 2019 with the release of macOS Catalina. Although Apple still offers an iTunes version for Windows, the app hasn’t received new features for some time now, and the experience of accessing Apple Music and Apple Podcasts through iTunes is not good.
When Apple started looking for engineers to work on new Windows apps, the company emphasized that the job required experience with the Universal Windows Platform (UWP), which is basically the modern Windows app platform. As Apple has been expanding its investment in services, it makes sense for the company to offer apps for more platforms.
Last year, the first signs that Apple was planning to launch the Apple TV app on Microsoft Store were revealed in September, while the app was officially released two months later in November. A similar schedule may apply to Music and Podcasts apps.
What do you think about having Apple apps on Windows and Xbox? Let us know in the comments below.
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