Skip to main content

Designer mocks up an Apple Music without the iTunes

In its short lifetime, Apple Music has had both praise and criticism heaped on its shoulders — you can read our own take on the streaming music service for more details — but it seems everyone agrees that iTunes is an unwieldy and bloated software package that should be retired gracefully. Now a graphic artist has imagined what Apple’s new music service would look like without the old app.

Designer and developer Andrew Ambrosino wanted to cut down on the clutter and has produced a series of concept images showing what a standalone Apple Music might look like. The desktop software he envisions is much more streamlined and easy on the eyes, but everything fits in seamlessly with the aesthetics of OS X Yosemite and El Capitan. He’s even added a new miniplayer for good measure.

Recommended Videos

“I, like many, had very high hopes for Apple Music,” writes Ambrosino. “I, like many, was a Spotify user looking for a better experience and a mature Apple-esque ‘final word’ on how to design a streaming music app. And I, like many, have had nothing but disappointment for Apple’s newest service.”

“For Apple Music to win, iTunes as we know it must die,” he continues. “Anyone who uses Mac regularly with Apple Music is clamoring for a standalone Apple Music app, just like on iOS, and just like Photos on OS X. Being a designer, complaining about it wasn’t enough for me. I was curious to see what I could put together, so I took three or four days to work on a concept.”

And it’s hard not to be impressed by what Ambrosino has put together — a dedicated music app for the desktop that looks like it would be a pleasure to use. What you do think of the design? And what’s been your experience of the Apple Music experience so far? Feel free to weigh in in the comments.

David Nield
Former Contributor
Dave is a freelance journalist from Manchester in the north-west of England. He's been writing about technology since the…
iOS 19 isn’t coming this fall … because Apple is calling it something else
The back of the Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max.

Apple will unveil the latest version of the iPhone operating system at WWDC next month, but apparently it won’t be “iOS 19.”

The tech giant is going to shake up the naming system for iOS, with the next version set to be called iOS 26, according to a Bloomberg report by prominent Apple tipster Mark Gurman on Wednesday.

Read more
I can’t choose between Google and Apple, and it just got much harder
A person taking the Google Pixel 9a out of a pocket.

As I watched the Google I/O 2025 keynote, there were several product demonstrations which really stood out to me, not just because they were technically impressive and exciting, but also because none were ones I could ever imagine Apple showing off during a public presentation in the same way.

It reignited an age-old battle within me. Which approach do I prefer? Google and its incredible “moonshots” which may or may not actually be useful, or even become products I can buy, or Apple and its carefully considered demos firmly rooted in the real-world, benefits and all? 

Read more
Apple Music just made the move from Spotify easier than ever
An iPhone 15 Pro Max on a wooden table displaying streaming apps Amazon Music, Qobuz, Apple Music, Tidal, Sonos, and Spotify.

Apple is beginning to roll out a new tool that makes it easier to shift from Spotify to Apple Music.

In fact this new addition allows people to shift from any streaming service over to Apple Music with more ease.

Read more