Is this our first glimpse of macOS 10.15’s Music and TV apps?

Image credit: Shutterstock (Image credit: Shutterstock)

We expect Apple to officially show off macOS 10.15 – the upcoming version of its operating system for Mac and MacBook computers – at its WWDC 2019 event on June 3, and screenshots have emerged that appear to show off the new Music and TV apps that are being rumored to debut with the update.

We’ve been hearing for a while that Apple is planning to break up its iTunes software into separate apps, and these screenshots – if real – show how those apps will look.

Previous rumors suggested that the macOS 10.15 Music app would basically be iTunes – with a similar interface and built on the same code – and these screenshots back that up, with both the Music and TV apps having user interfaces that look a lot like iTunes, with a colored sidebar and a media player at the top.

Familiarity breeds contempt

Having the two new apps look – and we assume behave – so similarly to iTunes will at least make them easy to use, as anyone familiar with iTunes will be able to find their way around the apps without any problem.

According to the screenshots, the Music app in macOS 10.15 will be able to sync to a user’s iPhone, iPad and iPod, much like iTunes, with the devices appearing in the sidebar.

The search bar has been slightly moved, and now resides in the sidebar, and from there you can search your own local music library, as well as Apple’s Music streaming service – which is a feature included in iTunes.

The TV app lets you browse shows by genre in the sidebar, while along the top are options for ‘Watch Now’, ‘Movies’, ‘TV Shows’, ‘Kids’ and ‘Library’.

However, the similarities with iTunes may disappoint anyone who was hoping Apple would take this opportunity to do something more innovative with the new apps.

For example, many of us were hoping the Music and TV apps would be based on Apple’s Marzipan tech, which allows apps to run on both iOS devices like iPhones, and on macOS computers.

Instead, if these images (which were published by 9to5Mac, which received them from an anonymous source) are genuine, it looks like Apple is playing it safe with these new apps.

Matt Hanson
Managing Editor, Core Tech

Matt is TechRadar's Managing Editor for Core Tech, looking after computing and mobile technology. Having written for a number of publications such as PC Plus, PC Format, T3 and Linux Format, there's no aspect of technology that Matt isn't passionate about, especially computing and PC gaming. He’s personally reviewed and used most of the laptops in our best laptops guide - and since joining TechRadar in 2014, he's reviewed over 250 laptops and computing accessories personally.

Latest in macOS
macOS Catalina
A secret project, a stubborn developer, and a lot of glossy icons: here's the story behind macOS’s Dock as it turns 25
A woman sitting on a couch cross-legged and using a laptop
Essential apps and features to start getting the most out of your brand-new Mac
A woman sitting at a table with various objects on it, including a MacBook, a mug, a book, an opened notebook, and holding her head with her hands as if in frustration
It looks like macOS Sequoia 15.2 update breaks third-party bootable backups - and that has me worried
Genmoji Cowboy Frog Apple Intelligence
macOS Sequoia 15.3 beta brings Genmoji to Mac, allowing you to serve up custom emojis that really represent you
Person using a MacBook sat on sofa
Your Mac’s menu bar will finally get a weather widget in macOS Sequoia 15.2 – plus these Apple Intelligence features
The Apple Magic Mouse on a white surface next to the Magic Keyboard.
Planning to buy Apple’s new USB-C Magic accessories? Make sure you’re running macOS Sequoia 15.1 first
Latest in News
Three angles of the Apple MacBook Air 15-inch M4 laptop above a desk
Apple MacBook Air 15-inch (M4) review roundup – should you buy Apple's new lightweight laptop?
Witchbrook
Witchbrook, the life-sim I've been waiting years for, finally has a release window and it's sooner than you think
Amazon Echo Smart Speaker
Amazon is experimenting with renaming Echo speakers to Alexa Devices, and it's about time
Shigeru Miyamoto presents Nintendo Today app
Nintendo Today smartphone app is out now on iOS and Android devices – and here's what it does
Nintendo Virtual Game Card
Nintendo reveals the new Virtual Game Card feature, an easier way to manage your digital Switch games
Isometric demonstrating multi-factor authentication using a mobile device.
NCSC gets influencers to sing the praises of 2FA