A new version of iTunes will launch in October, but Apple's music-themed social network Ping will not be part of it.
Apple says the service, which allowed users to follow artists and recommend music, will shut down on September 30 and, as a result, has ceased accepting new members.
The quiet termination was announced through its section of iTunes immediately following the iPhone 5 keynote address, during which the new iteration of the content portal was extensively previewed.
Ping launched in 2010 to promote music discovery and, above all, sell more digital music through iTunes.
More Facebook and Twitter integration
In one of Apple's few failures of recent years, Ping was never widely adopted and served only to cause friction between Cupertino and Facebook - a relationship which is still somewhat in recovery.
During a recent interview Apple CEO Tim Cook said: "We tried Ping, and I think the customer voted and said 'This isn't something that I want to put a lot of energy into.'"
It seems that Apple is abandoning its own social networking aspirations in order to focus on deeper integration with Twitter and Facebook.
The new version of the iTunes Store will have a Facebook 'Like' button on every page to enable easier sharing of albums, music, apps, movies and more.
Via: 9to5Mac
