San Francisco (CA) - Apple today introduced new features in the updated version of its media jukebox software for Macs and PCs. iTunes 8 comes with a new music recommendation engine called Genius, support high-definition TV shows that can now be watched on the computer. iTunes 8 also marks the return of content from NBC.
According to Jobs, iTunes now offers access to the 8.5 million songs, more than 125,000 podcasts, more than 30,000 TV shows, 2600 movies and 3000 applications for the iPhone and the iPod touch. "We've got over 65 million customers," said Jobs. "It's enabled us to become the number one music distributor in any format."
The updated media jukebox adds a new music recommendation engine called Genius that "automatically makes playlists from songs in your library that go great together with just one click." The new grid view lets users view their media collection by album covers, which are displayed as tiles. The Genius feature also scales to movies, TV shows and podcasts, but its primary use is to match songs from a user's library and help users find more music they may like.
The Genius feature also adds a dedicated sidebar that provides recommendations from the iTunes Store. It works by sending data from user's library to the iTunes Store cloud, enabling the company to analyze your music taste. Jobs said that it will work "completely anonymously," and will “learn” over time. "The results are tailored to your tastes and library," Jobs said.
A major new addition on the content side is the availability of TV shows in high-definition format. Previously only available on the Apple TV, users can now watch HD on their Macs or PCs with iTunes 8 installed. TV shows in standard definition are priced at $1.99; high-definition shows will cost $2.99.
The company is also making NBC content available again. "NBC is coming back to iTunes," Jobs said. "The Office is coming back, Monk, Battlestar Galactica, 30 Rock... and they're coming back in HD."
iTunes 8 is available as a free download for Mac or PC.
According to Jobs, iTunes now offers access to the 8.5 million songs, more than 125,000 podcasts, more than 30,000 TV shows, 2600 movies and 3000 applications for the iPhone and the iPod touch. "We've got over 65 million customers," said Jobs. "It's enabled us to become the number one music distributor in any format."
The updated media jukebox adds a new music recommendation engine called Genius that "automatically makes playlists from songs in your library that go great together with just one click." The new grid view lets users view their media collection by album covers, which are displayed as tiles. The Genius feature also scales to movies, TV shows and podcasts, but its primary use is to match songs from a user's library and help users find more music they may like.
The Genius feature also adds a dedicated sidebar that provides recommendations from the iTunes Store. It works by sending data from user's library to the iTunes Store cloud, enabling the company to analyze your music taste. Jobs said that it will work "completely anonymously," and will “learn” over time. "The results are tailored to your tastes and library," Jobs said.
A major new addition on the content side is the availability of TV shows in high-definition format. Previously only available on the Apple TV, users can now watch HD on their Macs or PCs with iTunes 8 installed. TV shows in standard definition are priced at $1.99; high-definition shows will cost $2.99.
The company is also making NBC content available again. "NBC is coming back to iTunes," Jobs said. "The Office is coming back, Monk, Battlestar Galactica, 30 Rock... and they're coming back in HD."
iTunes 8 is available as a free download for Mac or PC.