Apple Releases iTunes 12.5.1 With Revamped Apple Music Design - MacRumorsOpen MenuShow RoundupsShow Forums menuVisit ForumsOpen Sidebar
Skip to Content

Apple Releases iTunes 12.5.1 With Revamped Apple Music Design

by

newitunes122logoApple today released a new version of iTunes, iTunes 12.5.1, which is available for OS X El Capitan and macOS Sierra users. iTunes 12.5.1 introduces a new Apple Music design, bringing Apple Music on the desktop in line with Apple Music on mobile devices just ahead of the release of iOS 10.

The update also brings macOS Sierra-specific features including support for Siri, allowing users to ask Siri to play songs on machines running macOS Sierra, and it includes support for Picture-in-Picture, another new Sierra feature.

iTunes 12.5.1 can be downloaded immediately from the Software Update mechanism in the Mac App Store.

Now with an all-new Apple Music design which brings greater clarity and simplicity to every aspect of the experience.

This update includes support for iOS 10. It also adds enhancements designed for macOS Sierra including:

- Siri. Play music from your Library and Apple Music using your voice. Just ask Siri.
- Picture-in-Picture. Watch videos as you multitask and use different apps. Your video floats above your desktop in any corner of the screen.

While iOS 10 is being introduced today with an all new Apple Music experience that focuses on a cleaner look and easier to use interface, macOS Sierra will not be released until next Tuesday, September 20.

Tag: iTunes
Related Forum: Mac Apps

Popular Stories

iOS 27 Next to iPhone

Here's When iOS 27 Rolls Out Today in Every Time Zone [Update: It's Out]

Sunday September 13, 2026 3:00 am PDT by
Update 10:04 a.m.: iOS 27 is rolling out now, though it may take a bit for all users to see it, so keep checking! Apple is about to release iOS 27, which will finally deliver more advanced Siri AI capabilities as well as a variety of other refinements, improvements, and new features to iPhones. It's Apple's biggest software update of the year, and Apple announced at Wednesday's iPhone event...
Read Full Article • 151 comments
iOS 27 Icon iPhone

iOS 27 Available Now With These 8 New Features

Monday September 14, 2026 9:00 am PDT by
Update — 10 a.m. Pacific Time: Apple has released iOS 27. During its iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone Duo event last week, Apple announced that iOS 27 will be released widely on Monday, September 14. iOS 27 should be available around 10 a.m. Pacific Time / 1 p.m. Eastern Time today via the Settings app, under General → Software Update. Below, we have highlighted eight new features and...
Read Full Article • 111 comments
Apple iCloud Plus expansion hero

iCloud+ Now Includes Apple TV, Apple Arcade, and Curated Apple Music Stations in Over 100 Countries

Tuesday September 15, 2026 1:43 am PDT by
Apple today announced a new subscription initiative that turns paid iCloud+ subscriptions into a broader services bundle in more than 100 countries. In select countries, Apple says every paid iCloud+ plan, including the cheapest 50GB tier, now includes Apple TV and Apple Arcade "at no additional cost," while family sharing extends the storage, TV and Arcade access to up to five people....
Read Full Article • 105 comments

Top Rated Comments

mr.bee Avatar
mr.bee
131 months ago
Just don't tell me they removed star ratings from this too...
star rating is still there :)
Score: 19 Votes (Like | Disagree)
ghsDUDE Avatar
ghsDUDE
131 months ago
I miss the good ole' days of album art on the bottom left corner...
Score: 15 Votes (Like | Disagree)
nagromme Avatar
nagromme
131 months ago
Just don't tell me they removed star ratings from this too...
Yikes! Didn't realize star ratings were gone from iOS Music app. I use star ratings heavily on both iOS and Mac.

A little research suggests I'll be inconvenienced but still able to do what I do. iOS 10 testers report that:

- Smart Playlists still work on iOS 10 and respond to star ratings as always.

- You can tell Siri "Rate this song 4 stars" to avoid having to rate from your Mac/PC.

Really hope the on-screen star ratings come back though!

My decade-old system:

5 stars: the VERY best of the best
4 stars: my favorite songs
3 stars: all the rest of the songs I like
2 stars: neutral—but OK to have in shuffle for variety so I don't get as tired of my favorites
1 star: dislike!
0 stars: unrated, need to decide

Then I can devote as much or as little space to my music on each device as I want, by syncing Smart Playlists like "2+ Stars" and "4+ Stars."
Score: 13 Votes (Like | Disagree)
M
mkaen
131 months ago
Just don't tell me they removed star ratings from this too...
Score: 10 Votes (Like | Disagree)
ipedro Avatar
ipedro
131 months ago
Looking forward to an Apple Music app for macOS next year.

There's no reason why iTunes should still be around as the bloated everythingware that it is.

The App Store could manage iOS apps and syncing. iCloud already does backups but for the sake of those who want to plug in, macOS could handle the backup.

For those who still want to buy music rather than stream it, they'll have Apple Music like everyone else but next to each song and album will be a buy button. It'll certainly entice them to pay the $9.99 and get all you can listen to for one flat price.

All that is remaining is a dedicated Movies/TV app for iOS and macOS. Maybe a deal with movie and tv studios for a streaming video service like Apple Music will be reached for WWDC 2017 and we can move on from storing huge libraries of movies and tv shows on our computers and just watch what we want to watch, when we want to watch it.
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)
C
chiefsilverback
131 months ago
I've upgraded but now I "can't connect to iCloud Music Library"!
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Read All Comments