Major iTunes update expected Monday as death of music download rumors persist

Last month a rumor surfaced claiming Apple could be preparing to kill off iTunes music downloads within two years. Apple was quick to deny the claims, but the same anonymous sources apparently insist that it could still happen in just a few short years.

According to Digital Music News, which also reported the original rumor, Apple is considering a proposal to kill music downloads entirely in two or three years. The exact date may depend on how quickly music sales continue to drop as streaming services gain momentum. The sources also note that there may be some internal company politics at play.

In the meantime, Apple is apparently prepping a major iTunes redesign that will clean up the bloated desktop software and pave the way for future plans. The update could bring iTunes downloads and Apple Music into harmony. It would also make it easier to kill offer music downloads in the future without trashing iTunes entirely as a result.

Apple’s expected to unveil the new version of iTunes next week at WWDC 2016. We’ll be covering the annual developers conference live from California, where we’re also likely to see iOS 10 and a new version of OS X (possibly renamed Mac OS) revealed onstage.