Just ahead of the iOS 7 final release, Apple has released the final version of iTunes 11.1 to the public. If you plan to upgrade your iPhone, iPad or iPod touch to iOS 7, then you should download and install iTunes 11.1.
iTunes 11.1, which had been available as a beta for a while to registered developers, brings a lot of features apart from support for iOS 7 and the newest iPhones. The most important feature is, of course, Apple’s all-new free music streaming service iTunes Radio.
Here’s the full changelog:
- iTunes Radio. iTunes Radio is a great new way to discover music. Choose from over 250 stations or start a new one from your favorite artist or song. Enjoy iTunes Radio ad-free once you subscribe to iTunes Match.
- Genius Shuffle. Introducing a magical new way to experience your music library. Choose Genius Shuffle and iTunes instantly plays songs that go great together. Click it again to hear something new—enjoying your music has never been this easy.
- Podcast Stations. You can now create custom stations of your favorite podcasts that update automatically with new episodes. Your stations, subscriptions, and current play position sync over iCloud to the Podcasts app.
- Sync with iOS 7. You can now use iTunes to sync your favorite music, movies, and more to devices with iOS 7. In addition, iTunes now makes it even easier to quickly organize and sync apps to your iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch. Note: If you are using OS X Mavericks, your book library can now be found in iBooks for Mac.
iTunes 11.1 is available for both Windows and Mac, and you can install the update from Apple’s iTunes download page.
Alternatively, you can check the “Updates” tab on the Mac App Store to install iTunes 11.1.
Even if you plan to do an OTA upgrade to iOS 7, it’s probably a good idea to have the latest version of iTunes on your PC/Mac, so that in case anything goes wrong, you can always do a clean iOS 7 install.
Update: It looks as if Apple’s servers aren’t able to handle the traffic, with some users reporting downloads getting interrupted midway due to “Server error.”
