Steve Jobs: Support for iTunes Extras and iTunes LP 'Coming' to New Apple TV

161706 itunes extras itunes lps

One of the features missing on the new Apple TV launched in September has been support for iTunes Extras and iTunes LPs, two sets of enhanced content available on select iTunes Store purchases.

When you purchase an album with iTunes LP, you receive the songs from the album, plus special features such as lyrics, photos, videos, credits, and more. When you buy a film with iTunes Extras, you'll receive the featured movie and chapter selection along with special features such as movie stills, deleted scenes, exclusive interviews, and behind-the-scenes footage.

Introduced with iTunes 9 in September 2009, iTunes Extras and iTunes LPs made their way to the original Apple TV with the Apple TV 3.0 software update the following month. But with a move to iOS for the new Apple TV, that compatibility has gone missing.

One MacRumors reader, Conor Winders of Redwind Software, recently emailed Apple CEO Steve Jobs to ask about the future of iTunes Extras and iTunes LP on the new Apple TV, and Jobs offered a customarily-brief reply:

Q: I've been a massive fan of the original Apple TV since it launched, in fact I have 2 of my own and have bought a fair few as gifts over the years. So as soon as the new Apple TV was released I bought one. Overall it's a fantastic update for me as I always stream from my Mac mini anyway. But here's the kicker - Where are iTunes Extras and iTunes LP gone? I've purposely been buying content with those features just for my Apple TVs. And now the features are unusable on my new box?! Is there an update coming to fix this?

A: Coming.

Sent from my iPhone.

It is unclear when we might be able to expect support for iTunes Extras and iTunes LP to come to the new Apple TV, but an update for the device is expected alongside the imminent iOS 4.2 update for other iOS devices in order to support AirPlay streaming functionality.

If iTunes Extras and iTunes LPs do make the transition to the new iOS-based Apple TV, it seems natural that they could also make their way to other iOS devices such as the iPad at some point. The iPad was seen as a strong opportunity for Apple to promote iTunes LPs in particular, offering users the ability to experience the enhanced content on a tablet-sized screen right in their hands, but iTunes LPs remain unsupported on the iPad and limited to only iTunes on Mac and PC.

Related Roundup: Apple TV
Buyer's Guide: Apple TV (Caution)

Top Rated Comments

myke323 Avatar
175 months ago
I love how the guy starts off with about 5 sentences of complete kiss-ass before he asks the question...
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Popular Stories

reset password request iphone

Warning: Apple Users Targeted in Phishing Attack Involving Rapid Password Reset Requests

Tuesday March 26, 2024 4:34 pm PDT by
Phishing attacks taking advantage of Apple's password reset feature have become increasingly common, according to a report from KrebsOnSecurity. Multiple Apple users have been targeted in an attack that bombards them with an endless stream of notifications or multi-factor authentication (MFA) messages in an attempt to cause panic so they'll respond favorably to social engineering. An...
maxresdefault

Apple to Launch New iPad Pro and iPad Air Models in May

Thursday March 28, 2024 11:07 am PDT by
Apple will introduce new iPad Pro and iPad Air models in early May, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. Gurman previously suggested the new iPads would come out in March, and then April, but the timeline has been pushed back once again. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos. Apple is working on updates to both the iPad Pro and iPad Air models. The iPad Pro models will...
Generic iOS 18 Feature Purple

iOS 18: What to Expect From 'Biggest' Update in iPhone's History

Wednesday March 27, 2024 11:10 am PDT by
At least some Apple software engineers continue to believe that iOS 18 will be the "biggest" update in the iPhone's history, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. Below, we recap rumored features and changes for the iPhone. "The iOS 18 update is expected to be the most ambitious overhaul of the iPhone's software in its history, according to people working on the upgrade," wrote Gurman, in a r...
maxresdefault

Apple Announces WWDC 2024 Event for June 10 to 14

Tuesday March 26, 2024 10:02 am PDT by
Apple today announced that its 35th annual Worldwide Developers Conference is set to take place from Monday, June 10 to Friday, June 14. As with WWDC events since 2020, WWDC 2024 will be an online event that is open to all developers at no cost. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos. WWDC 2024 will include online sessions and labs so that developers can learn about new...
apple maps 3d feature

Apple Maps May Gain Custom Routes With iOS 18

Tuesday March 26, 2024 3:10 pm PDT by
Apple may be planning to add support for "custom routes" in Apple Maps in iOS 18, according to code reviewed by MacRumors. Apple Maps does not currently offer a way to input self-selected routes, with Maps users limited to Apple's pre-selected options, but that may change in iOS 18. Apple has pushed an iOS 18 file to its maps backend labeled "CustomRouteCreation." While not much is revealed...
General iOS 17 Feature Orange Purple

Apple Releases Revised Versions of iOS 17.4.1 and iPadOS 17.4.1 With Updated Build Number

Wednesday March 27, 2024 5:59 am PDT by
Apple on late Tuesday released revised versions of iOS 17.4.1 and iPadOS 17.4.1 with an updated build number of 21E237, according to MacRumors contributor Aaron Perris. The updates previously had a build number of 21E236. The revised updates are available for all iPhone and iPad models that are compatible with iOS 17 and iPadOS 17, but they can only be installed via the Finder app on macOS...
applephilschiller

Apple's Phil Schiller Works 80 Hours a Week Overseeing App Store

Wednesday March 27, 2024 2:03 pm PDT by
With the App Store and app ecosystem undergoing major changes in the European Union, The Wall Street Journal today shared a profile on App Store chief Phil Schiller, who is responsible for the App Store. Though Schiller transitioned from marketing chief to "Apple Fellow" in 2020 to take a step back from Apple and spend more time on personal projects and friends, he is reportedly working...