'iTunes Producer 2.6' Appears in OS X Software Update

itunesproducer
Several readers have noticed the appearance of 'iTunes Producer 2.6' in their OS X Software Update. iTunes Producer is Apple's submission tool for music (and books) to the Apple iTunes Store.

iTunes Producer: This free software application allows you to prepare your music for direct delivery to iTunes. Use it to encode your music in AAC format; enter album, song, and cover art information; and send your prepared files directly to Apple for consideration.

The appearance has generated some confusion amongst users who are unfamiliar with the software, suggesting it may have been inadvertently pushed to unintended users via Apple's OS X Software Update mechanism.

iTunes Producer is also the publishing software for iBooks Author books, so the update may be detecting users who have simply installed iBooks Author as well. When publishing books from iBooks Author, users are required to register for an iTunes Connect account in order to download the iTunes Producer software.

Popular Stories

iOS 26

iOS 26.1 Coming Soon: New Features for Your iPhone and Release Date

Monday October 27, 2025 7:55 am PDT by
The upcoming iOS 26.1 update includes a handful of new features and changes for iPhones, including a toggle for changing the appearance of the Liquid Glass design, "slide to stop" for alarms in the Clock app, and more. Below, we outline key details about iOS 26.1. Release Date Given that Apple has yet to seed an iOS 26.1 Release Candidate, which is typically the final beta version, the...
iOS 26

6 New Things Your iPhone Can Do in iOS 26.1

Wednesday October 29, 2025 4:22 am PDT by
Apple is about to drop iOS 26.1, the first major point release since iOS 26 was rolled out in September, and there are at least six notable changes and improvements to look forward to. We've rounded them up below. Apple has already provided developers and public beta testers with the release candidate version of iOS 26.1, which means Apple will likely roll out the update to all compatible...
maxresdefault

Apple TV 4K Could Still Launch Before 2025 Ends: All the Rumored Features

Monday October 27, 2025 4:51 pm PDT by
Apple is designing an updated version of the Apple TV 4K, and rumors suggest that it could come out sometime in the next couple of months. We're not expecting a major overhaul with design changes, but even a simple chip upgrade will bring major improvements to Apple's set-top box. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos. We've rounded up all the latest Apple TV rumors. ...
M6 MacBook Pro Feature 1

M6 MacBook Pro: Release Date, Pricing, and What to Expect

Monday October 27, 2025 9:15 am PDT by
Apple this month refreshed the 14-inch MacBook Pro base model with its new M5 chip, and higher-end 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro models with M5 Pro and M5 Max chips are expected to follow in early 2026. However, these machines will represent the final update to the current design, with Apple reportedly developing a completely new version of the MacBook Pro packed with next-generation hardware...
iOS 26

Apple Seeds iOS 26.1, iPadOS 26.1, and macOS Tahoe 26.1 Release Candidates

Tuesday October 28, 2025 1:07 pm PDT by
Apple today provided developers and public beta testers with the release candidate versions of upcoming iOS 26.1, iPadOS 26.1, macOS Tahoe 26.1, tvOS 26.1, watchOS 26.1, and visionOS 26.1 updates for testing purposes. The RCs betas come a week after Apple released the fourth betas. The new betas can be downloaded from the Settings app on a compatible device by going to General > Software...
iOS 26 Battery Glass Feature

iOS 26.1 Beta Liquid Glass Battery Drain Test: Tinted vs Clear Mode

Friday October 24, 2025 2:30 pm PDT by
In the fourth iOS 26.1 beta, Apple added a "Tinted" option that reduces the translucency of Liquid Glass for those who prefer a more opaque look. I saw some comments wondering whether the setting might preserve battery life, so I thought I'd do some testing. Test Settings I did four separate tests using the iPhone 17 Pro Max, and I kept the parameters as similar as possible. Here are the...
ios 26 digital id passport wallet

Apple Says U.S. Passport Feature on iPhone is Coming Soon

Monday October 27, 2025 7:41 am PDT by
You will "soon" be able to add a digital version of your U.S. passport to your iPhone, according to Jennifer Bailey, vice president of Apple Pay and Apple Wallet. Bailey reiterated that the feature is coming soon during her keynote at the Money20/20 USA conference in Las Vegas on Sunday. On its iOS 26 page, Apple says the delayed feature will be "coming later this year." Apple's...
macos tahoe

Here Are Apple's Release Notes for macOS Tahoe 26.1

Tuesday October 28, 2025 1:21 pm PDT by
Apple today provided developers and public beta testers with the release candidate version of macOS Tahoe 26.1, which means the update will likely see a public launch next week. The release candidate includes notes on what's in the update, so we have a full picture of the new features that Apple has included. macOS Tahoe 26.1 adds AutoMix support over AirPlay, improved FaceTime audio...
iPhone Car Key Kia

Another Vehicle Brand Gaining iPhone Car Keys Support

Tuesday October 28, 2025 5:27 am PDT by
Apple is preparing to bring support for its digital car key feature to Jetour vehicles, according to evidence uncovered on Apple's backend by MacRumors contributor Aaron Perris. Introduced in 2022, Car Keys allows an iPhone or Apple Watch to unlock a vehicle through the Wallet app. A digital version of a car key is stored in Wallet, and unlocking can be done by holding an Apple Watch or...

Top Rated Comments

Movura Avatar
178 months ago
By the looks of it, it's also the new Application Loader. This is what I see when I log in with my account...



I'm guessing that they're rolling everything into the one package.

I'd also suggest that this isn't meant for public consumption just yet.
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
tubbymac Avatar
178 months ago

iTunes Producer is also the publishing software for iBooks Author books, so the update may be detecting users who have simply installed iBooks Author as well.

I do not have iBooks Author installed but I still get iTunes Producer showing up in my software update, so I don't think the above is true - at least in my case.
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
SkippyThorson Avatar
178 months ago
I was all ready to jump on here and ask, or submit something to Arn via Messages, but of course the folks on here were quicker than myself. :p I always appreciate how on-the-ball the team is.

Anyhow, I installed it after reading about it here. I have a book going in iBooks Author that, when finished, I'd like submitted, obviously. Any tool that makes this easier is a welcome addition. It installed just fine, yet Software Update does try to look for and install it again, as some here have mentioned. Also to note, it really doesn't look like it was ready for primetime, but that's just my opinion.

Personally, I can't see any negative impact if you submit content to any of the App Stores. The only downside as far as I can tell is for users who are trying to save precious space on a MacBook Air or a smaller SSD. It's not a huge program by any means, so it doesn't bother me.

My only question regarding it is why such a Utility (not a full-featured program, really) would go into the general Applications folder and not in Applications -> Utilities, much like QuickTime 7 that got pushed there when the new version came out.

I have one thought too; I really feel like I've seen that orange ball in the icon somewhere before. I can't put my finger on it.

-----

ghwis.wordpress.com (http://gwhiz.wordpress.com/2008/01/08/itunes-producer-under-the-hood/) (which I've never heard of; Google-searched it) wrote a long article with tons of screenshots, info, and a walkthrough back in 2007.

Looks like iTunes Producer has been around a while; I at least found version 1.6 built in to iTunes. Perhaps this new version just divides this out of iTunes and makes Producer its own application; ready to suit any Apple Store; whether it be iOS Apps, iTunes, Mac Apps, iBooks, etc.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
AdeFowler Avatar
178 months ago
Showing up for me. I have Xcode installed but not iBooks Author.

This would never happen in Steve's day /jk
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Sky Blue Avatar
178 months ago
Wow, the icon is mid-00's Apple.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Westacular Avatar
178 months ago
I do not have iBooks Author installed but I still get iTunes Producer showing up in my software update, so I don't think the above is true - at least in my case.

Same for me. In fact, I'm running 10.6.8, so I can't even install iBooks Author, which is Lion-only. But iTunes Producer 2.6 is showing up for me in software update.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)