Apple Releases Revamped iTunes Festival App Ahead of SXSW, iOS 7.1 Not Required

Apple today updated its iTunes Festival app to version 5.0, ahead of next week's SXSW iTunes Festival, which kicks off on Tuesday, March 11. As noted by MacStories, the iTunes Festival app shows up in the iTunes Store with a revamped icon and is listed as having a "refreshed design" and support for SXSW, but the app isn't available for download in the U.S. just yet.

itunesfestivalapp
Clicking on the download link results in an error message that asks users to try again later, but it will presumably be downloadable shortly. Users in other countries have been able to download the app with iOS 7.0.6, suggesting SXSW streaming does not require iOS 7.1 as was reported earlier this week.

Apple's SXSW iTunes Festival is the first it has hosted in the United States, with previous iTunes Festivals occurring annually in London. The festival will offer five free nights of music, beginning on March 11 at Austin City Limits Live at the Moody Theater in Austin, Texas. Featured artists include Coldplay, Imagine Dragons, Kendrick Lamar, Soundgarden, Pitbull, Keith Urban, and more.

All of Apple's iTunes Festival concerts are presented for free, with tickets available via a lottery system. Live and on-demand streams of the shows will be available through the revamped iTunes Festival app and the Apple TV.

Update 2:07 PM PST: The iTunes Festival app can now be downloaded from the App Store. [Direct Link]

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Top Rated Comments

CosmoPilot Avatar
148 months ago
So much for Gruber's stellar record!
Score: 19 Votes (Like | Disagree)
tmaxxtigger Avatar
148 months ago
There go any hopes of getting 7.1 anytime soon....
Score: 13 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Sky Blue Avatar
148 months ago
That little birdie was wrong!
Score: 11 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Lucky736 Avatar
148 months ago
So much for all those stories of needing iOS 7.1

Score: 10 Votes (Like | Disagree)
TC03 Avatar
148 months ago
7.1 will be released when it's ready... If they rushed it you'd complain and taking too long means more complaining...

I've worked on 7.1 Beta 1-5, let me tell you - You don't want it until it's ready...
Ugh. Stop being so awkwardly condescending.

Of course he wants it when it's ready. He wants it because rumours were that it'd be ready in the first week of March.

Second, 7.0 has been out for almost 8 months with crappy performance. Taking 8 months is not 'rushing'.
Score: 9 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Richardgm Avatar
148 months ago
I dont even know anymore

Hope in humanity is gone.
Score: 9 Votes (Like | Disagree)