Apple Releases iTunes 12.5.5 With 'Minor App and Performance Improvements' - MacRumors
Skip to Content

Apple Releases iTunes 12.5.5 With 'Minor App and Performance Improvements'

by

newitunes122logoAlongside macOS Sierra 10.12.3, iOS 10.2.1, watchOS 3.1.3, and tvOS 10.1.1, Apple has released an update to its iTunes software for Mac and Windows, introducing iTunes 12.5.5.

Apple does not provide much information on what's included in the iTunes 12.5.5 update. According to the company's release notes, iTunes 12.5.5 introduces "minor app and performance improvements."

iTunes 12.5.5 can be downloaded immediately from the Software Update feature in the Mac App Store. The Windows version can be downloaded using the "Check for Update" feature built into the iTunes help menu.

iTunes 12.5.5 follows iTunes 12.5.4, which was released in December and introduced support for the TV app and the Touch Bar on the new MacBook Pro models.

Tag: iTunes
Related Forum: Mac Apps

Top Rated Comments

126 months ago
This update made iTunes more responsive, and fixed a bug that was preventing me from using wifi sync to my iPhone. I think this is a good update. People shouldn’t complain so much.
Score: 11 Votes (Like | Disagree)
126 months ago
All I know is that every update seems to slow down my Mac. Sierra is totally unoptimized, brought everything to a go slow. Siri on Sierra is atrocious as well, gets 95% of my requests wrong. Why isn't Mac Siri more like iPhone Siri?

Tip to Apple, don't release software updates unless they are fully optimized, stop destroying the experience, stop destroying the hardware.
[doublepost=1485227840][/doublepost]
Explain why please. I'm keen to know why the older version was much better.
Why? The user interface and utility of it.

I'm including a screenshot of our from somewhere else in the web for all to remember and examine. Very smooth and clean interface that exposed a lot of functionality (IMO).



This interface entices me even today.

Attachment Image

Attachment Image
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Jessica Lares Avatar
126 months ago
There is a new bug, if you're not using iCloud Library, that will permanently delete tracks from your library if you remove them from a playlist.

http://www.kirkville.com/itunes-12-5-5-be-careful-how-you-delete-items-from-playlists/
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
ccsicecoke Avatar
126 months ago
I just want my iTunes 10 back!
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
logicstudiouser Avatar
126 months ago
How so? I certainly don't seem to get Genius results for any additional tracks, and iTunes long stopped offering me a Genius option for newly added tracks. :(
It isn't available for additional tracks (at least right now), but the iTunes interface has become more genius friendly than past iTunes 12 releases in terms of accessibility and more noticeable Genius presence from the dropdown menus, potentially meaning that a fix for newer songs is coming soon. Apple has also updated their support topic on iTunes Genius this month.
If you look for my thread on here 'iTunes Genius dead?' under the Apple Services section on page 2, I share an email followup where the issue is acknowledged and that Apple is 'investigating' to fix 'permanently'.
Based on my library assessment, Genius seems to work for tracks released up to about July-August 2015. From what I have heard from an advisor at Apple, the standard time for genius to be available is around 90 days after a song's release date.
My theory is that when Apple started using the heart symbol (summer 2015) for songs users liked, that messed up the Genius algorithm which relies on not just playlists that users creates, but also star ratings and other factors. I also think that Apple Music has been a factor in the interruption of the Genius service.
Anyway, I am optimistic they fix this.
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
JaguarF Avatar
126 months ago
I know the feeling - because I want my iTunes 6 back!

That was peak iTunes IMO. It'll never be so great again.
I started on iTunes 4.1 back in 2003. Those were the days. iPod with touch-wheel, OS X 10.3 on PowerPC iMac. :)
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Popular Stories

iphone duo

Apple Announces Foldable 'iPhone Duo'

Wednesday September 9, 2026 10:56 am PDT by
Apple today announced the "iPhone Duo," a new kind of iPhone featuring two screens and a foldable inner display. The two halves of the iPhone Duo connect into a single continuous frame with the same aspect ratio across both displays, and Apple said the transition between open and closed is designed to feel fluid. When fully open, Apple says it is the thinnest iPhone ever made, with an...
Surprise and Shine Live Coverage Article

Apple Event Live Blog: iPhone Duo, iPhone 18 Pro, and More

Wednesday September 9, 2026 9:10 am PDT by
Apple's "Surprise and Shine" event kicks off today at 10:00 a.m. Pacific Time, where we're expecting to see the foldable iPhone Duo, the iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max, Apple Watch Series 12 and Ultra 4 models, new AirPods 5 earphones, and perhaps some other announcements. Apple is providing a live video stream on its website, on YouTube, and in the company's TV app across various platforms. We...
iOS 27 Feature Dark

Apple Announces iOS 27 Release Date

Wednesday September 9, 2026 10:46 am PDT by
At its event today unveiling the iPhone 18 Pro, AirPods 5, Apple Watch Series 12, and more, Apple announced that iOS 27 will be released later this month. iOS 27 has already been available as a developer beta since June and as a public beta since July, and Apple today said that the update will be released for all users with a compatible iPhone model on Monday, September 14. iOS 27 is...