iTunes Logo
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5.2

Overall Score

Author: Kaitlyn Short

LAST UPDATED: June 3rd, 2024

Apple created and launched iTunes in January of 2001, allowing users to listen to music anywhere on their Apple devices. iTunes became a noteworthy addition to the streaming industry as Apple added streaming movie and TV through iTunes and Apple TV. iTunes is now more than just a music player or a podcast app. This plunge into the television streaming space adds to the many unplugged streaming entertainment options.

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The Good

  • Ad-free
  • No subscription
  • One place for all content

One Place for Music, Movies, TV, and Pictures

iTunes allows users to have access to all of their Apple content (music, movies, TV, video, and pictures) in one place, the iTunes library. This is a unique feature in the streaming TV industry. It's an added convenience to customers to have all of their content in one place.

Apple TV Integration

For $99 users can purchase Apple TV, a streaming device that syncs with other Apple devices and allows users to watch their favorite shows and movies from their TV and other Apple devices.

Parental Controls and Ad-Free

Users are able to watch movies ad-free and have parental controls for movies, giving flexibility for family viewing.

Great Mobile App

Apple has created a great iTunes app for its users that's available in the app store. The overall user experience is great and users give the iTunes mobile app a rating of over 4 stars.

No Monthly Fee

iTunes users don't pay a monthly fee to use iTunes.  Users simply pay per rental or purchase. Overall, iTunes is a great entertainment platform where users can access music and pictures, and stream TV and movies.  Users are able to watch movies ad-free and have access to parental controls while watching. And with a large library of over 2,000 TV series and over 20,500 movies to choose from, users have a great selection.

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The Bad

  • More expensive
  • Apple products exclusively
  • No free library

More Expensive Than Others

TV episodes and movies can be a little pricier to rent on iTunes.  Rentals start around $3.99 for movies and $2.99 for new TV episodes.

Only Works with Apple Products

Even though iTunes provides syncing with all of your other Apple products, they are closed off to other common devices (like those using Android).

New Releases Only Available for Purchase

iTunes has a large library to choose from, but new releases are only available to purchase, not rent.  Whereas Amazon Prime allows its customers the option of purchase or rental.

Apple TV Restrictions

With Apple TV, users can't play DVD's, CD's, or do any kind of recording of their favorite TV shows. Also, no cables come with the purchase of an Apple TV and will need to be purchased separately.

No Free Library

With iTunes users pay per rental or purchase.  There is no library of free movies and TV for users to access.  This is mainly due to the fact that users do not pay a monthly fee. Although iTunes has many great features to their services, there are some drawbacks to consider.  The main drawback to iTunes is that if you aren't an Apple user than Apple TV and iTunes isn't even an option for you.  iTunes only works for Apple devices. In addition, iTunes doesn't have a library of free movies and TV series to watch.
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The Bottom Line

If you currently use a variety of Apple products, then iTunes will give you the convenience of having all of your digital needs met at the click of a button, along with the other perks that being an Apple user brings. However, if you use any other device besides Apple, iTunes isn't even an option for you. Also, note that iTunes is not a monthly subscription streaming TV service.  If you are looking for a large library of movies and TV to watch at any time, iTunes isn't the best fit for you.  But if you are just looking for one-off rentals or purchases, and you are an Apple user, then iTunes is a great option to consider.

For more information, check out the iTunes reviews below. 

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Star Rating

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4.2

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238 Reviews

Review Breakdown

5 grade

52%

4 grade

27%

3 grade

13%

2 grade

5%

1 grade

2%

Sentiment Criteria

Value

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Quality

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Service

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Trustworthiness

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Jonny Hancock Salt Lake City, UT

iTunes was an important piece of my youth that I navigated easily with no issues. Today, iTunes has completely lost me. Every time I get a new apple device: Phone, computer, etc I am stuck with the impossible feat of downloading my entire iTunes library. Without fail I loose music, and movies with each new download of iTunes library. I am still morning over the loss of my beloved _Ratatouille_. I highly recommend using alternative options.

7 years ago

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Amy Farmer Provo, UT

I give iTunes 2 stars because they used to be awesome before streaming was a thing. Now that streaming exists, I would never think to go to iTunes to do that because in my head I would have to buy that individual show or movie and that’s lame when you can pay for a subscription and have access to lots of things! Sorry iTunes but you are so 2000 and late.

5 years ago

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Moureen Meggers

Could never get a good stream for this service. Price is way too high for what they offer to watch. Not good options for shows or variety to watch. Customer service was not bad, but nothing was ever solved about a refund.

1 year ago

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Amanda George IL

Good selection of streaming content but not much is free. They don't give credits and they double charge for streaming downloads. Wish they would make it more accessible from desktop.

1 year ago Edited July 7, 2023

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Tim Berrett American Fork, UT

We have used itunes for many years to load music and video onto apple devices. It is not intuitive and it is locked down. It is so inconvenient that we just stopped using it and now we use other services for video and music streaming instead. We do pay for some extra icloud space, which works fine.

6 years ago

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Rocio Diaz Tallahassee, FL

The last software update Apple released changed iTunes into many sectors such as iMovie and others, making it hard to know where all your purchased content is. Also, download times are very long.

5 years ago

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Jacob American Fork, UT

iTunes was great when it first came out. Now, especially with streaming services, the user interface is lacking and it can be difficult to sync up devices and storage without losing everything entirely.

5 years ago

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Holly Schafer Forest Grove, OR

My biggest complaint about iTunes and overall apple products is that it’s really expensive compared to other places and the service and quality is actually worse

5 years ago

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Campbell Blair Phoenix, AZ

iTunes has never been the first option for streaming TV but I think it does a good job of it! Just not my favorite way to watch TV.

5 years ago

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Anoushka Ahuja Orlando, FL

iTunes is a little cumbersome to use and it does not always carry the best show offerings

3 years ago

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Rebeka Melber Washington, DC

Outdated, not competitive anymore. Good for subscription services

1 year ago

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Hally Bellary

iTunes for tv shows is not my favorite to use. It costs too much in my opinion.

5 years ago