Apple announces plans to shut down the iconic platform iTunes

Apple will phase out iTunes in favour of three separate apps for music, movies and podcasts. Photo / Getty Images

Anyone with an Apple device has used iTunes to search for a song, a music video or a TV show. Now, the iTunes era will draw to a close.

The iTunes platform was a vital part of Apple's global growth in the early 2000s.

The launch of the iconic music model began a music revolution that entered homes around the world, and completely destroyed music retailers, who drew revenue from in-store album purchases.

iTunes was first introduced to the world at the 2001 Macworld Expo and created a frenzy among consumers and industry experts alike.

Why bother loading up your CD wallet with discs, when you could just enter your credit card details and purchase a stack of music or TV shows at the click of a button?

Anyone who was lucky enough to own an Apple device at the start of the millennium could suddenly access a monumental amount of content from one easy to use platform.

It was the perfect solution to an era plagued by piracy as well as clunky technology — only one CD at a time in your Walkman? Come on!

Now, after 18 years, tech giant Apple has announced it will officially shut down iTunes.

This may come as sad news to the nostalgic among us, but Apple's CEO Tim Cook is due to unveil a spread of new apps that will take the outdated platform's place in the music, movies and podcast space.

Apple CEO Tim Cook will unveil the apps that will replace iTunes. Photo / Getty Images

The closure will commence with a phasing out of iTunes' download and streaming services.

Bloomberg reports the end of iTunes is the company's response to the ways in which Apple users now engage with media.

The news outlet claimed Apple is "finally ready to move into a new era".

"The company is launching a trio of new apps for the Mac — Music, TV, and Podcasts — to replace iTunes," the report said.

"Without iTunes, customers can manage their Apple gadgets through the Music app."

Tim Cook will make a keynote presentation at Apple's Worldwide Developers Conference in California, which commences on Monday.