iTunes 12 and the Case of the Missing Sidebar
Update: Here’s how to display the sidebar in iTunes 12. It’s not exactly the same as the old sidebar, but it’s close.
I can’t say much about iTunes 12, a beta of which is only available to the million-plus people who have access to betas of OS X 10.10 Yosemite. I can’t publish screenshots, since I’m under NDA, having a developer account. But I can comment about what I’ve seen on many other websites about iTunes 12.
Apparently – and I can neither confirm nor deny this – iTunes 12 eliminates the sidebar. If you’re a long-time iTunes user, you may have a weak spot for this sidebar, which gives you access to your different media libraries, connected devices, shared libraries and playlists, all at once.
I like using the sidebar, and even the column browser, as you can see above; that’s the default way I display iTunes. With iTunes 11, if the sidebar is not visible, you can display it by choosing View > Show Sidebar. And if the column browser doesn’t show, you can turn that on by choosing View > Column Browser > Show Column Browser.
I’ll miss the sidebar, and I wonder why Apple is removing it. For those who use it, it’s a convenient way to access much of your iTunes library. According to screenshots published on a variety of websites, there is no longer even a drop-down menu at the top-left of the iTunes window when the sidebar is hidden; you access the various libraries and devices by clicking icons in the navigation bar.
This may be more efficient, and the lack of the sidebar offers more screen space to display content, but I still think the sidebar is a useful tool. Maybe Apple will add it back by the time iTunes 12 is released. If not, I’ll miss it.
“I’ll miss the sidebar, and I wonder why Apple is removing it. For those who use it, it’s a convenient way to access much of your iTunes library.”
Isn’t it reasonably obvious that Apple does not want users to have a large iTunes library?
Hasn’t this been reasonably obvious since iTunes 11, both with its combination of default hidden sidebar and woefully inadequate handling of large iTunes libraries?
If you have a small or no iTunes library and stream your music from Apple, the sidebar becomes far less crucial.
The whole setup seems better for Apple shareholders and executives to me, which is how UX decisions are made these days in Cupertino. You are being immensely selfish in trying to bring the focus back to users, Kirk.
Grumble, grumble… :-)
You’re right, though. It’s as though there’s a 25,000 track limit in the minds of the iTunes design team.
Sidebar-style interface via Playlist option:
http://www.tekrevue.com/itunes-12-sidebar/
Yes, I saw that. And if you’re in list view, you can use the Column Browser. But it’s not really the same, since you only have access to playlists that way, not libraries or devices.
You have access to your entire music library, and can use column browser on it, pretty much just as you picture in the story. Just select “My Music” at the top, under “Library,” above the list of playlists.
There’s hope it will come back if some of the “public” beta testers complain hard enough.
I don’t have a non-production Mac other than dust gathering PowerPC ones so I’m unable to check out iTunes 12 for myself, but it sounds like time to find another media browser. I have gone down that road before only to be disappointed with what I found, but now that iTunes has moved away from its traditional look there’s an opportunity for a third party to grab market share by replicating the old iTunes UI.
First I’ll say that I’ve used Apple products since the original Apple ][ (not plus!) with the Red Book manual. While Apple makes great product, I am getting increasingly annoyed at the “you must use it our way” attitude. I want my window scroll bar arrows back! The make fine movement much easier. I want my iTunes sidebar! I use it to build playlists for my radio show every week! I used to be able to build show playlists on my iPad as well, but, they dumbed the Music app down there as well, so, it is practically impossible.
It is agreed we all want it back, and by voicing displeasure during this time is essential while still in beta. More control and more options are better, a part of the Mac Way. This did not need to be “fixed”.
I’d definitely miss that sidebar as I have mine showing at all times when using my iT library.
It’s there!!! Here’s how:
Click on Playlists (in the center) then click on the musical note icon on the upper left … and walla, there it is!
That shows playlists, but it doesn’t show libraries.
Nope, you don’t look at enough… it shows everything : libraries, devices and playlists (musics, books, what you bought…) It is pretty the same bar than in previous version.
Go compare it and come back. Where is the store icon, devices icon, and many other icons? Not there. Thanks a lot Apple. iTunes is a total waste now.
Loss of the sidebar is inaccurate, all that’s happened is iTunes categories & Store are now (configurable) buttons just below the title bar. It makes the UI more efficient and provides more room to display all (many) your playlists. After using iTunes 12 for a few hours, it’s not a big deal IMHO, and users will easily adjust.
Maybe not to you, but to the many who like and use it, it is. They should have at least left the option in the view menu to turn it on. Another one of Apple’s designs they are forcing on you.
Here is a screenshot of all things : https://app.box.com/s/gspr8v4yk4gwbguv1as2
Where is the store icon. I think it is stupid to have icons across the top and side. The design was fine. No change was needed. Many users liked apple for the fact that they could buy a new Mac and wouldn’t have to relearn the OS all over like Windows 8. I guess Apple won’t have that edge anymore. People can switch back to Windows for the same crappy OS.
Try this: Click the music note at the top of the iTunes 12 screen, and you’ll then see “My Music”, “Playlists”, “Match”… etc across the top. Click “Playlists”—there’s your sidebar! —mr
Not exactly. It doesn’t display the various libraries in the sidebar, nor does it display some of the other stuff, such as shared libraries.
I would very happily abandon iTunes for… well, almost anything else. Except that Apple went out of its way to break the ability of any other software to sync music to my iPhone.
Not only will I never upgrade to a sidebar-less version of iTunes, I am now seriously considering getting an Android as my next phone. It may have cheap build quality, come loaded with junk apps, and be a honeypot for malware. But if it means I can get music on the damned thing without having to deal with iTunes ever again, it will be worth it.
I just installed 12.0.1 (just went GA) mainly because 11.4.0.1 crashed on EVERY exit and hung every time I tried to play a song. Utter garbage. Now I find the traditional sidebar is really gone. I AM IRATE!! What the hell is wrong with Apple?????
As for those who want Android – so did I 2 years ago when the iPhone 5 came out and was ludicrously small to my old eyes. I’ve lived nearly 2 years with a Galaxy Note 2 and cannot wait to leave Android! Music on it (all my music is in iTunes) is a complete nightmare. Try getting your iTunes music onto an Android phone. I dare you! The extra work and workarounds are nowhere near worth struggling with. I’m going back to the iPhone (6 Plus, which they should have brought out 2 years ago), but I am so peeved at the loss of the sidebar in the desktop iTunes app my blood pressure is shooting up. (iTunes on phones is so-so, and endlessly aggravating on the iPad because of lack of versatility.) Apple’s quickly turning into Microsoft – i.e. a company that not only doesn’t listen to customers but very obviously doesn’t give a damn about them.
Agreed and I am really grieving this loss of the sidebar. This is the 3rd recent Mac upgrade that has caused me much hours trying to fix or replace its faults and unusable interface. Mac is now a shallow Microsoft and I fell like we are back in the 90’s
iTunes Feedback Page
https://www.apple.com/feedback/itunesapp.html
Who made the brilliant decision to remove the sidebar navigation from iTunes version 12.0.1.26?
I have to click forever to now find just a portion of the functionality I could do in one location with the sidebar that has been removed. I want to enter iTunes, do what needs to be completed and get out – quick.
Okay, I’m not a teenager. I’m a business professional and I don’t care to spend forever digging around for things in iTunes. If Apple is building software to only suit teenagers who don’t mind spending forever digging through iTunes, the company is most likely missing a large portion of its customer base.
As with many other business professionals, we are the ones paying for all the Apple products in our household. In my case, four iPhones, two iPods, two iPads and one MAC.
Apple should really reconsider dropping useful navigation tools that enable people to quickly complete tasks. If I have to click more than 2-3 times in iTunes to find just one of the functions lost by removing the sidebar, then it’s 2-3 times to many.
Even my twenty-two year old son is considering dropping his Apple devices. Now that he has completed college and entered the workforce, he’s realizing how limiting Apple devices are and is considering other alternatives. We recently gave him a 6+ and it’s just sad.
I miss the default Sidebar, too. But it isn’t as bad as I first thought. To fix things to work pretty much the same as before, you need to click the top left “…” more icon AND THEN PUT A CHECKMARK next to each library type to display the library types you normally use. Then click on each library type, one by one, and click on the Playlist “tab” where available. This will allow iTunes to show the sidebar by default in most library views and is the closest to how it worked previously.
This is shit. Missing the sidebar. Who the hell has ordered this!!
Unfortunately, I think Apple has turned into a Marketing Machine.
iTunes and most Apple Products are predominantly aimed at drawing customers to the Apple stores.
Notice that they have also revised the iTunes buttons in the Tool Bar to give prominence to the iTunes Store, iTunes Radio, and iTunes Match, …. while the songs, albums, and Artists buttons are now hidden away in a pop-out menu, …. and there is no option for editing the toolbar.
iTunes is no longer provided for your music pleasure.
It’s provided for your music purchases (and other Apple purchases).
Over the last few years, every update is slowly eroding our freedom and our choices.
Apple is slowly imprisoning us in their Walled Shopping Palace.
I’ve actually started using VLC to play my music.
I wonder how long before VLC support is removed from OSX ?
Just my opinion, but sadly, probably not far off the mark :-(
I WANT MY SIDEBAR BACK!!!!!! :(
Just uploaded the most recent iTunes (August 2015) and I am not able to find my music from cds that I bought ages ago that I uploaded to my computer. I haven’t connected my phone to my computer in fear of losing my old stuff and most of the music I enjoy you cannot buy on iTunes. Not sure what the most recent version was. By the way, loved the side bar. Really hating this new version.