Apple releases iTunes 11

Apple on Thursday released the much anticipated iTunes 11. First introduced in September, iTunes 11 features a simplified design and some new features.

iTunes is both an application and a service – a storefront for buying music, movies, TV shows and books, and Apple has redesigned iTunes Store, App Store and iBookstore to make it easier to find and buy content than before. Featured content is showcased at the top and shelves expose music, movies and TV shows.

A “preview history” shows you all the content you’ve already looked at, and iCloud keeps track of your preview history across different devices. You’ll also be able to fire up 90-second music clips while browsing (previously, clicking away from the tracks you’re previewing causes them to stop playing).

New features like a full-window interface and a new library view to make it easier to see what’s in your library and click on content categories.

Another new feature called “Up Next” lets you queue up the next song or album you want to hear and iCloud remembers where you left off when watching movies or TV shows.

You can download iTunes 11 on Apple’s Web site or by choosing “Check for Updates” in iTunes.