Apple looks to be discontinuing its iTunes LP format this year.
The format offered a rich experience with digital music and could include lyrics, photos, and liner notes as well as access to video.
The format had never been optimized for iPhone or iTunes, and while the special iTunes format has been around for almost ten years but only around 400 albums have used it.
Per Metro, Apple will discontinue iTunes LP submissions on April 1st.
‘Apple will no longer accept new submissions of iTunes LPS after March 2018,’ it wrote. ‘Existing LPs will be deprecated from the store during the remainder of 2018. Customers who have previously purchased an album containing an iTunes LP will still be able to download the additional content using iTunes Match.’
Apple still provides technical guidance for the iTunes LP format through its TuneKit API.
Apple looks to be shifting its focus to its Apple Music subscription service, which offers similar elements to iTunes LP. Apple Music added support for displaying lyrics in a recent software update, and Apple Music Connect lets artists share photos and videos with fans in real-time.
Via 9to5Mac, Metro, and VentureBeat