Q: Why is iTunes 12.2 such a piece of slow, garbage bloatware?

You have been using Macs 3 years longer than I have and you never discovered the first thing you do is go in and disable Software Update's automatically update feature???  The very first thing I do with any software (including system software) is go in and explore preferences and make sure it isn't going to do anything unsuspected.  I will admit it is probably turned on because most people would find it terribly complicated and completely panic if a message were to pop up on their computer asking if they want to update their software.  That leaves it inherent upon us who wish to maintain control of their computers (and by that very nature be more curious as to their settings) to unclick a box in a preferences menu.

Oh, I still use iTunes 7.5, so I still have a simple, elegant player.

If you don't want iTunes to use any bandwidth try to go in and disable things such as Genius, iTunes Store, iCloud, Radio and the such.  I have none of those things activated and iTunes uses zero bandwidth.  If you want those features then bandwidth is the price you have to pay.

My hat's off to you, Limnos. I can't resist the impulse to update. But I'm still using iTunes *only* for managing and listening to my music collection, almost all of which comes from someplace other than the iTunes Store, about 70K tracks at this point. I keep all the extraneous, cloud-and-internet features switched off, and iTunes 12.2 is working okay for me.

But I have to share my favorite tweet (among many) re the ongoing mess:

edyong209

Terminator fanfic in which Skynet gains sentience and starts arming nukes, but then hacks into some guy's iTunes and is inexplicably deleted

Cheers

Wish I had not updated as well.  Wish I could go back to the 12 version prior to the most recent incarnation.  It is obviously a matter of choice for me.  I wasn't thinking.  Wrote this on another posting.  Can anyone help with finding an older version of iTunes?  Can we request Apple make this available?  If only Time Machine would allow for one to go back to remove an update which is not in sync with their system.  Perhaps it works great with the latest OS, but there is something missing here - maybe with encouragement Apple would provide a helpful update - one which allows users to alter the latest iTunes software according to their use or OS.  Thank you.

Updated the latest iTunes this evening - instantly regretted it.  Knew this would change a great deal.  I had the last version, yes, I already miss the simple red and white graphic instead of the rainbow style.  However, the Radio is the biggest flawed element.  The radio isn't working correctly at all.  Yes, I am signed in on an account.   It simply will not play the Radio stations, and the loss of a "favorite" is not a positive either.  They still list as "recently played" - but they simply do not work.  This after listening to a few earlier in the evening on the older version.  When I saw the "update" appear, I knew better, still using the older 10.7.5 OS - knowing an upgrade for the entire OS will end the use of some essential apps on this macbook pro.  Understand the business model of growing a certain radio programming, etc.  Perhaps it is a technical issue over the concept of a new controlling format.  Either way, wish I could simply reinstall the older iTunes version.  Any ideas?

https://secure-appldnld.apple.com/itunes12/031-19002.20150409.9C24E/iTunes12.1.2 .dmg  BUT you have to do the search online for instructions on how to install it because you cannot simply run the installer again and get it to work.

Thank you, thank you, thank you -  will study it heavily before diving in.  You are great.  Still would like to encourage Apple to offer a simple selection for others to use older formats (if one prefers or has a slightly older OS), fixing a number of the issues with updating. 

The guidelines have existed since day one of computers.  If something adds new features it will almost always take more resources unless it was inefficiently programmed in the first place. More resources = runs slower unless you upgrade hardware.

For most purposes anything 5 or more years sees no hardware support - Vintage and obsolete products: https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT201624  Apple has a hard time conceiving anybody runs equipment more than 4 years old, and it is only consumers who are to blame for the race towards obsolescence if they flock to the stores and stand in line every time a new gadget is introduced. There are serious diminishing profit returns in assigning support to old items. A 2 year old mobile device is already aged.  If the original poster of this topic is truly running OSX 10.7.5 (which I believe came out in about 2010) then as far as Apple is concerned it is running on a system that is no spring chicken, particularly if it is running on a much older computer (no model mentioned).

WIth most recent itunes update introducing Music, my 16000 song library which is as old as iTunes is now unusable and not accessible from my hard drive. iPods(Iknow, things of the past) are not updatable, CD downloaded music is no longer accesible on my hard drive, and iTunes will only play 4 songs (the same, and ones I dont like) at a time. Apple plays dumb. It been with the "engineers" for two weeks without resolution. This is the worst malware I have ever downloaded. Cost me thousands.

Itunes 12.2 trashed my library despite being updated on every bit of OS software. !2.2 is a dangerous bit of malware. I have tens of thousands of songs, movies and books being held captive and the Apple engineers keep "working on it" to no avail. And I'm not the only one.

Hank