Several key changes are planned for iTunes 9.1, says a source claiming to be familiar with the update. The biggest of these is e-book support, essential for the iPad; as a result, the software should be out by or before Saturday's iPad launch. The change is expected to affect all iTunes users, however, in that it will create a central "Books" section merging both e-books and audiobooks, with its own management options.

Beyond this Apple is said to working on the handling of Genius Mixes. Users should finally be able to rename mixes, for example, and rearrange them by clicking and dragging. Mixes may also be deletable with a right-click command, and selectable as a source for iTunes DJ playback.

Smaller tweaks are forecast to include revised summary panes, making various adjustments such as moving "Check for Update" and "Restore" to the left-hand side. When syncing music, automatic bitrate conversion to 128kbps AAC will allegedly be an option for all devices, instead of just the iPod shuffle. The feature makes it possible to save space on a handheld while preserving original tracks on a Mac or PC.