We get this question all the time:
“Why can I find a show, boxset, or movie on iTunes (and CheapCharts), but not in the Apple TV app?”
Here’s the simple (and frustrating) truth:
The transition from iTunes to the Apple TV app is still broken. Many titles – especially TV boxsets, entire series, and occasionally even movies are only accessible through iTunes, not Apple TV.
That means some of the best deals you’ll find on CheapCharts won’t show up in the Apple TV app at all. But don’t worry, there are ways around this!
How to Get the Deal Anyway
1. On Mac
- Go to cheapcharts.com and search for the item.
- Open the item’s details page.
- Click “More” (below “Add to Purchases”) and select “Copy iTunes Link to Clipboard”.
- Paste the link into a text editor and replace https with itmss.
- Open your Terminal and enter:
open “<LINK>” - Press Enter – Apple Music should open and display the item. You can buy it there.
⚠️ Make sure the link begins with: itmss://itunes.apple.com/xxxxx
2. On Windows
- Visit cheapcharts.com and find the deal.
- Open the item’s detail view.
- Click “More” → “Copy iTunes Link to Clipboard”.
- Paste the link into a text editor, replace https with itmss.
- Open Command Prompt (CMD) and type:
start "<LINK>"
- Hit Enter – the item will open in Apple Music, ready for purchase.
3. Other Options
- Use iTunes on a Windows PC – it still works just fine there.
- Use an iPhone running iOS before version 17.2, where iTunes access is still integrated.
We’ve reported this to Apple several times, but sadly there’s no fix in sight yet.
But the good news is: CheapCharts shows you all the deals – even the ones Apple hides from you.
So if you’re hunting for that one movie, full series, or collector’s boxset, don’t give up when it’s missing from the Apple TV app. Use CheapCharts and stay in control of your digital collection!
