iTunes Ping, also known simply as Ping, was a software-based, music-oriented social networking and recommender system service developed and operated by Apple Inc. It was announced and launched on September 1, 2010, as part of the tenth major release of iTunes. The service launched with 1 million members in 23 countries. The service allowed users to follow artists and see short, timely postings by both friends and artists. Ping was also accessible via iTunes for the iPhone and iPod Touch. Apple officially closed the service on September 30, 2012, and replaced it with Facebook and Twitter integration in iTunes.