Htydjtk

This answer explains how to uninstall iTunes after disabling SIP. This appears to be a necessary step for uninstalling iTunes on versions of OSX starting with 10.13 High Sierra or earlier.

I'd prefer not to disable SIP, since the only reason I have to do so is to prevent iTunes from launching in response to various unknown stimuli.

Is there a way to prevent iTunes from starting up without needing to disable SIP? I just want to prevent it from start up, I don't need to uninstall it. Most importantly I want to stop it from occasionally commencing to play music for no apparent reason, but ideally I would like to prevent it from running altogether. Is there some way I can disable it as the handler for some file type, for example?

I wasn't able to find a list of all the file types iTunes handles, but if you are willing to operate piecemeal, any time you open a file and iTunes launches, you can

1. Select the file in Finder




2. Get Info (⌘ + i)



3. 
   

   select the app you want to use in the "Open With:" dropdown

   
   
   

   

   
   



4. then click "Change All..."

In the future that type of file will open in your alternate application. After a while you will have opened all the types of files you will open that iTunes handles.

Another method that you may find easier:

1. Right Click (or control click) the offending file in Finder




2. Select "Open With > Other..." (even if you see the app you want to use in the list)

3. Select your App (e.g. Audacity)




4. Check "Always Open With"
   




5. Click "Open"

It just depends on which way you find easier.

boot up the system in "macOS Recovery HD" where SIP restrictions are not enforced (according to @user3439894 ) , and basically run in a terminal

sudo find '/Volumes/Macintosh HD/Applications/iTunes.app' -depth -print0 | sudo xargs -0 chmod a-x

and reboot into mac. it basically recursively remove the executable flag on every file in /Applications/iTunes.app , which should stop MacOS from ever starting iTunes (the normal way), which effectively makes iTunes disabled.

boot up the system in an Ubuntu CD/usb drive, and basically run in a terminal

sudo su

mkdir /mount

mount /dev/nvme0n1p1 /mount

find /mount/Applications/iTunes.app/ -depth -print0 | xargs -0 chmod a-x

and reboot into mac. it basically recursively remove the executable flag on every file in /Applications/iTunes.app , which should stop MacOS from ever starting iTunes (the normal way), which effectively makes iTunes disabled.

• 
  

  you have to change /dev/nvme0n1p1 with wherever the root partition is, and if you don't know, you can launch gparted with the command sudo gparted which can help you find out by matching the size of your MacOS root partition with every partition in the system. but if you're using an NVMe disk, it's probably /dev/nvme0n1p1

  
  
  
  
  
  • this probably won't work if your MacOS partition is encrypted..