Apple source speaking to All Things Digital claim the tech giant is going to axe its music-based social network, Ping, after largely being considered a failure since its 2010 launch. The service was designed to bring artists and fans together, but never really caught on as a viable alternative to Facebook and Twitter.

Instead of maintaining Ping, the tech site reported Apple will use its integration with Twitter and Facebook to provide social networks users "actually care about." At WWDC on Monday, June 11, Apple announced the anticipated integration with Facebook in iOS 6. Users can now share from within the operating system, calling a pop-up window to post a comment or status with or without a photo attached.

Ping will go with the next major iTunes release, according to All Thing D's sources. That major release is estimated to arrive in the fall, possibly alongside the launch of the iPhone 5 and iOS 6.

"At this point, years into the social networking phenomenon, why not leave the social stuff to the ... people who are good at it?" All Things D noted. Things could have been different had Apple and Facebook thrashed out terms, though. Then Apple CEO Steve Jobs said the terms Facebook proposed were "onerous." It's a mark of Apple's disregard for the service that it isn't being rebranded.

Ping was built for finding and connecting with people and artists, but that's all. The service didn't offer user interaction the same way Facebook and Twitter can, and users could only 'share' tracks. Facebook succeeds because it allows people to connect through shared experiences, regardless of concerns over privacy, while standalone music services such as Spotify allow users to share tracks in Facebook.

"[...] I think the consumer voted and said 'This isn't something I want to put a lot of energy into'," Apple CEO Tim Cook admitted at the All Things Digital D10 conference at the beginning of June. At the same conference he also said to "stay tuned" on Facebook integration.