Best iPod-compatible iTunes alternatives
For better or worse, buying an iPod also means committing to Apple's iTunes software. Apple's seamless combination of hardware, software, and online store has made it many fans, but for some folks, the iTunes way of doing things feels unbearably confining.
If you love your iPod, but can't stand being tied to iTunes, there are some compelling and capable Mac and PC iTunes alternatives that can sync with your iPod. Depending on your iPod model, you'll probably still need to keep iTunes around for firmware updates, video purchases, games, and some advanced features (calendar syncing, for instance), but there's no reason you can't sync your music and podcasts using a different program.
Each of the following media jukeboxes has its own set of advantages and disadvantages. This list isn't meant to be comprehensive (by all means, add your own suggestions in the comments section), I'm just taking an opportunity to highlight my personal favorites. Also, every application listed here is free, so there's no reason not to try them all and see what sticks.
Media Monkey is a control freak's dream come true.
Media Monkey
http://www.mediamonkey.com/
(Download Media Monkey from Download.com)
Ideal user: File hoarders, control freaks, meticulous taggers, boutique format users (FLAC, Ogg), people with messy collections.
- Ideal for large, scattered collections
- Advanced tagging features and auto tagging
- Supports iPhone 3G and iPod Touch 2G
- Copy songs from iPod to computer
- Album art lookup
- Skinnable
- Podcast catcher
- Plug-ins
- Generate HTML reports
- Overwhelming for nontech users
- Doesn't manage videos
- No Mac version
- Folder monitoring requires upgrade to Gold ($20)
Like Floola, SharePod launches directly from your iPod and offers utilitarian control over managing and backing up your iPod's tunes.
SharePod
http://www.getsharepod.com/
(Download SharePod from Download.com)
Ideal user: Anyone lacking administrative rights on a work or loaner computer who wants a basic way to manage and backup their iPod without installing an application.
- Launches directly from your iPod
- iPhone and iPod Touch compatibility
- Copy songs from iPod to computer
- Advanced tagging capabilities
- Basic video management
- Exports iPod contents to iTunes (including ratings and playlists)
- Drag-and-drop operation
- Friendly GUI for the technologically timid
- Backs up and restores your entire iPod
- Windows only
- No podcast management
- No CD ripping or burning
- No photo import
- Too basic for demanding users
Ten years of development has made Winamp an impressive iTunes adversary.
Winamp
http://www.winamp.com/
(Download Winamp from Download.com)
Ideal user: Perfect for people who crave lots of features and flexibility from their jukebox. Especially good for Internet radio fans.
- Tons of integrated streaming radio channels (shoutCast, AOL, CBS)
- Multiple folder monitoring
- Flash video support
- Multiple language support
- Auto-tagging function for cleaning up your music collection
- Ability to stream music collection remotely
- Skins and plug-ins
- Copies media from iPod to computer
- Visualizer
- Built-in Web browser
- Podcast lookup and catcher
- Song recommendations
- Album art lookup
- You'll need to upgrade to Winamp Pro ($20) for speedy and flexible ripping, burning, and encoding
- Overwhelming layout (not everyone wants to fiddle with skins)
- Deep features may confuse some users
- No photo management
- No Mac version
Songbird's clean interface integrates free music downloads from around the Web, as well as local concert listings.
Songbird
http://getsongbird.com/
(Download Songbird from Download.com)
Ideal user: Music addicts, hipsters, concertgoers, file hoarders, people who often jump between Mac and PC.
- Mac/PC compatible
- Free music downloads integrated and continually refreshed from Hype Machine
- Attractive GUI (also skinnable)
- Plug-in support (Flickr, Last.fm, Lyrics, etc.)
- Integrated Shoutcast Internet radio
- Built-in Web browser
- Concert listings
- Attractive GUI
- No multifolder monitor, yet (February '09)
- No CD ripping or burning
- No video or photo management
- Doesn't support iPhone, Touch, or 4G Nano
- No Podcasts
Floola launches directly from your iPod and works with Mac, PC and Linux.
Floola
http://www.floola.com
(Download Floola from Download.com)
Ideal user: Nomads, the Internet cafe crowd, anyone working on a computer without admin rights for installing applications.
- Mac/PC/Linux compatible
- Launches from iPod
- Manages videos, photos
- Converts videos from Web
- Copy songs from iPod to computer
- Last.fm scrobble support
- Converts music formats on the fly
- Drag and drop operation
- Podcast catcher with auto-delete management
- Multifolder synchronization
- Doesn't support latest iPod Touch or iPhone
- Not the prettiest thing to look at
- No CD ripping or burning
- Solicits donations every time you close the application
Donald Bell is CNET Reviews' senior editor for MP3 players and portable audio, and one half of the MP3 Insider blog and weekly podcast. He also likes getting his hands dirty with digital audio tools for musicians and DJs.
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Donald Bell is an electronic musician, a veteran record store employee, and a fearless hardware hacker. He's also CNET's Senior Editor for MP3 and digital audio.
Jasmine France is CNET's resident digital audio doyenne, writing and editing product reviews, crave blogs, and feature stories on all things MP3. And if you need advice on headphones, she's your girl.
IMO, Sony products are way superior than Apple's. Although Sony prices their products higher than Apple, and, at least for old Walkman, their media jukebox (SonicStage) sucks so bad (it's not a problem now). I would recommend ppl who are looking for a great PMP consider Walkman, it rocks!
Just bought a 32GB Touch, and aside from slow load-up times the latest iTunes hasn't been as bad as many users have reported around the internet. Still can't play more than two CD tracks at a time before locking up, but other than speed and that irritant (which has been with me since the early version 7 iterations), iTunes seems to do its usual job of handling our iPods, old and new.
It also seems to understand our USB 2.0 ports a lot better, too; transfer speeds for the iPods is marginally quicker than for any of my other non-Apple players.
have a launch ps2 that somehow still works perfectly, and a 20 about a 16 year old trinitron tv that works perfectly. Sony stuff definitely lasts.
evo i mene!!!
1. Winamp the Audio player.
2. Winamp the Video player.
3. Winamp the RSS Reader / Podcast client.
4. Winamp the SHOUTcast Internet radio player.
5. Winamp the AOL Radio player.
Winamp is the best free plugins based media player!
it's like, so great....i'll give up the ipod brand before i give up itunes...
J. River Media Jukebox is free, iPod compatible and has an excellent set of features. It can rip cd's, convert audio files, burn cd/dvd (audio or mp3), etc...
I agree completely and thats regarding both the Ipod and Zune. There is no reason that you should have to use itunes or zune software to simply transfer files back and forth. It should work as simply as a USB drive.
Brent212, you must have some really great audio equipment to tell the difference between iTunes or one of the many other programs reviewed versus LAME (or equivalent software) mp3 encoding.
Personally, I used to always rely on LAME for importing CDs, but I just gave up and let iTunes handle everything (easier and quicker).
Recently, I switched to using mp4 (AAC). Encoding at 256VBR, my library is smaller and the sound quality is slightly better than when I used mp3's at 320VBR.
I do not want to store a huge library on my pc.
For anyone who's having problems uninstalling (from Windows XP), first uninstall it from the Add/Remove Programs list, and then search for "Apple", "iTunes" and so on. Then delete al the files you suspect have something to do with NaziTunes.
I deleted Nothon 360 in a similar way.
has maney pitfalls if no one shows you the way. for instance if you want it to go in to small mode you
have to press ctrl m. there is no click button. it stores files not in folders but in links.
i literally have an Itunes folder with all my artists in their own folders that only itunes uses?
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by Maksimred
November 23, 2008 9:12 PM PST
- I would agree with SharePod, I used it ever since the beta came out and it has been my favorite ever since. I install it to all my clients and friends if they have an ipod, and they want me to sync some music. Very simple for beginners. I LOVE IT. Never had any problems. The simplest ipod manager ever used.
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