17 Best iTunes Alternatives You Can Use

iTunes used to be the place where iPhone and iPod users synced their music and files across devices, updated and backed up, and did a lot more. However, with macOS Catalina, Apple finally declared end-of-life for iTunes on Mac, and replaced it with Music, Podcasts, and Apple TV — one dedicated app for each of the main use cases for iTunes. As for managing your iPhone, iPad, and iPod, you can now use Finder to do all of it easily. However, if you loved using iTunes on your Mac, and are looking for apps like iTunes, here are the 17 best iTunes alternatives you can use in 2022.

Note: iTunes is still available on Windows 11. However, we’re not sure how long Apple will continue supporting iTunes on Windows PCs as well.

Best iTunes Alternatives You Should Use in 2022

When you are trying to replace a multitasking software like iTunes, you’ve got to be a little more choosy. We have included a section here that can help you figure out what kind of iTunes alternatives you need. If you want to skip it, you can use the table of content below to skip directly to our app list.

Which iTunes Alternatives Should You Choose?

Though I can’t predict the longevity of iTunes for Windows, I can certainly assure you that the media library-cum iPhone/iPad manager is here to stay at least until Apple finds a better replacement for it on Windows.

But don’t expect Apple to bring a whole lot of enhancements to the media library as the tech giant has just started to throttle it and may keep the software alive until it becomes completely irrelevant – in the typical Apple fashion.

Besides, even though Finder does a pretty good job of managing the iPhone, Apple’s versatile file manager still lacks quite a few essential features like the option to let users restore data selectively. As for the newly launch Music and Apple TV apps, they are too sophisticated to let you manage all of your tracks and videos with the desired flexibility.

Well, all I’m trying to emphasize here is that the need to have a complete iTunes alternative had never been so essential before, irrespective of whether you are on macOS Catalina, Mojave, Monterey, or on Windows 11.

Coming back to the question of which iTunes-like software can be right for you, take a close look at your needs i.e movies/shows management, music management, or iPhone/iPad management, and then go for the tool that fits into your requirements. With that said, let’s get started, shall we?

1. WALTR PRO

My favorite iTunes replacement software is WALTR PRO. While this software comes with a considerable price, it is very convenient and powerful. You can also use the license for other apps from Softorino. With WALTR PRO, I can either connect my iPhone using cables or WiFi. Its WiFi connection is as fast as the native AirDrop and transfers music and pictures in seconds.

Even the big video files just take minutes to transfer from my Mac to my iPhone. I also love the fact that WALTR PRO supports every kind of file that we generally transfer. Moreover, it also converts the file format to those Apple respects. For instance, if you have a MKV file, WALTR PRO will automatically convert it to Apple supported file format while transferring. Whether it’s music, videos, PDFs, ePub, or audiobooks, WALTR PRO automatically recognizes the files we are sending, and converts and pushes them to native Apple apps.

WALTR PRO itunes alternative

So, if I transfer a video, I will find it in the Videos app. This means that I don’t have to use any third-party software to listen to my songs or watch videos. Every file transferred through WALTR PRO is treated as a native file. For this feature alone, WALTR PRO is worth its price.

If you want to easily transfer files between your desktop and iOS devices, WALTR PRO is the software to get as it has got all the bases covered to be a notable alternative to iTunes. You can get the newer version at a discount price if you already use WALTR 2.

ProsCons
Clean user-interface Comparatively expensive
File transfer is fast and secureHas a limiting trial period
Supports a variety of file typesWiFi connectivity can be faster
Drag and drop to convert files on the go
Compatible with multiple Apple devices

Supported Platforms: Windows, macOS

Download: WALTR PRO (Free trial, $35.00 annually, $300 one time payment)

2. MusicBee

If you don’t want to manage files and just want a player that can help you manage your music and listen to it, MusicBee is one of the best software out there. MusicBee makes it easy to manage, find, and play music files on your computer at no cost. You can easily sync your music between your Windows PC, Android and iOS devices.

MusicBee

Not only that, but MusicBee also works with podcasts, web-radio stations, and even brings SoundCloud integration. Listening to music on MusicBee is fun, as not only it brings a very simple and intuitive UI but also brings tons of features that enhance your listening experience.

I especially love its 15-band equalizer which lets me adjust the settings to my test. In addition, the auto-tagging feature helps you manage your music files categorically. Other features of this app include logarithmic volume scaling, gapless playback, support for WinAmp plugins, theme support, multiple skins, and more.

ProsCons
15-band equalizerThe user interface looks bland 
Web-radio stationsUI/UX can be less daunting
SoundCloud integrationRecurring bugs are reported
Logarithmic volume scaling

Supported Platforms: Windows

Download: MusicBee (Free)

3. Vox: MP3 & FLAC Music Player

If you are a Mac user and looking for a simple yet feature-rich music player to replace Apple Music check out the Vox Media Player. One of the best things about this app is its support for multiple audio formats. Besides, the application is available for iPhone and Windows OS as well.

Not only the app supports the popular media format including MP3 and MP4 but it also supports other formats including FLAC, CUE, APE, and M4A among others.

ox: MP3 & FLAC Music Player

I also love that Vox supports both Tunes and personal music libraries. Not only that, but the app also supports streaming music via SoundCloud, YouTube, and more than 30000+ internet radio stations.

Other features of the app include gapless playback, enhanced stereo sound, bass audio engine, a cloud storage solution for all your music, and more. Putting everything into the right perspective, Vox Media Player is a top-notch iTunes alternative for Mac.

ProsCons
Supports several file formatsExporting playlists seems a bit slow
Supports both Tunes and personal music librarySubscription-based pricing
30000+ internet radio stations
Supports streaming music via SoundCloud, YouTube

Supported Platforms: macOS, iOS, Windows

Download: (Free, $4.99/month)

4. WinX MediaTrans

If you are a Windows user who is looking for a true iTunes alternative that allows you to easily transfer music, photos, videos, and other files between your computer and iPhones and iPads, this is the software for you. The app brings features including automatic photo backup, music management with two-way music transfer, video transfer, book organizer, ringtone maker, and more.

One of my more favorite features of this app is that it allows me to encrypt my photo and videos library. The app is also very easy to use and brings no fuss. Just install it, connect your phone, and you are good to go.

winx Media Trans

What’s more, the app doesn’t even require you to install iTunes on your system and work independently. The software can also convert some of your files while transferring into Apple suitable formats. Moreover, you will also benefit from the “Remove DRM” option that lets you remove limiting licenses on digital media. If you need to manage media and files between your PC and iPhone, this is the app to get as it has got all the essential features to be rated as a great iTunes alternative for Windows.

Note: The same company also makes this tool for macOS operating systems. It’s called MacX MediaTrans and you can download it from here.

ProsCons
Quick file transfer between computer and iPhone/iPad Music organization could be better 
Encrypt my photo and videos libraryAffordable plans would be appreciated
Neat user interfaceAvailable for Windows only

Supported Platforms: Windows

Download: (Free trial, $39.95 for a lifetime license)

5. DearMob iPhone Manager

DearMob iPhone Manager is an all-in-one tool that lets you easily manage media and music, transfer files between your computer and iOS devices, create automatic backups, and encrypt your data for total protection. Basically, everything that you can do with iTunes, you can do with DearMob.

While the software is feature-rich somehow it has kept the user experience quite simple and intuitive. I found it quite easy to use and never struggled with any of its features. My favorite feature of the app is the way it allows me to manage my photos.

DearMob iPhone Manager

Not only can I transfer photos between devices, which by the way it’s super quick at, it also allows me to manage and delete pictures, manage albums, and both preview and convert HEIC photos.

It also brings a feature-rich audio management service which makes it really easy to manage your song. Moreover, you can use your iPhone as a flash drive. It might not appear new for Android users. However, for iPhone users, it is a great feature to store any file on your phone. Finally, it’s available for Windows and macOS operating systems so no matter which operating system you use, you are good to go.

ProsCons
Easy to transfer photos between devicesTransferring photos seems sluggish
Ability to encrypt data for added protection Relatively expensive 
Feature-rich audio management
Convert HEIC photos

Supported Platforms: Windows, macOS

Download: (Free trial, $39.95 for two licenses)

6. Musique

Musique is a music player for your Mac that doesn’t suck. Not only does the app bring a clean and simple to use UI but it’s also very nimble and features rich. My favorite feature of the app is its built-in lyrics finder which extracts the lyrics of any song that you are playing.

I also love the way this app organizes my music by artists and albums in a beautiful tiled mosaic view. I just love seeing the photos of my favorite artists and the album covers. One unique feature of this app is that it retains the folder structure of your collection displaying your music in exactly the way you have organized it. Initially, you can download the free trial version of the app. Later, you will need to pay $12 once the 20-day free trial has ended.

Musique

If you are looking for a simple and powerful music player as an iTunes substitute, this is the one to get, and since it’s free, there’s no reason why you shouldn’t check it out.

Note: If you are looking for more options you can check out our article on the best music players for Mac by clicking on the link. 

ProsCons
Neat user-interfaceMay not extract lyrics consistently
Organizes music by artists and albumsCannot open individual music files outside the scanned music folder
Powerful music playerDoes not support all common formats
Built-in lyrics finder

Supported Platforms: Windows, macOS, Linux

Download: (Free)

7. Swinsian

Another music player for Mac that I love is Swinsian. The app brings awesome features such as wide format support, folder watching, advanced tag editing, duplicate finder, smart playlist support, and more. The app is crazy fast and never lags no matter how big your library is. It also brings a highly customizable interface that can be changed according to your needs. In addition, the automatic sample rate switching ensures you get the highest possible quality from your music files.

7. Swinsian

I also love that The app lets you easily control the music playback using its mini window or the widget. If you are switching from iTunes, you will also appreciate that it allows you to import your whole music library from iTunes with just one click. Overall, I quite like this software and recommend it to anyone who is looking for a simple music player as an iTunes alternative.

ProsCons
Wide-format supportRequires some learning curve initially
Advanced tag editing
Folder watching
Ability to import the entire music library

Supported Platforms: macOS

Download: (Free trial, $24.95)

8. Dr.fone

iTunes had more use than music playback such as creating backups, permanently erasing data on your iPhone, and more, Dr.fone is the solution that you need. The app brings tons of features including the ability to create backups, restoring your iPhone, recovering deleted data from your iPhone, transferring files, messages, and contacts between your computer and iPhone, security erasing data, and more.

Steps to Unlock and Rest Locked iOS Devices using Dr.Fone 2

One of my more favorite features of this app is the ability to run repair scripts. The app easily repairs normal bugs and iOS problems such as “stuck at bootup”, “recovery mode looping”, and more. While this data recovery software costs a pretty penny, it is certainly useful for users who like to experiment with their iPhones.

While all these great features come in handy, Dr. Fone can be better at working. Users have repeatedly mentioned bugs and unstable app processes. In addition, it does not allow you to edit the music playlist which comes as a bummer. However, the bugs are uncommon and the developers will surely take care of them. That makes Dr. Fone a wort try if you are looking for a good iTunes alternative for data transfer and backup.

ProsCons
Easy to back up your iPhone Lacks better file management tools
Restore your deviceExpensive plans
Recover deleted data Unstable application
Ability to run repair scripts

Supported Platforms: macOS, Windows

Download: (Free trial, $99.95/$139.95/year)

9. Fidelia

If you love your music and want to listen to it at the highest possible quality, Fidelia is the app for you. For those who have never heard of this app before, Fidelia is basically a high-definition audio player for Mac. The app brings support for all contemporary audio file formats and an elegant interface that focuses exclusively on music.

17 Best iTunes Alternatives You Can Use

The app provides users with the power and the freedom to organize, customize, and savor their digital music collection at the highest possible fidelity. It also brings a complete set of audio tools including equalizers, compressors, CanOpener headphone modeler, support for 64-bit audio unit plug-ins, and more. Basically, unlike iTunes which just gets the job done, Fidelia brings a player that is made for audiophiles.

ProsCons
Lets you listen to music in the top qualityThe library window seems to be clunky
Support for all contemporary audio file formatsUI can be more modern
High-definition audio player
Support for 64-bit audio unit plug-ins

Supported Platforms: macOS

Download: ($29.99)

10. PodTrans

We will end this list with a piece of software that allows you to easily transfer music between your desktop computer and iPod. The app is very easy to use allowing users to transfer music with just a couple of clicks. You don’t even need to have iTunes installed on this for it to work.

10. POdtrans

If you have newer iPods that bring a gorgeous retina screen, you will be happy to know that it also supports the management of other media files including videos, TV Shows, movies, iTunes U, and more. The app is a small and nifty application and very useful for iPod owners. Being available for free, it’s one of the best free iTunes alternatives you can get for your Mac and Windows.

ProsCons
Lightweight and snappier interfaceLacks powerful tools to manage videos and TV shows
Transferring music between computer and iPod is a breeze Can be a little buggy at times
Works independently
Can manage other file types such as videos and TV shows as well

Supported Platforms: macOS, Windows

Download: (Free)

11. PhoneRescue

Times when you end up deleting important data accidentally or lose sensitive files due to complex issues like the black screen of death, a full-fledged data recovery software package like PhoneRescue has a role to play.

17 Best iTunes Alternatives You Can Use

What gives this iMobie’s offering an edge over many other rivals including iTunes is the ability to recover 31 types of files including photos, videos, songs, docs, and more. Thus, it doesn’t matter what the situation and what sort of files fell prey to the unexpected issues, you can retrieve them without any pain.

One of my favorite features of this software is the straightforward UI that ensures you don’t have to spend a lot of time to get a good hang of the data recovery tools. Based on your needs, you can choose the missing data and retrieve it selectively in just a few clicks. In a few cases like a rooted device, the app can also recover passwords for you. Overall, PhoneRescue is a great iTunes replacement software for recovering lost data.

ProsCons
Snappier user interfaceDoesn’t have much to offer in terms of organizing files
Full-fledged data recovery softwareDoesn’t have a dedicated mobile app
Recover 31 types of files 
Multiple platform support

Supported Platforms: macOS, Windows, Android

Download: (Free download, $69.99/ Lifetime license)

12. Gihosoft iManager

Claiming to be the ultimate iPhone file manager, Gihosoft iManager has got all the bases covered to be a handy iTunes alternative for both macOS and Windows. With this tool at the disposal, you can comfortably manage and transfer your music, photos, videos, and docs from the computer to iPhone/iPad or vice versa.

Gihosoft iManager

Not just that, Gihosoft also works pretty well in terms of backing up files, allowing you to keep your data safe and restore it when needed. To ensure your personal information has an extra layer of safeguard, Gihosoft iManager also lets you encrypt your data just like iTunes.

Even better, it allows you to archive old backups as well so that you can free up a lot of precious space on your computer. Everything considered; Gihosoft iManager is a versatile iTunes substitute for Windows and macOS.

ProsCons
Transferring data is fast User-interface feels sluggish 
Encrypt your dataNo Mobile Version Available
Ability to archive old backups

Supported Platforms: macOS, Windows

Download: (Free trial, $35/computer)

13. MediaMonkey

I have specifically saved “MediaMonkey” for folks who manage a large music and video library. And if you are one of them, this might just be the iTunes alternative you have been waiting for.

MediaMonkey

With the support for several file formats including MP3, AAC (M4A), OGG, WMA, FLAC, ALAC, MPC, WAV, CDA, AVI, MP4, OGV, MPEG, WMV, M3U, and PLS, this iTunes rival is fully equipped to manage audio/video files. This app is an excellent media management tool, a tag manager, and a CD ripper/encoder. In addition, it can manage over 100,000 files effortlessly. Unlike Apple’s offering, it has a relatively clean interface that makes for hassle-free navigation.

One of my top picks of this software is the ability to automatically identify movies and tracks that are missing important information. Hence, it’s pretty easy to fix duplicated items and even sort out tracks that tags aren’t synchronized. One of the best feature it provides is the ability to play movies and videos over TV, stereo, and more. Letting you choose personalized skins also adds to a fancy feature. In a nutshell, MediaMonkey is a versatile and the best iTunes substitute for Android and Windows, if you have a lot of audio/video files to manage.

ProsCons
Excellent at managing large music and video librariesSeems to stutter a bit while transferring large files
Very good at fixing duplicated itemsUI can be better
Support for a number of file formats

Supported Platforms: Windows, Android

Download: Free, $49.95/lifetime license

14. CopyTrans

If I were to rank iTunes alternatives purely based on the efficiency of managing music, CopyTrans would be right at the top along with the best in the business. Yeah, you heard it right. Unlike iTunes, CopyTrans offers full-on customization so that you can customize your music library just the way you want.

CopyTrans

For instance, you can edit track titles, album titles, music genre, artwork with ease. Moreover, the software also lets you fine-tune meta-tags, ratings, and even lyrics of songs so that your music library can look in perfect sync. No matter how carefully you manage songs, duplicate tracks tend to sneak into the library over time.

With CopyTrans, you will be able to track down all the duplicate songs and remove them quickly. Long story short, CopyTrans is your all-in-one iTunes substitute for managing music.

ProsCons
Make music management dead simpleWarrants some learning curve for beginners
Option to fine-tune meta tags and ratingsIt is not able to import data from iPhone
Easy to track down duplicate songs
Compatible with almost any iOS device

Supported Platforms: Windows 

Download: Free trial, $29.99/full package

15. Clementine

Should you want to have an iTunes substitute that can let you organize your music library without any complexity, give a shot to Clementine. Inspired by Amarok 1.4, this multiplatform music player sports a pretty intuitive interface.

Thus, you can keep all of your music ideally organized in line with your taste. Moreover, this open-source software also lets you listen to Internet radio from several streaming services including Spotify, Grooveshark, Soundcloud, Icecast, SomaFM, Magnatune, Jamendo, and more.

Clementine

If you like to catch up with some cool radio programs, this feature might win you over right away. Unlike iTunes, Clementine is integrated with multiple cloud services including Box, Dropbox, Google Drive, and OneDrive.

Thus, you can play songs that you have uploaded to these cloud services. On top of all, this free iTunes alternative also lets you transcode music into several formats such as MP3, Ogg Vorbis, Ogg Speex, FLAC, or AAC, which is yet another plus from a user-experience perspective.

ProsCons
Organize music library with easeLacks tools for advanced music customization
Integrated with multiple cloud services
Transcode music into several formats
Ability to listen to internet radio

Supported Platforms: Windows, macOS, and Linux 

Download: Free 

16. Amarok

There are multiple reasons why Amarok is considered to be a notable iTunes substitute. For starters, the software comes with a range of tools to enhance the music playing and management experience. Thanks to the web services integration, it offers better control over your music.

amarok

With the last.fm integration, you can listen to last.fim radio. Besides, you can remotely connect to the Ampache music server and search as well as playback media files.

Notably, there is also an option to download and upload MP3 tunes locker. What’s more, you can create playlists that are updated automatically for hassle-free management.

ProsCons
A powerful music player The interface looks old fashioned
Web services integration
last.fm integration
Comes with a range of music management tools 

Supported Platforms: Windows, Linux 

Download: Free 

17. TunesGo

TunesGo is an all-new iTunes alternative that you can use to transfer and back up your important data like photos, music, contacts, and more. Notably, it works independently and doesn’t require the help of iTunes.

The software makes the process of transferring songs from computer to iOS device or vice-versa straightforward. Besides, it also lets you make iPhone ringtone, get rid of duplicate tracks, and even fix music tags.

17 Best iTunes Alternatives You Can Use

One of my favorite features of TunesGo is the ability to create a backup of the entire photo library and sort images with custom filters. As someone who has to deal with a massive collection of images, I find its photos management tool very helpful. What’s more, it also allows me to delete multiple photos in batch for better management.

For the folks who love animated GIFs will find its ability to create GIFs from static images or convert any video to GIFs super handy. Considering the seamless file transfer and better file management, TunesGo deserves to be rated as one of the best iTunes alternatives.

ProsCons
A straightforward way to transfer filesAt times, it fails to fix music tags accurately
Removes duplicate tracks with ease No wireless connectivity
Fixes music tags
Sort images with custom filters
Ability to create GIFs from images or video

Supported Platforms: Windows, Linux 

Download: Free trial ($39.95)

Frequently Asked Questions about iTunes Alternatives

Q. What is a good replacement for iTunes?

There are several apps like WALTR, MusicBee, and Vox Media Player that are considered to be very good replacements for iTunes.

Q. What is the best iTunes alternative for Windows?

Considering fast and efficient file management, WinX MediaTrans can stake the claim of being the best iTunes alternative for Windows. Though WALTR and MusicBee are good competitors too terms of file management.

Q. Can I use something other than iTunes for my iPhone?

Yes, you can use software like MacX/WinX MediaTrans, MusicBee, and Vox Media Player to manage your iPhone without iTunes.

Q. Is iTunes being discontinued?

Yes, Apple has already shut down iTunes on Mac. Though the company has not yet killed iTunes on Windows, the introduction of a more efficient alternative on Windows doesn’t seem too far away.

Q. Can I not buy songs on iTunes anymore?

You can still buy songs and movies on iTunes. The software continues to work on Windows and macOS Mojave or earlier as usual.

Q. What is the best music library software?

You can use Vox Media Player as it supports a variety of file formats and supports both iTunes and personal music library along with over 30,000 internet radio stations.

Q. Is MusicBee better than iTunes?

MusicBee is a good alternative to iTunes and you can use it to manage files, transfer, and listen to music.

Q. Is iTunes on Windows going away?

Apple has not officially discontinued iTunes on Windows just yet. However, since the company has already shut down the macOS version of iTunes, we could expect it to sunset the Windows version in the future.

Q. How do I manage iTunes library?

You can use apps like Vox player and MediaMonkey to manage your iTunes library.

Q. What is Apple’s replacement for iTunes?

With the launch of macOS Catalina, Apple introduced dedicated apps namely Apple Music,  Apple TV, Apple Podcasts, and Apple Books to replicate the functionalities of iTunes.

Q. How can I put music on my iPhone without using iTunes?

You can use apps like WinX MediaTrans and MusicBee to transfer music to iPhone without relying on iTunes. Besides, now that Apple has discontinued iTunes, these apps perform better that the separate ones.

Use These iTunes Alternatives to Make Your Life Easier

That ends our list of the best iTunes alternatives that you can use to manage music and media on your iPhone and iPad. I have tried to include apps that can perform all the actions that you currently carry out using iTunes. Whether you need something just to play music or something that can completely replace iTunes for you, you will find an app here. Do check the list out and let us know your favorite iTunes alternatives.

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comment Comments 55
  • Sadies says:

    Get FoneDog ios data recovery to copy the data to the computer, from the phone, from iTunes, and from iCloud. This is a really good one!

  • Gary Roser says:

    I have used ITunes for years to download my CDs. Whenever I buy a new cd I put it on iTunes. What it used to do is go to the database at iTunes and fill in the names, album and singer of each track.
    Now iTunes has finished it doesn’t have a data base to fill in the required information.
    What program can I use to replace iTunes that has a data base that does it automatically? Help please, Gary

  • BRYAN INFANTE WAGAN says:

    Wow, that’s a lot!!!

  • Faizan faizanbhatti says:

    ProductsCrack Dr Fone Crack is a special software program that allows this website users to recover their iOS data that has been lost for whatever reason. The program has a variety of features that can be used to recover data under various conditions. Dr.Fone is first and foremost an app that recovers deleted files on your phone. In addition, it helps to manage phone data, transfer it from one device to another and fix any errors that occur. Dr.Fone crack started out as a simple file recovery software, but it grew into a more versatile app as it grew in popularity.

  • Donald Michael Coulter says:

    Just downloaded Vox Media player … What a crock surely in the cons you would point out that there is no “Full Page Option” A stupid narrow hard to read page ggggrrrr Also I thought I was downloading the free version .. Not only not correct but they have taken a years prescription out … Totally pissed off

  • Dianne says:

    After reading this, I eagerly went to MusicBee and discovered that, due to proprietary software, they cannot transfer directly to iOS devices. In order to transfer my music from my computer to my iPhone using MusicBee, I have to first transfer my music to iTunes and then to my iPhone! So no reason for me to have MusicBee at all, since all I want to do is listen to music I own on my iPhone without making for Apple Music or Match.

  • Dirk Diggler says:

    Hoping someone can help. I just installed iTunes on a brand new PC. Transferred all of my music from my old PC into it (around 4k songs). New PC was up and running for a week and I open iTunes and NOTHING is there. No songs, no playlists. All of the music is still in the file I keep it in but I am fed up with how much time it will take to reorganize the playlists. Then I did some research and see that Apple is discontinuing iTunes soon. I’m looking for an alternative organizer. I am not looking for anything in-depth. I’m not looking to sync to any devices or anything All I used iTunes was to organize and listen to music and rip CDs. I really like the interface and how things were organized. Anyone have any insight into which alternative has an interface that has a close resemblance to iTunes? I downloaded Musicbee to to try it out and don’t like it at all. Any help would be appreciated.

  • Thierry says:

    Hello – I’ve come across this article, and dare to hope I may be able to receive some advice with regards to my iTunes library. It’s massive – over 490,000 tracks kept on an external 6TB hard drive (backed up!) – which I’ve organised, labelled, managed and fine-tuned for over 10 years now … using my old desktop mac still running on Snow Leopard! My iTunes has now given up the ghost. I cannot save any changes anymore, and keep getting an error 50 message. I’m looking at an alternative I can keep playing and managing these 490,000 files to, and add to these. Any suggestions and advice would be greatly appreciated. Thank you, Thierry

  • Jim says:

    I listen to books, a lot of books I have around 500 audiobooks. Sometimes I’ll go back and listen to a book or even a series again. I’m looking for a program that will track the last played date for me. iTunes would do that several versions ago, for some reason Apple took that feature out and I haven’t been able to get it back to where it functions reliably. About 10 years ago I switched to Mac desktop but have recently gone back to a PC as my primary machine so whatever I use will need to be mostly Windows.
    Any suggestions?
    Thanks

    • Gillian says:

      I listen to audiobooks too, and I’m stuck for a good alternative for when iTines ends. I’m so sick of Apple trying to screw more money from us, when they already make a fortune. I use VLC for listening, but sometimes there is a problems with chapters running consecutively.

  • Dr Robert says:

    Clementine keeps crashing in Catalina 10.15.04 Why?

    • Rachit Agarwal says:

      I just tried it. It seems it’s happening on the latest version of macOS Catalina. I am looking for the problem and potential solution. I will let you know when I find it.

      • Robert says:

        Looking forward to the solution . I love the app it works well on my Windows 10 desktop
        Many thanks for that Rachit
        gr Robert Reekers

  • MartinF says:

    Avoid Copytrans… they took my money on a supposed life time of updates basis and then they started trying to get me to pay again after a few years!!!!

  • Brosephiend says:

    DearMob is worthless. Does not sync with ANY of my apple devices. Don’t waste your time with that one.

  • Ben says:

    Thanks for the great article. One practical thing missing, though, is mention of ease of transfer from itunes to whichever new program is chosen. I use itunes solely to listen to music on my Windows laptop, and ocassionally to download/upload music to my phone. I have a huge library and many different playlists.

    Do any of these programs allow you to import playlists from itunes, or would I have to rebuild each one? If the later, it could take an extremely long time to do.

    I assume that the programs you mention are all lighter than itunes and don’t hog up processing power the way itunes does. Am i correct in assuming this?

    Thanks again,

    B.

    • Norm says:

      did you ever get an answer?

  • J Lee Harshbarger says:

    iTunes 10 was the last version I liked. The Music app on Catalina, though, is even worse than iTunes 12. Seeing where Apple was going, a couple years ago I began the transition to other music library solutions. I went with JRiver Media Center and Swinsian. I use JRiver as my main library. It’s incredibly complex, which can be frustrating, but the plus side of that is that it’s incredibly versatile. It’s made by Windows-environment people, so it has a Windows feel to it, but it is one of the top two music library management tools for audiophiles (the other is Roon, which I dream of having but it’s $500). My music in my JRiver library is in ALAC format.

    I use Swinsian for my classic iPod, since it works with iPod. As such, I keep these files in AAC format to save space on my iPod. Swinsian looks and operates a lot like the classic iTunes program, so it’s easy for old iTunes users to learn. Also, it will work with FLAC files, which iTunes never did.

  • Garry Foley says:

    Hello Rachit…. Very informative article 🙂
    But I am a performer & have used itunes to run my ‘solo’ backing track show mainly using a playlist in iTunes that i would create prior to the show.
    My windows laptop is completely stripped back so no need for updates etc etc… which suits me as I really don’t need any other songs adding to my huge iTunes backing track music library (which I then create my show playlists from)
    This has always worked well for me.
    BUT, can I kindly ask for your advice on which platform would be an alternative for me other than continuing to use iTunes? Playlists created from a music library being the most important with good visible playlist format.
    Thank you again in advance for your advice.
    Garry

  • Garry Foley says:

    Hello Rachit…. Very informative article 🙂
    But I am a performer & have used itunes to run my ‘solo’ backing track show mainly using a playlist in iTunes that i would create prior to the show.
    My windows laptop is completely stripped back so no etc etc… which suits me as I really don’t need any other songs adding to my huge iTunes backing track music library (which I then create my show playlists from)
    This has always worked well for me.
    BUT, can I kindly ask for your advice on which platform would be an alternative for me other than continuing to use iTunes? Playlists created from a music library being the most important with good visible playlist format.
    Thank you again in advance for your advice.
    Garry

    • Rachit Agarwal says:

      Hey,
      As far as I can understand, you are using a Windows machine and looking for an offline player that lets you create visible playlist.

      If that’s your requirement, I suggest that you check out our article on best offline media player for Windows.

      https://beebom.com/best-music-players-windows/

      I will suggest MediaMonkey as it lets you manage a large library but you can check out other options on the list too.

      https://www.mediamonkey.com/

  • Dwight says:

    Mad respect that you showed Porcupine Tree in your feed above! Thank you for the informative article!

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