I have done it. I have dropped iTunes for all but purchased downloads. My iPod and associated music has been liberated.
I feel fresh.
Here are the steps I took to achieve iPod nirvana:
- In iTunes, check in the Preferences, manually manage music. This also causes you to enable your iPod as a disk drive.
- Download double twist, Media Monkey, Floola, and CDEx. Once downloaded,
- Install Media Monkey and double twist.
- Convert all AAC-encoded music to mp3 using double twist
- Import all music into Media Monkey
- Move the Floola and CDEx executables to your iPod in a folder called Apps.
Now, when you want to move tunes from your iPod to any other computer, open Floola on your iPod. You can drag and drop any music anywhere.
Got a CD you want to rip but aren't at your iTunes computer? Open CDEx, rip the CD, use Floola to move it to your iPod.
The only reason to use iTunes now is to purchase music through Apple. Amazon also offers an excellent variety of music, often at slightly lower prices than iTunes and they're in mp3 format (no DRM! yay!).
Awesome, except for all this effort seems like a lot to just replace a program that already does what you need it to. So... point?
ya.... doesnt make much sense to me. use itunes. oh... ya. stick it to the man. thats right to hell with conforming im cool because I conform with the non conformists about not conforming. down with apple. up with pc. ya!
Hi guys, the post wasn't about sticking it to the man or doing something different just to be different.
Rather, it was about freeing oneself from the stranglehold Apple has on YOUR music and devices AND finding a better way.
I do like iTunes. However, I like Media Monkey WAY BETTER for managing my music (it works flawlessly with multiple iPods and OTHER mp3 players. Plus, the other apps mentioned in the article do what iTunes can't or won't do (liberate YOUR purchased music to play anywhere you want them, for one).
The iPod is an elegant device. I just wish iTunes met the challenge.
I've put together a system that allows me to rip CDs, liberate music I paid for, synchronize two ways, all in an easy-to-use package of apps that work better than iTunes. Until you try, how do you know I'm blowing smoke?
If you're satisfied with iTunes, by all means keep using it. More power to you.
For the rest of us looking for a better way, this is one "better way."