I just heard that Apple has effectively killed iTunes for windows. They will no longer supply updates of any sort. Which means if I have MP3 music there’s no realistic way for me to put that onto my iPhone.
Now what I’m trying to figure out is if I got a new computer right now and I needed to install a piece of software to move my MP3’s onto my phone (on the basis I got a new phone) Could I download the iTunes software.?
Is iTunes even still downloadable?
If iTunes is not downloadable, how would I move music which I legally own onto my phone?
I would prefer to stay with an iPhone. So I guess the questions are about the iPhone.
My understanding is I could use Apple Music and sync my music archive from my computer onto my phone through Apple Music. But the problem is then have to keep paying Apple Music subscription, which is stupid since I already own the music.
Eh, can’t care. As long as I can still sync with my Ipod and add/remove music, I’m fine. I don’t ever use ITunes for anything else, not for a long long time.
I haven’t seen anybody else mention that iTunes downloads and .exe exists for basically all versions that came out. Just not on the Apple site. It’s common for people to download old versions to try and work with old iPods or OS versions. Even if there is no “update” for iTunes on windows: what’s stopping you from using the current version until it breaks? It should still it’s job of transferring music to your current device for a long time
I’m actually kinda curious about the purchased music I had on there… Is it still there? The only things I ever actually bought were exclusive albums/tracks from like 2 bands so I hadn’t really thought about it until now.
If you purchased the music then it’s still there.
Idk but iTunes for Windows has never not been shit. When I recently switched back to iOS from Android I found copytrans. I can’t speak to how secure it is, but it has done a great job of putting all the music I own onto my iPhone.
I like it more than using Apple Music on a Mac for doing the transfer because the last time I tried that, Apple tried to tell me I didn’t have the rights to listen to a song that I literally sang and recorded.
Thank you will look into it
To those who say “who cares?” I do. I do physical backups of my wife’s phone monthly.
Time for an upgrade
… to Android
Yea agreed she has an iPhone 12 mini
As someone who’s never used Apple devices I was a bit peeved when my car came with an iPod. I spent days trying out random 3rd party software because I refused to use iTunes. In the end, I settled for CopyTrans software.
You still need to have the iTunes services installed afaik, but you can use this program to put music on your device, pad out the meta info on the MP3 files and sync the playlists without having to open iTunes at all.
Maybe not entirely the answer you were looking for, but it was a workable solution for me after days of trial and error, so I’m hoping I can save you those troubles.
You don’t need an Apple Music subscription to listen to music you own.
Yes but without iTunes how would you get the mp3 files onto the iPhone?
As someone has already written in another comment, the Apple Music app.
Not an Apple user, but can’t you just connect your iPhone as a USB device?
When I still had an iPod Touch many years ago, that only worked after Jailbreaking. The way they lock down the file system on iOS has been one of the worst parts of the Apple Walled Garden in my opinion.
3rd party app and then transfer files via USB.
There’s really no reason for iTunes anymore.
Got MP3s? Stick them in a fileshare on your PC and use the Files app to copy them onto your phone. Or run a streaming service and stream them over.
But if you really want to manage everything from the PC, you can always use software like iMazing to do so.
Lots of options, all better than iTunes.
Didn’t realize you could music onto the phone in that manner. Will look into it
Edit when you say the files app do you mean windows Explorer?
No, I meant the Files app on the phone. It can browse Windows fileshares on the same WiFi network.
I learned something new every day thank you
Yes, windows file explorer works. You’ll plug your phone in via USB and treat it like a thumb drive, moving files back and forth.
Cool didn’t know that. Thank you
And Apple Music will play the songs and see the song info (artist song name etc?)
I do not have a subscription to Apple Music
Well I want something with metadatas and number of play.
Metadata is in the mp3 itself tho…
To do some managing with it.
Would there be any other way to access the iTunes music/media store? I only use itunes now to buy DRM free music when its not available on bandcamp. As far as i know its been the only way to access and purchase via the itunes store on a non-apple device
This is great news! Now I can finally go back to using the last good version of iTunes without worrying about it accidentally updating to a later version.
Which version is that? I’m interested myself.
I have to double-check, but I think 1.7.2 was the last one with both Visualizer and Party Shuffle.
It’s fucking amazing to me that in the decade since I haven’t been able to find a music library software that has both smart playlists and something like Party Shuffle. If I had more free time I might have written one myself by now.
Thank you so much. I use iTunes to help maintain a personal mp3 library. I could and probably should use something else, but I guess I never learned. One day. But seriously, thanks for the version tip!
Please varify the info of it not being updated. It’s what I heard but still trying to confirm
They did kill iTunes as it was too old and the work to modernize it would be too much. However, the functions of iTunes live on in several apps: Apple Music, Apple Devices, Apple TV, and iCloud for Windows. You will just have to grab the apps you need from the Windows Store. Such a fuss was made about this, I’m surprised you didn’t know! The Apple Support updated relevant pages to let people know too.
I’m in the minority I guess cause I was happy about this. I hated having to install iTunes just to back up/restore phones. I wanted the full encrypted backup. iCloud doesn’t do that.
iTunes and such wasn’t working with accounts using self provided safety keys. I finally got Apple Music and iCloud in Windows 11, then promptly installed Cider. It’s not perfect but I can scrobble stuff and it still has lots of features
I use it for my iPods. They just updated last week!
Interesting I was told it was gone. I am now on my pc (home from work) and it says it’s downloadable. Now I’m really confused
Idk! It’s the only thing I use for my iPods but I add my own music :) glad it works for you!
Hope they don’t kill it entirely, or at least move their media codecs out to a separate download.
CoreAAC > all other AAC encoders
I haven’t used either iTunes or Windows in a couple of decades. Who cares?
Clearly the person who asked the question doesn’t care so I’m sure this was a useful comment to post
Dunno if it’s still around but when i had troubles with itunes back in the days of the 5S, i briefly used media monkey. it was pretty straight forward!iirc!
If iTunes is not downloadable, how would I move music which I legally own onto my phone?
Alright, I’ve never used iTunes. I’ve never used an iPhone either. Full disclosure on that.
But I’m having difficulty even understanding your issue. Either iTunes has some propriatary bullshit that I’m unaware of, like DRM, or you’re just not seeing the obvious.
So right now, I don’t understand the core concept of the issue. What is preventing you from taking a cable, plugging the cable into your phone, plugging the other end into the PC, opening the folder on your pc with your mp3’s, opening the folder in your iPhone with your mp3’s, highlight the files on your PC, right click, copy, then right click inside the older on your iphone, paste, and wait for them to transfer?
Me typing that out took 10x longer than the actual action, and you reading it took 2x longer than the actual action.
I don’t understand the issue here.
The iPhone is stopping them from doing all that, which you’d know if you’d ever used one. The phone’s filesystem does not appear to the pc as a mountable external volume for you to copy shit in and out of it. You have to move the files over network somehow, through a smb share or whatever.
They said they never used one, my friend.
Yeah exactly. So why make that comment?
Could put them on a usb drive instead then use an OTG cable to copy them off the USB drive to the phone?
Yes.
But iOS can also connect to SMB shares now, so you can just share your music folder via Samba/Windows File Sharing, skipping the need to copy onto a flash drive first.
Windows file sharing is often too much effort to get working, I’d just use a usb if I had an iPhone 😅
Why would you waste your time writing this when you don’t have any knowledge of the issue?
LLM slop would be better than your contribution.
What are you doing?
