I discovered iTunes!

[ktinkel]

Probably the last person on the planet to do so, too!

I was googling for the source of a CD to send to an ailing friend, accidentally clicked on a radio link, and up popped iTunes. Very exciting.

I copied a CD to it, and it really isn’t bad, even with only the built-in Mac speakers. Maybe I will go looking for music on the web — live large! <g>

[iamback]

Originally Posted by ktinkel

Maybe I will go looking for music on the web — live large! <g>

I'd advise you to do that - but leave iTunes alone.

It ties you into its own format, is extremely dumb when it comes to organizing a music collection (it wants to copy everything to its own space - rather than organizing what you already have where you have it, and forget about networked drives), and what you get from their site you don't usage rights to like you get from buying a CD or even most download sites.

Run away, fast! I mean that.

[ktinkel]

Originally Posted by iamback

Run away, fast! I mean that.

So what do you recommend?

[iamback]

Originally Posted by ktinkel

So what do you recommend?

Going by my experience with Windows programs (I can't test anything Mac), almost anything that plays and/or organizes music will be more capable than iTunes. A friend pointed me to it, saying it had support for Unicode; so I tried it. No support for Unicode: I could not enter song titles that had Unicode characters in them; it won't organize CDs - it wants to copy them; it won't access network drives. As you found, you need an iTunes account just to access cover images (other programs don't require this, and there are other sites that have cover art than just the iTunes store). The data it can store is far too limited for any serious music collector - and since it can't store data about CDs, there's also no concept of a "place code" to find where that CD actually is - all it knows about are the files on a local HD.

There are countless free programs than can rip CDs (if that's what you want to do), even more that can play CDs and MP3s, or radio stations. So many for the PC, I can't imagine there aren't at least several for the Mac as well.

So spend some time looking around and testing - that's better than spending time setting up your data in the first program you stumbled over only to find later the program is far too limited and you have to do it all over again anyway.

But if all you want is play... OK - then use iTunes, cause in my opinion it's nothing more than a toy. I spent considerable time testing a lot of programs - and in fact nothing right now even matches my requirements! - but iTunes was the worst, least capable and most annoying of them all. But I saw it after having tested several professional-level programs already - if it's the first thing you see, it may seem attractive. For a while. Until you see a serious program...

[Cristen Gillespie]

Marjolein: As you found, you need an iTunes account just to access cover images (other programs don't require this, and there are other sites that have cover art than just the iTunes store).

Actually, KT is on a Mac, and she doesn't need an iTunes account to access cover art. There's a widget that gets it from Amazon. One of the top 100 widgets, has been for a long time. I've never been to the iTunes store, but if I had broadband, I'd probably download some podcasts.

My needs aren't yours, obviously. I haven't been sorry to have the free iTunes for storing my music. I get the titles of tracks automatically so long as I'm online, can make and delete playlists easily enough, burn CDs easily enough, and can find a song or album pretty quickly, and that's all I'm looking for. If iTunes is really the worst out there, it's doing pretty well for the person not looking for a major, comprehensive system for organizing their vast music collection.

[Shane Stanley]

Originally Posted by iamback

I'd advise you to do that - but leave iTunes alone.

It ties you into its own format

You're confusing iTunes with the iTunes store. iTunes doesn't tie you to any format.

Originally Posted by iamback

is extremely dumb when it comes to organizing a music collection (it wants to copy everything to its own space

That's an option you can turn on or off in Preferences (actually, it's two preferences).

Originally Posted by iamback

and what you get from their site you don't usage rights to like you get from buying a CD or even most download sites.

Actually, you may even get greater *legal* rights. And you can burn it all to a normal CD.

Originally Posted by iamback

Run away, fast! I mean that.

It appears your advice is based on some serious misunderstandings.

Shane

[ktinkel]

Originally Posted by Shane Stanley

You're confusing iTunes with the iTunes store. iTunes doesn't tie you to any format.

Actually, you may even get greater *legal* rights. And you can burn it all to a normal CD.

Whew! It is about as ambitious as I think I will ever be about music on the computer, so glad to hear that I can safely play with it.

[dogmandouglas]

Hi Kathleen

I use iTunes but not the iTunes store. The program is great for ripping store bought CDs and converting them into mp3s for use on my player.

Also it accesses the database online and put the names on the tracks for me.

As for iTunes organising my songs – saves me doing it!

Cheers

Doug

[ktinkel]

Originally Posted by dogmandouglas

I use iTunes but not the iTunes store. The program is great for ripping store bought CDs and converting them into mp3s for use on my player.

Also it accesses the database online and put the names on the tracks for me.

As for iTunes organising my songs – saves me doing it!

That is how it seemed to me, too, though I have not poked around too much.

I copied a CD and it did place the track titles but not much else. Had to use Get Info to add the genre, and then had to make one up, as none of the presets had anything to do with what I had. Then I tried to get it to retrieve the album cover, but got a message that I would have to sign up for that.

Meanwhile, I have an old iTunes; have never updated it when I update the OS. No telling what I may discover if I bring it up to date!

It is fun. I have a stereo system right here (with better speakers), so it isn’t clear how much I am likely to listen to it. On the other hand, if I can figure out how to purchase online and can find some of the old out-of-print music that interests me, that would be useful.

[iamback]

Originally Posted by Shane Stanley

You're confusing iTunes with the iTunes store. iTunes doesn't tie you to any format.

But iTunes does its utmost to get you to the store - annoyingly so.

Originally Posted by Shane Stanley

That's an option you can turn on or off in Preferences (actually, it's two preferences).

Maybe on a Mac? I just could not even navigate to a network drive - it wants everything local. I want everything on a network drive.

Originally Posted by Shane Stanley

Actually, you may even get greater *legal* rights. And you can burn it all to a normal CD.

May, indeed. But that seems to be an exception. In fact, you also may find that for the music you downloaded you suddenly have fewer rights than you had when you downloaded (and paid for) it.

Originally Posted by Shane Stanley

It appears your advice is based on some serious misunderstandings.

Well, I don't think so. The stories about the rights you may, or may not, have, and may not even keep, can be found all over. It's not required to go to the store but it tries its utmost to get you there. And there's no support for even accessing (let alone organizing) music on a network drive - at least not in the Windows version. I tried that, could not, uninstalled. I've tried a ton of music organizers - iTunes was easily the stupidest of them all.