iTunes, Apple’s multimedia management software, has been the go-to software for organising music, videos, and podcasts for over two decades.
While initially designed for Mac, iTunes has made its way to Windows, offering a cross-platform experience for users who prefer or rely on Windows PCs.
In this review, we’ll dive into the specifics of iTunes for Windows: its performance, features, usability, advantages, and potential drawbacks, offering an in-depth look at whether it’s still a valuable option for Windows users today.
Overview of iTunes
If you want to play music, movies, or TV shows, you can use iTunes. In 2001, Apple released it for the first time. Before it became a multimedia powerhouse, it was just a simple music player.
Now, users can handle their music, movies, TV shows, podcasts, and audiobooks all in one place. In 2019, Apple started replacing iTunes on Macs with separate apps. However, iTunes for Windows is still available as a full media player.
Features of iTunes
iTunes has gone through a lot of changes over the years. Apple stated in 2019 that their own apps would take the place of iTunes on macOS Catalina and later versions for music, TV, and podcasts. But iTunes is still available for Windows users and still has all of its tools.
Music Library Management
iTunes allows users to organise and store their music collections efficiently. It supports importing digital audio tracks and ripping songs from CDs, accommodating formats like WAV, AIFF, Apple Lossless, AAC, and MP3. Users can edit metadata such as artist names, album titles, and genres, ensuring a personalised and organised library.
iTunes Store
Integrated within the software, the iTunes Store enables users to purchase and download a vast array of digital content, including music, TV shows, movies, and podcasts. This seamless integration allows for easy access to new media directly from the iTunes interface.
Smart Playlists and Genius
iTunes offers “Smart Playlists,” which automatically filter and organise music based on user-defined criteria, such as genre or play count. The “Genius” feature analyses the user’s library to create playlists of songs that complement each other, enhancing the listening experience.
Podcast Support
Since 2005, iTunes has supported podcasts, allowing users to subscribe, download, and manage their favourite shows. This feature contributed significantly to the growth and popularity of podcasting.
Device Synchronization
iTunes enables synchronisation of media content with Apple devices like iPods, iPhones, and iPads. Users can transfer music, videos, and other media to their devices, ensuring access to their libraries on the go.
Sound Processing
The software includes sound processing features such as equalisation, sound enhancement, and crossfade, allowing users to customise their audio playback experience. The “Sound Check” feature normalises playback volume across all songs in the library.
Library Sharing
Through the “Home Sharing” feature, users can share their iTunes library wirelessly across multiple devices within the same network, facilitating simple access to media collections throughout the home.
How does it work on Windows?
iTunes on Windows has some problems with how it works. The app is known to be a bit slow and use a lot of resources. People who have big libraries may experience lag when scrolling or switching between sections. On modern, high-performance computers, though, iTunes works well and is responsive. It works as it should for things like backing up devices, syncing music, and downloading material from the iTunes Store.
Breakdown of Performance:
RAM Usage: iTunes uses a lot of RAM, especially when the library is big, so slower computers may experience some slowdown.
Battery Drain: If you’re streaming, iTunes can be annoying because it drains your laptop’s battery fast.
Consumption of Resources: Importing music files, merging libraries, and making backups may take longer on iTunes than on other media players.
When using iTunes, it’s best to close other programs that use a lot of resources, especially if you have a large video library to manage.
Alternatives to iTunes for Windows
As useful as iTunes is, it’s not the only option for media management on Windows. Here are some alternatives that users may find more suited to their needs:
MediaMonkey: Great for organising large music libraries, with high customisation options and support for different formats.
VLC Media Player: A lightweight, free media player that supports most audio and video formats.
Spotify: For music streaming without Apple Music integration.
Windows Media Player: Offers basic media playback with a simpler interface, though it lacks iTunes’ device management.
Apple fans will like iTunes for Windows’ flexible media management. It organises, purchases, and syncs multimedia content in one place, integrating Apple Music and backing up devices.