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Whether it be iTunes or Apple Music it is still the absolute WORST music management system out there. Quite the embarrassment for Apple IMO. Something this simple 14 year middle school kids write code for in school that works better. I still to this day have problems with artwork dropping, not carrying over to (10 year out dated syncing) to iPhone). Song tracks randomly drop, links to music drop. Oh and do not do something as simple as trying to move to another hard drive.....or reimport music when everything does get messed up as half the art work will not carry over or will change. All this on LEGAL music I OWN that is not available on apples streaming service. Some of these are million selling albums that are not rare and easily identified. Ironically anything bought or streamed from Apple NEVER has any issues....I could go on and on but I just got upgraded my hard drive and my whole library got trashed trying to move it to the drive and sync again to my phone so I am rebuilding once again artist by artist, downloading all the messed up/missing artwork as I have now become accustom to. I would LOVE to sit Craig F down and go through all this amateur hour stuff.......
 
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Out of curiosity is Apple Music on desktop really that materially different than iTunes when browsing your library? If you ignore the Apple Music sections of the sidebar (and re-add the iTunes store sidebar sections via Settings) the Apple Music app is almost identical to the music library section of iTunes.

I disabled the Apple Music streaming elements, mainly because they replace your album artwork with the Apple versions. For the most part it feels like iTunes, but I do think older versions of iTunes were better. I wish syncing to the phone was still handled inside of the Music app instead of Finder. And I think the iTunes Store is worse than it used to be in terms of functionality.
 
iTunes for Windows is complete garbage. It freezes up, has trouble syncing iOS devices and some iTunes purchased videos own't even play right (sound, no video).

I tried using iTunes on Windows to manage my large media collection, 6 TB. iTunes under Mac was great (using Retroactive) for managing media. But the Windows version is unusable.
 
I still use iTunes on windows. I have a small and cheap mini PC I use as an iTunes server for home sharing with the household Apple TVs. I’ve actually never had a problem with it.
 
iTunes for Windows needs some serious work. It’s an absolute mess, and for the many users with iPhones but not Macs, it’s an obstacle to using Apple Music instead of another streaming service, as well as managing their iPhones.

I’m currently between Macs (waiting on M3) and using a PC in the interim. I’m ok with Windows itself, but iTunes runs terribly.

Would have thought it was a perfect opportunity for Apple to show Windows users how well Apple can design software, but it’s not a great advert…
I’m keeping going back to use PC these days because it has iTunes. Love to have a centralized place for all my media.
 
oh I wish Apple Music was still iTunes

can't stand all the streaming interfaces just let me enjoy my music collection!

I’ve quit hoping for updates to most software. It’s never what you want it to be. Just more corporate agendas. Less information density and more ad space. Removing features in favor of half baked replacements and calling it streamlining.

Though I have to say I am pleasantly surprised with iOS 17.
 
Imagine being an excited lad ready to start your new job at Apple, contributing to the products you love and getting to see the next generation of what the company is working on before almost anyone else. You finally get the news.

You have been put on the iTunes for Windows team.
 
Maybe they can finally add in FLAC support then
If Apple doesn't sell FLAC formatted music, then they can't make money on it. If they can't make money on it, they aren't going to spend money making it work. The Apple way.
 
I still find having Apple Music Classical pn the iPhone but not on the mac to be pretty weird...
I'm actually enjoying Music Classical and I'd really like to use it on the mac.
Classical, coming to the bigger iPad and Mac screen in 2028. We hope you like it.

Unless Apple considers this app one big experiment or hobby that will quickly die out, it’s inexcusable not having released this app simultaneously on all their platforms.
 
iTunes for Windows needs some serious work. It’s an absolute mess, and for the many users with iPhones but not Macs, it’s an obstacle to using Apple Music instead of another streaming service, as well as managing their iPhones.

I’m currently between Macs (waiting on M3) and using a PC in the interim. I’m ok with Windows itself, but iTunes runs terribly.

Would have thought it was a perfect opportunity for Apple to show Windows users how well Apple can design software, but it’s not a great advert…

iTunes on Windows is getting retired for separate apps just like on macOS, but the Windows versions of the Apple Music and Apple TV apps are still in an early access period so they're not ready yet.
 
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I'm surprised the article doesn't mention the preview versions for Apple Music and Apple TV (plus a device management app) that came out for Windows 11 earlier this year. I'm also surprised there haven't been any updates on this since April. Given the importance of services revenue in Apple's earnings you'd think the company would be moving more quickly to put Apple Music on equal footing with services like Spotify for users in mixed iOS/Windows environments.

Apple's taking their time since they're using the Apple Music and TV apps as lures to get Windows users with iPhones to switch to Mac, and it works. My dad and uncle hated macOS since the 80s, but because it had much better integration with their iPhones and iPads than on Windows, they switched and bought M1 Mac Minis.
 
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oh I wish Apple Music was still iTunes

can't stand all the streaming interfaces just let me enjoy my music collection!
I could not agree more

I downloaded and started using iTunes on the day Steve Jobs announced it - January 2003

Since the i have collected over 2,500 tracks - downloads from Apple, Amazon, etc, copying my CDs, reading my 2,000 LPs to iTunes etc

Why should i listen to music that has ben selected by someone else when I can select and sequence much better - at least for me.
 
As a user of iTunes on a Widows PC since January 2003, I want Apple to keep updating and supporting it.

Can we start an iTunes User Group?
 
Out of curiosity is Apple Music on desktop really that materially different than iTunes when browsing your library? If you ignore the Apple Music sections of the sidebar (and re-add the iTunes store sidebar sections via Settings) the Apple Music app is almost identical to the music library section of iTunes.
I checks iTunes on a PC and iTunes portion of the Music app on a Mac

Both are essentially the same

I dont need someone else to make and sequence my playlists. I have over 3,000 tracks that i accumulate over the last 30 years

As a frequent user of iTunes on a PC, I knoow it very well

I bought iTunes Sweeper, which has really helped me manace my tracks - finding "lost files," finding duplicates, locating missing album art, etc. Try it!
 
I disabled the Apple Music streaming elements, mainly because they replace your album artwork with the Apple versions. For the most part it feels like iTunes, but I do think older versions of iTunes were better. I wish syncing to the phone was still handled inside of the Music app instead of Finder. And I think the iTunes Store is worse than it used to be in terms of functionality.
I checks thetwo carefully and found no significant differences

In fact, the Windows version of iTunes has a few minor functions than the Music versio of iTunes does not

I dont need Apple Music because i have enough tracks - over 2,500 -that I don't need someone else selecting and sequencing my playists
 
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