iTunes library question

[Luis Ortega]

I have my iTunes music on my desktop computer and was wondering whether the music files can be added to music players other than iphones and ipods?
I used to have an iphone but it was stolen and I was given a different smartphone to use by my wife. I would like to get my music loaded on the smartphone.
Is this possible and how should I go about it, or can I only use my itunes library content on apple products?
Thanks for any advice.

 

[miles01110]

It depends. Your music is probably stored as an MP3 file and referenced from iTunes to the file's location. MP3s can be played on many different phones and media players. You will need to look up your device's documentation on how to get the files on the device, as this differs. You will not be able to use iTunes for non-Apple devices.

If you have music stored in Apple Lossless format you will not be able to play them on other devices.

 

[Luis Ortega]

Thanks.
Most of them are in a format called m4a, except for some wav files from music that I already had and simply added them to the itunes library.
Is this the proprietary format that you mentioned?
I notice that periodically when I buy some music from the itunes store, it tells me to backup the stuff to avoid losing it.
Can the music be burned to a cd and then played in other types of music players, or exported as some other format that will let me load it on other types of mp3 devices?

 

[TMRaven]

I think apple lossless might be the only proprietary format that's been mentioned. MP3 is widely compatible, while M4A-- which is usually AAC codec, is less widely compatible, but it's not an apple- only thing.

WAV is pretty universal as well.

You won't be able to directly sync the other devices up to iTunes, but I don't see why you couldn't drag the songs off iTunes then drag them into other devices. (None iTunes plus songs purchased off iTunes will ask for a password of the original downloader, though)