I hate, HATE iTunes

[wdfifteen]

iTunes has gotten so bad it's almost funny - it's certainly ridiculous.
When I got my first iPhone I tried to sync it with the contacts on my computer. For some idiotic reason you had to use iTunes. I used the default settings (my mistake) and the stupid thing tried to put all my music and half a terabyte of images on my phone. Lesson learned, Apple's total integration/complete f-up of your devices scheme can't be trusted.
Then I got an Apple TV and every time I turn on the Apple TV iTunes wakes up my computer and starts playing my music collection. iTunes is making me sorry I even HAVE a music collection.
Yesterday I installed a new Chamberlain garage door opener and when I used the external keypad to open it music started playing out of my phone! Yeah, iTunes has even invaded my garage door opener. The thing is, I deleted iTunes radio from my phone, or so I thought. The icon isn't there, but if I open my garage door the app launches and starts playing music. Without the app icon I can't intentionally play music on the phone, but it's a comfort to know that if I have a need to rock out to Aqualung through a squeaky little iPhone speaker all I need to do is open my garage door.
Apple - WTF??

[Hawkeye's-911T]

I'm no I-tunes fan either - their store seems to push stuff other than what you may be interested in.

Cheers JB

[jyl]

television - iTunes starts playing music automatically when watching Apple TV - Ask Different

Your problem may be the one described above: related to the remotes. Otherwise, how about asking your local Apple store?

[Craig T]

I dumped iTunes long ago…mostly for their predatory marketing practices. I hated walking away from a couple $k in music, but daily updates, all resulting in harder to get to music and easier ways of dumping you in the Store?

Now I have Spotify and Pandora. Cost a little, but I don't feel like an Apple prisoner.

[GH85Carrera]

ITunes for sure sucks as a program. I use it ONLY to back my iPhone and iPads up to the computer.

The photo album part of it is stupid complex. Why in the world can't I see the photos I want to organize right in iTunes and delete or change the photos.

It is for sure the worst part about Apple. I like my phone but hate iTunes.

[BlueSkyJaunte]

Originally Posted by Craig T

I hated walking away from a couple $k in music

Wow. I never considered this particular aspect of how DRM is evil.

[rusnak]

I bought an iPhone for my manager to use at work yesterday. She had to back up using the iCloud, not iTunes.

Having said that, I avoid iTunes like a rabid dog. I buy music only through Amazon, and iTunes on the iPod doesn't like to play nice with my music. But once I buy on Amazon, those songs are mine to copy, play on multiple devices, and do whatever I want with them.

[911_Dude]

Yea, I am all Apple, but iTunes, especially the latest version with iTunes radio sux Kong balls. I dont know why they can totally nail the hardware and drop the ball on software. They can hire the best on the planet for cripes sake. However, I must say I love the iTunes radio. Just great songs over and over again.

[mikester]

I don't care for the latest music interface update on the iPhone but otherwise I have no problem with iTunes.

[Tishabet]

Originally Posted by rusnak

I buy music only through Amazon, and iTunes on the iPod doesn't like to play nice with my music. But once I buy on Amazon, those songs are mine to copy, play on multiple devices, and do whatever I want with them.

This. One of the more painful things about my own experience breaking away from the Apple ecosystem a few years ago was having to abandon a sizeable library of music that, by design, is essentially locked to Apple. You bought it, but it's not yours. In the meantime there are numerous places where you can get the same music, often for the same or even lesser cost, and it's yours. Tough lesson about DRM.

[Rick Lee]

I have never known anyone who didn't HATE iTunes. Why can't they straighten it out? It's really the only thing that keeps me with Apple, as I use the music every day for band and gym work. Someday I will have had it and they'll lose me.

[gprsh924]

I agree iTunes is a pretty terrible program. However, I don't really understand why anyone uses it.

Between work and personal, I have had 4 iPhones and 2 iPads, and I haven't opened iTunes in 3+ years.

[onewhippedpuppy]

Originally Posted by mikester

I don't care for the latest music interface update on the iPhone but otherwise I have no problem with iTunes.

Absolutely horrendous. Windows 8 bad. They took the simple, everyday features of the music player and buried them. Instead the UI is dominated by their recommendations, Apple radio, and social features. I have a large music collection that I just want to put on shuffle dammit.

Unfortunately each new software update seems this way. Apple is slowly abandoning their simple, intuitive UI and forcing more mandatory features (i.e. bloat) down their users' throats. I have an entire folder of mandatory, can't delete them Apple provided Apps that I could care less about. The only reason I stick with them is the fact that Android seems no better.

[techweenie]

At last report, iTunes accounts for 63% of all digital music sales. But the trend has been for people to stop buying music and just 'stream' it. Hence the Beats purchase.

I have no issues with iTunes and buy an occasional song. But I have started streaming Apple Radio and I'm impressed with the song selection.

[widebody911]

iTunes would have to improve to suck. I have seen better-designed malware.

[sand_man]

Originally Posted by widebody911

iTunes would have to improve to suck. I have seen better-designed malware.

^^^I'll take this one for a $100. I have completely abandoned it. Got lots of purchases that I eventually need to move. Its been so long, I'd have to reset my password to get back in.

[Rick Lee]

How can I easily move my iTunes library, both purchased songs and the ones I loaded from my CDs, to some other platform?

[wdfifteen]

iTunes seems to be an integral part of the OS. I tried to delete it from my iPhone 5 and got rid of the icon, but it launches now and again, seemingly on it's own. The world went bananas when Microsoft made Explorer and integral part of windows, but no one seems to care (or care enough to hire a lawyer) that Apple saddles every Apple OS user with iTunes.

[sugarwood]

Originally Posted by wdfifteen

For some idiotic reason you had to use iTunes.

Oh, there's nothing idiotic about that. Quite deliberate.

I just use Spotify or Youtube for music.

[sand_man]

Originally Posted by sugarwood

I just use Spotify or Youtube for music.

Yep. If I'm not spinning vinyl (time consuming), I'm streaming music. Also use Pandora quite a bit.