It is a useful tool for people who use Macs and enjoy using Apple products. Even though newer versions of macOS have replaced iTunes with separate Music, TV, and podcast apps, it is still used on older versions of macOS.
What is iTunes, and Why Use It?
It is a program made by Apple that helps you keep track of and play your music, movies, TV shows, and podcasts. It lets you buy and download things from the its Store, transfer your music and videos to your Apple devices like iPhones and iPads, and create playlists with your favourite songs and videos. It is useful because it keeps all your media in one place, helps you back up your devices, and lets you restore them when needed. Even though newer versions of macOS have replaced iTunes with separate apps like Music, TV, and Podcasts, it is still important for people who use older versions of macOS.
Set Up iTunes on Your Mac
Open the Apple Menu and click on System Preferences, then Software Update. If there’s an update it or Music, follow the steps to update.
If you’re using macOS Mojave or earlier, this application should already be there. If you’re using macOS Catalina or later, it is replaced by the Music app. If you need it, you may need to use a Virtual Machine.
Open it or the Music app from the Applications folder.
Click on the Account menu at the top and choose Sign In. Enter your Apple ID and password. If you don’t have one, you can create a new Apple ID.
Drag and drop your music or videos into the app, or use File > Library > Import to add files.
Connect your device (like an iPhone or iPad) using a USB cable or Wi-Fi. Click on the device icon in the top-left corner to choose what to sync, like music, movies, or backups.
Start using it or Music to play your music, watch movies, and organize your library. You can also use Apple Music if you have a subscription.
Sync Your iPhone with iTunes on Mac
You can easily sync your iPhone with it on your Mac to ensure your content is up-to-date, including music, movies, apps, and other files. Whether you’re using the latest macOS or an older version, the process is simple and quick. By connecting your iPhone to your Mac, you can transfer media, backup your device, or manage your content to keep everything organized. Depending on your macOS version, syncing may take place through it or Finder.
Steps to Sync Your iPhone with iTunes on Mac:
Connect your iPhone to your Mac using a USB cable and unlock your iPhone. Trust the computer if prompted.
Open it or Finder.
Locate your iPhone in iTunes or Finder.
Select the content to sync by checking the boxes for each category.
Click the Sync button to begin syncing.
Wait for the sync to complete without disconnecting your iPhone.
Click the Eject button in Finder or on this application to safely disconnect your iPhone.
Features of iTunes for Mac
It lets you back up and restore your iOS devices, ensuring data safety.
It allows you to sync media content.
Your music library can be synced across devices that are logged into your Apple account.
You can organize and listen to your music collection, create playlists, and browse albums or artists.
You can buy, download, and stream movies and TV shows, as well as organize them in your library.
Offers access to podcasts and audiobooks, and you can sync them across devices.
Access your entire library from any Apple device with iCloud Music Library (with an Apple Music subscription).
You can browse and purchase music, movies, TV shows, apps, and more directly from its Store.
Any purchased content is available for download to your Mac for offline access.
With an Apple Music subscription, you can stream millions of songs, create playlists, and explore curated content like stations and playlists.
You can share your music library with other devices on your home network.
This feature allows you to share your iTunes library with other computers running it on the same Wi-Fi network.
Create smart playlists based on specific rules like genre, play count, ratings, and more.
Organize music by album, artist, genre, or play count, making it easier to navigate large libraries.
It comes with an equalizer to adjust sound quality based on preferences.
You can set specific sound settings for different playback scenarios.
It supports gapless playback, ideal for albums where tracks flow seamlessly from one to another.
You can enable crossfade to smoothly transition between songs in your playlist.
You can share your music purchases with family members via Family Sharing.
iTunes for Mac – Technical Specifications
Manages and buys content linked to your Apple ID
Lets you buy music, movies, and more from its Store
Lets you subscribe to and download podcasts
Helps organize and sync media across devices
Plays music, movies, TV shows, podcasts, and audiobooks
Needs at least 2GB of RAM.
Works on macOS 10.15.7 or newer
Supports video formats like MOV, MP4, M4V, and more
Displays album artwork for tracks
Syncs music and media with iPhones, iPads, and iPods
Organizes and plays audiobooks
Includes Apple Music with access to over 70 million songs
Syncs content with iCloud for access on all Apple devices
Requires 400MB of space to install
Compatible with Macs that have an Intel processor or Apple Silicon
Supports audio formats like MP3, AAC, AIFF, WAV, Apple Lossless, and more
Manage Your Library in iTunes for Mac
To manage a library on an Mac, you can add music, organize it, sync it with other devices, and back it up. Start by opening the Music app. You can add music by dragging files into the app, importing songs from a CD, or buying music from its Store. You can organize your music by sorting it by artist, album, or genre, and you can create playlists by picking songs you like.
You can also change the album artwork and song details using the “Get Info” option. To sync music with your iPhone or iPad, connect it with a cable or Wi-Fi and choose what to sync. Don’t forget to back up your library to an external hard drive or iCloud if you’re using Apple Music. If you have any duplicate songs, you can use the “Show Duplicate Items” option to find and remove them. Lastly, check for updates regularly to make sure you have the latest features.
Open the Music app.
Add music by dragging, importing, or buying from its Store
Organize by sorting by artist, album, or genre
Create playlists by selecting songs to add
Change album artwork and song details with “Get Info”
Sync music with devices via USB or Wi-Fi
Back up the library to an external hard drive or iCloud
Remove duplicate songs with “Show Duplicate Items”
Update Music app/iTunes regularly
Manage Playlists in iTunes on Mac
Open it and launch the app on your Mac.
To create a playlist, click on File in the menu bar, then select New > Playlist.
A new playlist will appear in the sidebar. Rename it by right-clicking and selecting Rename.
To add songs, go to your Library or music folder, and drag the songs into the playlist in the sidebar.
Hold the Command key to select multiple songs, then drag them into the playlist.
To rearrange songs, click and hold on a song, then drag it to a new position.
To remove songs, right-click on a song and select Delete from Library or Remove from Playlist.
Right-click a playlist in the sidebar and select Delete or Remove Playlist to delete it.
You can create a folder of playlists by selecting File > New > Playlist Folder and dragging playlists into it.
To sync playlists to your device, select your device in its application, go to the Music tab, and check the playlists you want to sync, then click Apply.
To create a Smart Playlist, go to File > New > Smart Playlist, then set conditions for the playlist to automatically update.
Buy and Download Content from iTunes Store on Mac
Open the Music.
Sign in to your Apple ID.
Browse the iTunes Store and select the content you want to buy.
Click on the price and select Buy to make the purchase.
Download your purchased content by clicking the cloud icon with an arrow next to it.
Enjoy your downloaded content from the Library.
Manage Backups with iTunes on Mac
To manage backups with it on your Mac, connect your device using a USB cable. Open the application on Mac and select your device. Choose to back up to your computer and click “Back Up Now.” You can encrypt the backup by checking the encryption box and setting a password. To manage backups, go to Preferences in it or Manage Backups in Finder. You can delete old backups or restore from a backup easily.
Launch it on your Pc.
Connect your iPhone, iPad, or iPod to your Mac with a USB cable.
Tap Trust on your device and enter the passcode if needed.
Select your device from its window or Finder sidebar.
In the Backups section, choose This computer and select Encrypt local backup.
Click Back Up Now to start the backup.
To manage old backups, go to Preferences > Devices or click Manage Backups.
You can delete old backups by right-clicking.
To restore from a backup, click Restore Backup and choose a backup.
You can sync content like music or movies under the Music, Movies, etc. tabs.
Troubleshoot, Common iTunes Issues on Mac
Won’t Launch or Opens Slowly: Restart your computer, run it as an administrator, Uninstall and reinstall it.
Syncing Issues: Check the USB cable and port, restart both Mac and iPhone/iPad, Update it and iOS, and Reset the sync history in it.
iTunes Not Recognizing Device: Update it and macOS, Try a different USB cable and port, Reset NVRAM/PRAM on Mac
iTunes Store Issues: Check your internet connection, Check its Store status on Apple’s website, Sign out and sign back into your Apple ID, and Update it.
Music Not Syncing or Missing: Check iCloud Music Library settings, Manually sync music from it, Rebuild your library
Slow iTunes Performance: Close unnecessary background apps, Optimize its settings in preferences, Reduce the size of your library, Rebuild your its library
Error Code 54: Check file permissions for its folder, Look for and remove corrupted files, Make sure your device has enough storage space
No Sound or Audio Issues: Check your system’s audio settings, Make sure it is not muted, Restart it, Try a different audio output device,
Backup Not Working: Check available storage space on your Mac, Update it, Try using iCloud backup instead, Unplug and reconnect your device before backing up
Conclusion
It is a useful tool for organizing and managing your music, movies, and podcasts. It lets you buy, download, and stream media from its Store, create playlists, and back up your Apple devices. While newer versions of macOS have replaced it with separate apps, it is still helpful for people using older versions of macOS. it makes it easy to keep all your media in one place, sync it across your devices, and back up important data, making it a handy app for Apple users.
FAQs
It is available on macOS Mojave and earlier. For newer versions, iTunes is replaced by separate Music, TV, and Podcasts apps.
Yes, you can share your library with other devices on the same Wi-Fi network.
It supports music, movies, TV shows, podcasts, and audiobooks.
