# iTunes 55 Hacker News commenters recommended iTunes and 81 criticized it, November 2025 to November 2026. It was recommended in 12 of 13 months; owners who said how long report a median of 21 years (3 owners). **Verdict:** Praised for simple CD ripping, library management and iPhone syncing, especially in early versions. Critics say it became bloated, pushes Apple Music and sometimes deletes library files. ## Why people recommend it - Syncs well with iPhone and iPod (5 comments): "being able to plug in a cable and hit the big Sync button was really simple and convenient" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49440616)) "iTunes is still the best I have, mainly because it syncs well with iPhone" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48187158)) "the level of seamless integration between iPhone and Windows via iTunes" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46521198)) - Clean, focused early versions (5 comments): "iTunes was also unrivaled in its first versions, before it became an everything app." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49438925)) "This is not the Apple which lovingly created the first few versions of iTunes." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46518695)) "Because back in the dawn of OS X it was legitimately a good music utility" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49442304)) - Long-term personal library that works (5 comments): "iTunes (Apple Music, not to be confused with Apple Music the service) is still here, still working with original hardware" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46998680)) "Just about everything I watch or listen to is served from the same iTunes Library I've had for over 20 years." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48453468)) "My plex library has my entire library that I've been curating since iTunes was released" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=50160349)) - Strong playlists and library management (3 comments): "When it just did what it was supposed to (rip CDs and put the contents, neatly labeled and organized on your iPod) it was unsurpassed to this day." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46742136)) "Just about everything I watch or listen to is served from the same iTunes Library I've had for over 20 years." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48453468)) "Because with iTunes, I could and did have regular playlists and smart playlists using conditions like ratings" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=45996054)) ## What people warn about - Bloated, everything-but-the-kitchen-sink app (2 comments): "iTunes had become this gigantic everything-but-the-kitchen-sink kind of monstrosity and I think it was the right call to split it up" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48455692)) "It was a bloated mess, but somehow better than the horror-show" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48414521)) - Deletes or scrambles library files (3 comments): "iTunes at the time was notorious for deleting all of your library if it thought you didn't buy something through them" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48931842)) "iTunes would take all your hard work, shake it around, rename all the files and dump them in a single folder" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49440033)) "Then iTunes went all streaming and wiped out my local library, not the media files, just the library." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48229863)) - Pushes Apple Music subscription (2 comments): "has worsening UX over time and it will prompt you to buy Apple Music's subscription service" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46475701)) "I've felt they are increasingly de-prioritizing the old iTunes business to focus on Apple TV+" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48571797)) - Clunky, frustrating iPod and Windows use (3 comments): "iTunes on Windows was horrible and it was even more horrible when trying to use it for managing Apple devices. Obscure errors, convoluted error mesages, slow..." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48186586)) "If you think the iPod software experience in the early 2000s was good then you and I had very different experiences with iTunes" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46738230)) "Getting music on an ipod was always a pain unless you bought the music on itunes or ripped a music CD directly with itunes" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47518984)) ## Alternatives hackers recommend - [Winamp](https://hackerapproved.com/p/winamp.md): 60 recommend - [foobar2000](https://hackerapproved.com/p/foobar2000.md): 54 recommend - [Plexamp](https://hackerapproved.com/p/plexamp.md): 31 recommend - [Audacious music player](https://hackerapproved.com/p/audacious.md): 17 recommend - [Symfonium](https://hackerapproved.com/p/symfonium.md): 11 recommend ## Cite as Hacker Approved, "iTunes", https://hackerapproved.com/p/itunes/ (counts from 1,795,640 Hacker News comments, November 2025 to November 2026).