Not all users of modern gadgets know what iTunes is and how to use it. Most often, this question is asked by android users, because iTunes is not needed at all to use their gadgets. So what does iTunes mean? Simply put, this is a completely free special program for apple devices, which is necessary for copying files between a computer and a gadget, restoring an iPhone and iPad, as well as updating the OS.

Functions and purpose of iTunes

In addition to today's main question, there are others to which not everyone has answers. For example, what is itunes store and where to download this program. We will immediately answer the second question, since things are much simpler with him. You can download this program only on the official website of Apple products. There is no other pirated product for copying files from an iPhone or iPad to a computer, or vice versa, and never will be! It is also worth noting here that the iTunes Store has absolutely all the applications that are present in the App Store. That is, this is the same store for apple gadgets, only on a computer.

Of course, most of the applications in the iTunes Store are paid, but this has its pluses, because thanks to paid content, you can protect yourself from pirated products. Don't be discouraged by paid apps, there are many other similar but free apps for your phone. You can download them both in the iTunes Store and in the App Store on your phone, synchronizing your iPhone with your laptop. Many people ask what is iTunes for iPhone 4s. But fortunately, iTunes is the same for all apple devices, so the interface and operation of the application does not depend on the device.

In addition, iTunes has many advantages that every user will like:

  • Backup copy. Thanks to this, when restoring an old gadget or buying a new one, you can easily duplicate all the information from one phone to another. This method will save time and money that you spent earlier on buying different applications.
  • Quality. Using iTunes and the App store, you install only high-quality applications, rather than from other sites through a browser.
  • Listening to music and watching videos. The media player on your computer can also act as a media player, which you can set by default. In addition, despite the standard players on the computer, iTunes is dominated by good voice acting, and the modern and stylish interface looks more interesting than its competitors.

Getting to know the interface

Now you know what iTunes is, but you will need other knowledge to use this program. To begin, consider program interface. After you have installed iTunes on your computer, when you start the program, you will see a welcome message asking you to accept the license terms.

Of course, when you first install the program, it will contain nothing but empty folders that have their own category and format. Therefore, when copying files to iTunes, remember that the program does not support all formats. After you decide to copy some files to iTunes, click Sift to open a window with which you can select the appropriate section. And also, if desired, you can select another folder to move.

Now that you know almost everything about iTunes, it's time to talk a little about the sections of the program.

Music

Here you can copy, delete, download and listen to audio files. Recall that iTunes is recognized as one of the best players, so for Apple users it will come in handy. As for other applications for listening to music on the phone, then for sure the audio recordings, when added to the media library, will also appear in the player of your choice. But with video files it's a little more complicated, because they need to be copied to a separate section - Movies.

Movies

As mentioned above, you will need to copy videos shot on your phone or even movies to this section.

Transferring music to media player

There is nothing difficult in this! The process is no different from copying music from a flash drive to a computer, but we'll still explain how it's done. To get started you need select audio recordings from a computer or other media, copy them by pressing the Ctrl + C keys and paste everything selected with the Cntrl + V key combination into the Music section. That's all! When you're done with iTunes, you'll need to sync and update your devices' information. After that, you can safely listen to music already on your phone.

Other useful sections

Not even all Apple users know about podcasts and iTunes Matc, since most of them listen to music in applications on their phones or even on free sites (Vkontakte, Odnoklassniki, Yandex. Music, etc.), and download podcasts generally through YouTube or Rutub . But thanks to iTunes, you can easily download podcasts and other files. Of course, this will require an Internet connection, but the speed of downloading files will be on top.

To enable the iTunes Match app, you only need to take a few steps:

  1. Run the program on the laptop.
  2. Find the iTunes Store section in it.
  3. Click " Turn on iTunes Match".

In this article, you learned about what iTunes is and how to use it, as well as its benefits. It is worth noting that with the help of this program you can also pre-order paid content, which cannot be done on an iPhone or iPad in the App Store. So install itunes and enjoy!


If you don't know what is itunes and for what it is generally needed by an ordinary user, then you have come to the right place. Because today we will deal with iTunes for desktops and laptops. In Russian, the name of the program sounds like - " iTunes", but in everyday slang of the Apple community it is called -" Tuna».

The possibilities of iTunes are very wide, so this material will be considered only for novice iPhone, iPad and iPod users.

What is iTunes for PC

It is very difficult to say in one word what iTunes is, because it is not just a media player, it is a whole multimedia complex. This program is intended for all owners of iPhones, iPads, iPods and Apple TVs.

The need to install iTunes on your computer appears from the moment you purchase one of the devices listed above. As soon as you have purchased, for example, an Apple iPhone, you will immediately start looking for this very iTunes, you will need it in order to launch your new phone for the first time, authorize it and perform the first setup. You can find an example of the primary activation procedure in the article -.

Where to download iTunes for free

In search of free Tuna, an unknowing user often tries to download iTunes from torrents or from some sites of incomprehensible content. Some even offer to poison SMS to receive an iTunes activation code - all this is complete nonsense.

To download normal iTunes in Russian, you need to visit the official Apple website. We described detailed instructions on downloading and installing iTunes on your computer or laptop earlier:

Before installing, check out what versions of Tuna are

Versions of iTunes for computers

The first version of iTunes was developed by Apple in 2001 and is being updated to this day; at the time of this writing, version 11.0.5 is available.

The subsection says “for computers”, but there is also iTunes for iOS, it is a standard application and comes with the operating system of any iPhone, iPad or iPod touch, it is not installed separately in iOS, but is updated by itself, along with.

What is iTunes for? Synchronization process


After iTunes is installed, let's figure out what it is for, we have already figured out the activation and the first setup above. The main purpose of the iTunes program is to fill the iPhone (or other Apple gadget) with content, that is, to record music, movies, pictures, books, games and programs into it using a computer.

To download everything you need, use . As an example, here are some instructions for syncing an iPhone:

iTunes and instructions will help you perform all of the above steps, although no, not all, it is necessary to fully work with the video.


The fact is that just taking a file and uploading it directly from a computer, for example, to an iPhone or iPad just won’t work, for this, iTunes is needed. Everything is done through this Tuna. Many users, of course, do not like this idea with the iTunes intermediary, but apparently Apple has not yet come up with another way to combat piracy.

By itself, iTunes for computers may eventually die out as deeper Web integration occurs. We already see some steps today - the iCloude web service is an example of this. But for now, iTunes is still relevant.

How to update iTunes

I hope after reading everything written above, it will become a little clearer to you what iTunes is and what it is for.

Alternative to iTunes or unworthy replacement

Some iPhone (or iPad) users, looking for an alternative, find other programs instead of iTunes, with which they try to download files to their iPhones and other Apple devices, here is a list of some third-party programs:

  • iTools
  • iPhone PC Suite
  • iPhone Tunnel Suite

The iTunes program itself is distributed for free, it does not ask for money, so everyone can use it freely until they get to the built-in iTunes Store electronic store, where you can already buy licensed music, paid programs, movies and books for money, but more on that later.

In iTunes 12.7, Apple removed the App Store tab and app management. It became impossible to save applications on the computer and download them through iTunes. We have completely lost the ability to independently manage what is installed on our devices. But it's not so bad - we have the largest Fortune 500 companies on our side. Their pressure forced Apple to leave a fallback. What happened, how to install iTunes with an app store and is it necessary at all

The iTunes App Store is an important part of the ecosystem

While iTunes had the App Store, the computer could act as an intermediary between the iPhone and Apple. Everything that we bought through the App Store was stored on it. Even in the absence of the Internet or with the complete disappearance of Apple with all its infrastructure, it was possible to install and remove downloaded applications. We had our own collection of downloaded applications.

Without an intermediary, all applications will be managed only by Apple. This means that if you remove an app from the App Store, you will no longer be able to install it. Only through a jailbreak (which is more dead than alive).

I illustrated the problem in this video:

Why Apple brought back the App Store in iTunes 12.6.5

Apple devices are used by large Fortune 500 companies. They install special applications that do not exist in the App Store, and are also tied to old applications. They, like us, need control over applications and data. Together they pressured Apple to release a solution.

Apple made a special version of iTunes for business. It retains the App Store tab and allows you to manage Apps on your device. It supports all modern devices, including the iPhone X. But this is not an update. This is an older version of iTunes that you can install and use. This iTunes has version 12.6.5. I call it the iTunes business.

Do I need to install iTunes 12.6.5 (Business)

You need to install if any of these are important to you:

  • old apps,
  • Control over applications without the Internet,
  • Storing apps on your computer to save space on your iPhone,
  • Special applications that may disappear from the appstore,
  • You have more than a dozen devices and manage them via USB hubs

iTunes business setup video

Preparing to install iTunes 12.6.5 business

The media library will need to be restored. I think that now you are using a version higher than 12.6. This means that your iTunes library (files with information about what you have in iTunes) has been updated. If you install iTunes 12.6.5, then it will not be able to read your new library and you will need to restore it to the state of September 13, 2017. Everything that was added / removed later is considered lost.

iTunes will no longer update itself. You will need to install new versions manually. But this is not a big problem. You will only be able to install an update if something doesn't work for you. At the moment, the itunes 12.7 update only cuts features. iTunes 12.6 can do everything and even more.

Installing iTunes 12.6.5 (Business)

The first thing you need to do is download the installer:

  • iTunes 12.6.5 for Modern 64-bit Windows
  • iTunes 12.6.5 for 32-bit Windows
  • iTunes 12.6.5 for macOS

The interesting begins when we launch iTunes. Usually the following window is shown:

New iTunes Library File Warning

I spoke about this above. Your library is too new and he can't read it. He suggests installing a new iTunes to read it. But that's not what we set up iTunes business for, right? =)

Restoring iTunes Library.itl

Close iTunes.

Go to iTunes Library.itl folder

/Users/[YourUserName]/Music/iTunes

Windows XP

C:\Documents and Settings\[YourUserName]\My Documents\My Music\iTunes

Windows Vista

C:\Users\[YourUserName]\Music\iTunes

Windows 7, 8 or 10

C:\Users\[YourUserName]\My Music\iTunes

We'll make a backup. Rename iTunes Library.itl in iTunes Library.itl.new. You can rename it as you like, but I like new - it means that this is a newer library. You can simply add ones or zeros to the name. As you wish.

Then we go into Previous iTunes Libraries. Among them we find a media library older than September 13, 2017. In my case, it was the September 13 library: iTunes Library 2016-09-13.itl. Move it to the folder above so that it is with iTunes Library.itl.new and rename it to iTunes Library.itl. Now iTunes will try to use this file at startup and will find the “native” library from September 13th in it.

This is how my iTunes Library file looks like

Correcting the menu

After starting the Programs will not appear. Need to choose "Edit Menu..." and check the box next to "Programs".


For programs to appear, you need to add them to the menu

Select the newly appeared Programs in the drop-down menu on the left. Here again is the App Store tab.

iTunes 12.6.3 with Programs tab

Bringing back the new iTunes

If something stops working. Or you decide that you no longer need the iTunes business, you can easily return the new version.

Download iTunes from the Apple website. You can leave out the mail and address if you do not need advertising from Apple.

At the first start, the library will be updated and everything will become as Apple and the government want =)

Here's a video:

iTunes (Tuna) is a media player designed to work with music and movies on Apple devices. Today, the program can be installed for free not only on iPhone, iPad, iPod, but also on a computer with Windows and Mac OS. Without it, the full operation of Apple gadgets is impossible.

purpose

iTunes is not only a file sharing service. It has become an excellent assistant for installing applications, synchronizing with a gadget. For mobile device users, this application is indispensable. The main functions of the service:

  • Working with multimedia files - navigating in libraries, creating playlists, changing metadata in music (title, author, cover), playing audio and video;
  • Synchronization with the device on which the program is installed;
  • Transferring data to other devices - from a computer to a mobile device and vice versa;
  • Creation of backup copies for data recovery if necessary;
  • Tracking the location of the gadget from a computer;
  • Software Update;
  • Internet radio;
  • Purchasing media items from iTunes, AppStore. Some files are available for free download.

How to install

Media player in Russian can be downloaded from the official website of Apple. Many sites and torrents also offer to install the application, but it is better to choose the official website of the developer. This guarantees the installation of a verified high-quality version for free and without SMS messages with activation codes.

The download process includes the following steps:

  1. Enter the website of the developer company;
  2. On the left side of the window, find the iTunes section. After opening it, the Download button will appear on the left side of the window. After clicking it, the installation of the service will begin. It is suitable for all kinds of Windows and mobile devices;
  3. To install the program on a Macintosh computer, look down and find the Download iTunes for Macintosh link;
  4. Next, open the downloaded program and log in. To do this, you need to enter the data that was received when registering an Apple ID;
  5. Setting up an application for an individual user. Press Ctrl+S to open the side menu, and press Ctrl+B to open the top menu. In the top menu, execute the commands "Settings" → "Sources" and select the media that you need. They should be ticked.

This video explains in detail how to transfer music to iPhone via iTunes.

Important! In some cases, a program cannot be installed on a Windows computer. This is due to the bitness of the operating system. They come in 64-bit and 32-bit. The media player type must match the OS bit depth. You can find it like this: press the Start button, enter the word "system" in the search bar. In the window that appears, find the line System type.

Application usage

After successful installation of the program, you can start filling your media library, playing media, and performing other tasks. To load objects, select the desired section (Music, Movies, etc.) and drag the necessary item into the window. Another way is to find the "File" section in the menu and select the "Add file\folder" command.

You can transfer objects from the database to the gadget's memory using synchronization. In the application, click on the iPhone icon and the "Synchronize" button. Next, select the type of synchronization - individual objects or the entire media library.

If there is a loss of information on the gadget, it can be restored using iTunes. Data copies are stored on the hard disk. Over time, new versions appear and the installed program should be updated. To do this, you can simply delete the old one and download the new one. Another way is to update the application via Update. To do this, launch it and select "Updates" from the "Help" menu. It then searches for new versions and, if available, a dialog box appears asking "A new version of iTunes is available. Would you like to download it now?" Click the Download button. Or use the video tutorial below.

iTunes Store

The application contains a list of paid files that can be purchased or rented (in the case of movies) in a special online iTunes Store. It has movies, music, books, podcasts, iTunes U, App Store.

To download materials, you need to register in the store, for this we launch the iTunes program.

  1. Click in the Store section on "iTunes Store". At the top right there is a search in which we write the name of any free program, for example Viber or Skype and press Enter;
  2. After that, next to the program icon, click "Free". In the window that appears, click on "Create a new account" → "Next";
  3. Put a tick on the agreement of conditions and click "Next";
  4. Fill in the registration data and click "Next";
  5. In the next step, you need to specify the details from which payment for the downloaded materials will be made. If you don't want to pay for the download, select "None" in the "Credit card" field.
  6. After that, we go to the mailbox that you specified during registration, in the letter from Apple, follow the link "Confirm now".
  7. In the window that opens, enter the email and password that you specified during registration. Click "Confirm address" → "Return to store" → "Done". Congratulations! You have learned how to create an Apple ID.

In addition to the usual file types (music, books), the list of sections of the application includes iTunes U and the App Store. The first section is for downloading free educational materials. The user is provided with more than 1 million books, lectures, videos, and other educational subjects. All of them are provided by the leading educational institutions of the world.

The App Store is a store of apps that you can buy or download for free. When downloading a file, you can transfer it to the device using the "Devices → Programs" command. Find the required object in the list and perform the actions "Install → Synchronize". The cost of downloading most files is small - up to $ 1, so this resource is very popular among users.

Many of us have heard of iTunes. What is this program and what is it for? This is the brainchild of Apple. And for what purpose it is used, we will analyze in this article.

background

The year of birth of iTunes is considered to be 2003, two years after the release by Apple of the legendary iPod player with a fantastic amount of memory at that time - as much as 5 GB. There was one problem that did not please iPod owners heavily downloaded content from pirated sites in order to fill their players with them. Jobs, an ardent opponent of piracy, categorically did not like this approach. And in 2003, he created his own online media content store, where users could buy the songs they liked.

This is the ideology of Apple: as much profit as possible at any cost. Of course, Jobs' strategy works great in "respectable" countries, such as the United States. There, for downloading pirated content, you can go to jail, and there are plenty of such cases. But as far as Russia is concerned, here Apple has failed. The Russians have used pirated content and will continue to use it. The absence of working laws in the field of pirated music or films, as well as the high cost of legal content, take their toll. Few people pay for something that can be taken for free.

The evolution of iTunes

Since then, a lot of water has flowed under the bridge. iTunes has changed a lot. From a service for buying songs, it has grown into a full-fledged online store with the ability to purchase applications, movies, books and music. There was also a separate iTunes program. multimedia player that can play almost all music and video files. The player is the standard default player on MacOS systems installed on Apple computers. Everything would be much easier if iTunes was just a player, but no. This is a symbiosis of the Apple online store and a multimedia player. That is, the user can make purchases without leaving the cash register.

That's what iTunes is. Builds for Windows OS are also available for the computer. They are easy to find on the official Apple website. This can be considered an achievement, since Apple is not particularly willing to share its developments with competitors. True, iTunes under Windows did not find much popularity. And there are reasons for this, but more on that later.

iTunes and AppStore

When Jobs faced the challenge of selling apps online, iTunes had to be rethought as well. After all, initially the service was positioned as a media portal. Selling applications through it would be ugly. Apple specialists did not have to rack their brains for long, and soon they introduced the AppStore - but with the ability to purchase only applications and games for MacOS.

Windows users can also install iTunes in conjunction with the AppStore, although it is not entirely clear why this should be done. Applications for MacOS cannot be installed on OS from Microsoft. It is possible that this is how Apple wants to attract more people to its ranks.

iTunes on mobile platforms

With the release of the first iPhone, Apple faced the question of releasing a mobile version of iTunes. The launch was made in the shortest possible time. I must say that now it is the most popular program for iPhones. iTunes is the prototype of the well-known Android Market. Therefore, it is not necessary to be surprised at its popularity among users of "apple" smartphones. Without iTunes on a smartphone, it is impossible to do almost anything. Installing applications, synchronizing data, running the AppStore - it's all iTunes.

After the update of iOS (iPhone mobile platform) has been released, older versions of iTunes refuse to work on devices running the OS of the previous version. For example, problems are observed on the iPhone 4S. If you can't log in to your account, then the 4S needs to be updated. Moreover, updating it simply will not work: you will have to download the installation file from the Apple server and install it manually.

iTunes is also available on Apple tablets. The specialists of this company tried to make all their equipment dependent on the online store, and they did it perfectly. Now users of Apple devices are required to pay for almost everything. Even updating the operating system can cost a pretty penny, not to mention third-party applications. Unlike the same Android Market, free applications in iTunes and the AppStore are one or two and counted. Now the life of a modern "apple" user is unthinkable without iTunes. What is this program that pumps money out of the user?

iTunes player

However, we digress. There is also an iTunes player for Mac and Windows. What does he represent? This is a multimedia combine capable of burning discs and playing music files. Unfortunately, iTunes "eats" too much RAM, which is especially noticeable on laptops. If on MacOS with its perfect optimization this attracts attention, then Windows starts to slow down terribly.

In addition, the player does not play all sound formats. For example, it cannot read such lossless formats as APE (Monkey's Audio) and FLAC (Free Lossless Audio Codec), which even regular Winamp can handle. From lossless, he is only able to pull ALAC. And that's just because it's Apple's proprietary format. Like all players, it supports and even has a number of presets. But when playing music on Windows, the sound is ugly. It is possible that the player's libraries do not have a script for working correctly with Windows sound drivers.

It makes no sense to install the iTunes player on Windows. What kind of program is this, it is clear from the description. A pointless waste of RAM and hard drive space. You can download it out of curiosity to see what it is.

Apple users may say that the player does not work well because of Windows itself, but on IOS it is, they say, ideal. It may very well be.

Conclusion

Apple's policy is quite clear: get as much profit as possible. Considering the high quality of apple products, the company can be forgiven for literally everything. And the AppStore, and a paid upgrade of the OS and iTunes. True, not everyone thinks so. Users of the Android mobile OS sincerely do not understand what makes people overpay for Apple products.

What kind of program is this, we finally figured it out. Everything would be fine, even the player has its advantages, but the company's miscalculation is the release of the Windows version of iTunes. Probably, Apple's specialists simply did not take into account the poor optimization of the OS and the availability of more convenient and functional analogues.

In any case, we figured it out, considered the areas of application, found out what it was created for.