Is iTunes really the best way for me to organize and listen to music on Windows 7?

[LobotikaNZ]

So for as long as I can remember I have always used iTunes to organize and listen to music on my PC. There is nothing particularly wrong with iTunes, things like not having .FLAC support can be frustrating at times but since .FLAC hasn't really become a mainstream file type this isn't really and issue. It annoys me that Microsoft doesn't offer a music player that offers the elegance and user friendliness that iTunes does. Is anyone aware of any music players that are as good as if not better than iTunes for Windows 7?

 

LobotikaNZ

[Vitalius]

Foobar2000 is the best imo. By a long shot. 

Here's a related thread recently posted: http://linustechtips.com/main/topic/188739-best-itunes-alternative/

Pulled from that thread:
 

Tek Syndicate's video guide on Foobar2000 configuration

 

The music sorting-renaming-moving tool is great. It's a power-user kind of tool though, so yeah. Might be hard to use at first, but I'm sure Logan's guide will help on that. 

 

 

Personal Example of how I use it:

[flibberdipper]

Maybe foobar2000. But I prefer to use WMP or File Explorer (you know, in Windows 8).

[NeatSquidYT]

It's all opinion. I love iTunes, the only problems loading times

[LobotikaNZ]

 

Foobar2000 is the best imo. By a long shot. 

Here's a related thread recently posted: http://linustechtips.com/main/topic/188739-best-itunes-alternative/

Pulled from that thread:

 

Tek Syndicate's video guide on Foobar2000 configuration

 

 

Personal Example of how I use it:

 

Awesome, must have missed that video. I will check it out!

 

LobotikaNZ

[Trik'Stari]

I would say that a simple windows 7 folder would be better than Itunes, merely because Itunes is so ridiculously slow.

[Fulgrim]

I just use Winamp Lite, and drag & drop the particular album/song/discography from windows explorer. 

[Michael McAllister]

Well, it depends on if you have been using iTunes since its early days before DRM free music was a thing on that service.  If you have several tracks which are tied to Apple's DRM, then yes, unfortunately that is the best option for you.  If you have many DRM free tracks, I personally would use Windows Media Player.  It's actually one of the few pieces of software from Microsoft that I find to be great.  It's set up in such a way that playlists are not really necessary, and the user interface does not feel sluggish.

[Bansh33]

zune software ftw

[Unknown_Guy]

 

Using it for close to 15 years.