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iTunes-like program for Ubuntu?

M

Modular

Diamond Member
Hey all,

I'm new to Linux for the most part and am planning on using the latest Ubuntu in a build for my brother. He wants to use the PC for web browsing/watching movies/listening to and downloading music through iTunes.

I'm thinking Ubuntu will work perfectly for him except for the iTunes bit, as everything I've read says that iTunes won't work in Wine and so on. So my question is this:

Is there a program that has the same features/utility of iTunes for Linux? I've never used iTunes myself, so I know very little about it, but I'm sure that my brother would like the ability to purchase music and manage his library, etc.

Thanks for any input.
 
Banshee now has a built-in Amazon music store.

Amarok will install a bunch of KDE dependencies and is overall inferior to Banshee, so I do not recommend it. If you run a KDE-based distro like Kubuntu, then perhaps Amarok would be alright.
 
There are no compatible iTunes programs. You either have to use Windows or a Mac. Sure you can use VMware Workstation to use iTunes, but it is the only way that can reliability play video from iTunes. Virtualbox can be used, but DirectX or Directshow features are a hack, so it will not be as reliable and as easy as VMware. VMware has a free version called VMware Server, but it does not have the features that iTunes requires for video. I suggest VMware Server 1 instead of 2 because 1 is easier to setup than 2. Both Virtualbox and VMware has sound support.

If your brother is tied to iTunes for videos and music, you either have to make a choice between Windows or Mac. Sure you can go with Linux, you will still have to install Windows for iTunes to work.

There is no differences on the amount packages or programs that KDE and GNOME. Both uses the same amount of a packages. The RAM usage is now about equal.
 
SickBeast said:
Banshee now has a built-in Amazon music store.

Amarok will install a bunch of KDE dependencies and is overall inferior to Banshee, so I do not recommend it. If you run a KDE-based distro like Kubuntu, then perhaps Amarok would be alright.
Click to expand...

I second the recommendation on Banshee. The interface isn't as pretty/polished yet, but it works pretty well and is about as close to an iTunes clone as you're going to get on Linux (Songbird showed promise but they're basically abandoning Linux development, and Amarok is a program with the same goals but it's presented much, much differently than iTunes).

FWIW though, if he's been using iTunes for a long time and has DRM'd music, then that won't work on any Linux setup. If his stuff is newer and non-DRM'd, then it can be imported.

One note though is that iPod syncing is . . . primitive . . . on Linux. Some programs can do it, others not, and most only offer manual drag/drop to and from the device, not a real "sync" like iTunes does.

As an iPod Touch user, I run iTunes in a Windows XP Virtual Machine on my Ubuntu desktop. I'm getting a new Android phone in December and will be moving to Banshee at that point.
 
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