Posted on 2007.08.10 |
Comments (10) |
Music
This post has been imported from the old blog and has not yet been converted to the new syntax yet.
Do you own an iPod? Are you tired of using iTunes? If you answered positive to both questions, read on! reTune is your solution.
reTune is a very small, but useful, tool which you store on your iPod and every time you connect to your computer (or any computer for that matter, since you'll be free of iTunes), you double click just one file and you will be able to manage your iPod music collection through Windows Explorer!
When you run it for the first time, it will scan your iPod for MP3 files, read out the artist, title and album information and store it in Apple's proprietary iPod format. I advise to start using reTune from an empty iPod, since it will not magically extract music already on your iPod. Read these detailed instructions before using it.
reTune keeps a kind of mapping file between the location where the music file initially was located, and where it is stored after syncing. When you plug your iPod back in, and rerun reTune, it will move the file back out of the iPod, making it visible in the file system and allowing you to manage your collection, just remember to sync them back into the iPod afterwards :)
Here's a sample session of using reTune:
I connect my iPod, which holds a copy of The Archive in MP3 format, from some time ago, and run reTune.
From this point on, I can manage the files on my iPod through Windows Explorer and add or remove music.
When I'm done organizing my files, I run reTune again, which moves everything back into the iPod.
After this I simply remove my iPod and off I go, ready to hit the road again, but now with my updated music collection. And at no single point I needed iTunes or was I bothered by DRM restrictions, I should be able to play all the music I bought in my local music store on all devices I own. And I can.
iTunes fanboy? Anti-DRM? Speak up and spark the discussion!
reTune is a very small, but useful, tool which you store on your iPod and every time you connect to your computer (or any computer for that matter, since you'll be free of iTunes), you double click just one file and you will be able to manage your iPod music collection through Windows Explorer!
When you run it for the first time, it will scan your iPod for MP3 files, read out the artist, title and album information and store it in Apple's proprietary iPod format. I advise to start using reTune from an empty iPod, since it will not magically extract music already on your iPod. Read these detailed instructions before using it.
reTune keeps a kind of mapping file between the location where the music file initially was located, and where it is stored after syncing. When you plug your iPod back in, and rerun reTune, it will move the file back out of the iPod, making it visible in the file system and allowing you to manage your collection, just remember to sync them back into the iPod afterwards :)
Here's a sample session of using reTune:
I connect my iPod, which holds a copy of The Archive in MP3 format, from some time ago, and run reTune.
From this point on, I can manage the files on my iPod through Windows Explorer and add or remove music.
When I'm done organizing my files, I run reTune again, which moves everything back into the iPod.
After this I simply remove my iPod and off I go, ready to hit the road again, but now with my updated music collection. And at no single point I needed iTunes or was I bothered by DRM restrictions, I should be able to play all the music I bought in my local music store on all devices I own. And I can.
iTunes fanboy? Anti-DRM? Speak up and spark the discussion!
+32 (0)478 57.79.17
I use Anapod Explorer from RedChair Software. Best 20 bucks I've spent for some time.
http://www.redchairsoftware.com/anapod/
Did you get it to run under Vista properly? (As a non administrator)
Only worked as an admin here, otherwise it never managed to settle itself into my explorer.
I am the author of this test of 10 free alternative iPod managers http://ipodmanagers.blogspot.com/
David Cumps posted a comment that made me discover reTune and, as a minimalist addict I must say I'm an absolute fan of reTune.
Thanks David!
Mike
this great software works with new iPods? Like iPod Classic? :D
There's a table on http://retune.sourceforge.net/ which shows the supported models.
The latest iPod nano 3G isn't supported, neither is the iPod classic 6G. Due to the following note:
"In the 2007 model series, Apple introduced a checksumming scheme to prevent third-party tools like reTune from operating with the new iPods. Until this protection mechanism is broken, reTune will not work with the classic, fat nano and touch models."
Hi, nice article about reTune, though the sourceforge site for it (http://retune.sourceforge.net) seems to be down... does anyone know what the latest version is, and maybe where it's mirrored?
Funny how there was no activity on this article for a long time and now Colin and myself find it. I too am interested in the latest version but my fear is the project has been abandon. Any idea's?
First of all, be thankful the WaybackMachine exists ;)
reTune latest mirror: http://web.archive.org/web/20080106212520/http://retune.sourceforge.net/
As for the executable, click the 'Contact Me' on the left side of the blog, and ask me for it and I'll send you my version (2MB).
I was so happy to find a copy for retune, and went to hack away on it to improve it for my ipod classic. Right as I was going to tear my hairs out due to the frustration of the hash check, I found out where it had moved.
http://repear.sourceforge.net/
Apparently Apple has been really unkind to the author (http://keyj.s2000.ws/), and if he did as much as hint between the old name of the tool and the renamed version he'd be in a fair amount of trouble moneywise. Either way, go to the link above to get your (still maintained) fix!
I use another iPhone manager called CopyTrans Manager. It's free and snappy. Plus I can manage my device on several computers.
http://www.copytrans.net/copytransmanager.php