How to use Winamp to manage your iPod

What about subscriptions to Podcasts, Video podcasts, and purchases from the iTunes music store. Can it handle all that too?

hobnob,

Correct. There are so many features to Winamp that trying to cover them all would be far too time consuming. If you include the hundreds (thousands?) of plugins, it would take a lifetime.

It’s also a part of a larger ‘overview’ on iTunes alternatives that I’m going to publish later tonight/early tomorrow.

Eitan,

It depends on how far back in the past you used this feature.. I reviewed the release notes for the last few versions of Winamp and found the following:

Winamp 5.34:
Fixed: [pmp_ipod] Incompatibility with iTunes 7.1

Winamp 5.31:
* Fixed: [ml_pmp/pmp_ipod/pmp_usb] ‘no disc in drive’ error message

Winamp 5.3
* New: [pmp_ipod] gapless playback support on newer models
* Improved: [enc_aacplus] saves itunes/ipod-compatible gapless information
* Improved: [pmp_ipod] support for iTunesLock
* Fixed: [pmp_ipod] Artist list on iPod not sorting “The” correctly

Winamp 5.22
* Improved: [pmp_ipod] Loading times for iPods reduced

Winamp 5.21
* Fixed: [ml_ipod] and [pmp_ipod] conflict

–

So it sure looks like they’re constantly improving the iPod integration.

With that said, generally iTunes does not like to ‘play nice’ with ANY other software when it comes to managing your iPod. If you sync it with anything other than iTunes, the next time your iPod is plugged in and iTunes is running, it’ll try and “fix” the problems. That can involve wiping out whatever is currently on your iPod. Once you make a decision to use something other than iTunes to manage your iPod, it’s a pretty good idea to stick with that thing. Or, make sure to keep everything backed up so doing a restore isn’t too much of a hassle.

Indeed, winamp integrated ml_ipod a few versions back to give all winamp users ipod & portable player support, and its pretty stable now.

However ml_ipod has continued independent development since the integration and if you find like using winamp to manage your ipod, I strongly advise you to go download the newest version of ml_ipod (currently version 3) from http://mlipod.sourceforge.net/

no i don;t work for them, but I liked this new version so much, I donated some of my hard earned cash.

http://www.closetosoftware.com
exellent art display for winamp

Thanks a bunch for this! I abhor iTunes as it would not cooperate whenever I tried to do simple things, and this just made my life a heck of a lot easier. Kudos.

wow. this makes me very, very happy. i find itunes to be invasive and irritating. i know it’s irrational, but hey.

I have the same question concerning the 160Gb. I used Anapod Explorer on my old iPods, but it did not work with the 160Gb model. Is there something “different” about the 160?

I have a very large music collection (>400 gigs). Which alternative is the fastest: winamp, itunes, floola, yamipod, mediamonkey or other using a 5th gen ipod?? Thanx

Nice one, but I have a question.
I need iTunes installed anyway?

Winamp does not recognize ipod, it used to before. I have the ipod plugin, the computer recognizes the ipod, should i reinstall winamp?

This totally rocks, thanks. Next step, kill iTunes.

Will this work with out iTunes installed?

My problem is I can’t even get iTunes installed, so I’m not sure how I would do that first step “enable disk use” set. Will Winamp not work without doing that?

Thanks!

it doesnt seem to work on my ipod nano, does anyone know why? ive followed the steps but once i eject it and check, it says zero music. it doesnt seem to recognize any of them, even though when i check it on my computer, the folders all seem to have the music as it should (under the F00 etc folders) anyone know how to get it to work?

Thank you for this simple tutorial. You have no idea how much i hate iTunes.

Do any of these prevent duplicate songs from being copied into the playlists? Say I have a Hip Hop playlist with many artist. When I add tracks to an existing artist some time 20 or 30 songs per artist its hard to tell what is already there and some are in multiple playlists. It would just be nice and easy to drag the artist and just have it add the songs that are missing.

safassad

I have tried adding songs & videos to my ipod nano 3rd generation (4GB) using itunes to no avail. It always ends up being empty after ejecting. What should I do?

Eegzz,
In the hopes you get notified when comments are made…..How did you solve your problem. My 80gig classic was working fine with Winamp 5.54, but I upgraded the ipod software, using itunes to version 1.2.1. since then winamp doesn’t recognize the ipod. the computer(win2000 srvc 4) sees the ipod in disk mode, as a drive letter.
I’ve gotten rid of pmp_ipod.dll & replaced it with the newest version of ml_ipod.dll found here http://mlipod.sourceforge.net

Thanks so much, I hate iTunes with a fiery passion so it is awesome to be able to manage my iPod in my beloved Winamp XD

Unfortunately, Apple has disabled the “Enable disk use” feature in the 2.0.2. version. Yet another step in Apples’ attempt to limit in what way the consumer can manage their content. Faschism, anyone?

I recently downloaded winamp to manage my ipod nano’s music. How do i remove songs from my nano without using itunes. Can i do this with winamp or someother software. I can add the tracks but unsure of the removing part using winamp with the ipod nano. Help!!!

Really had a tough time arranging songs using i-tunes. This is definitely simpler, arrange the songs on playlist and transfer the playlist to ipod, I-tunes really sucks. Thank you.

Thanks for the help, but . . .
Son A got an iPod last Christmas, then we learned that iTunes wouldn’t work with our Windows 2K system. (Please don’t say “the solution is to upgrade.) I spent many hours eventually converging on WinAmp and thought it was working right, but then was informed that, even though WinAmp can load songs onto his iPod, they will not play if they had originally been downloaded onto our computer via iTunes. So when WinAmp transfers songs (that were originally downloaded via iTunes) from our PC to his iPod, they show up but don’t play. This looks like the same problem “Desperate” had on 7/16/08.

Son B (older iPod) has lots of iTunes downloads on our PC but Son A appears to be locked out. Can Son A play these iTune downloads on his newer iPod?

(Different question: I assume, too, that there are lots of alternatives to iTunes for downloading music. Anybody recommend any others to check out?)
Thanks!

First of all, thanks for the post! Very useful!

I’ve noted by the winamp that each album has its art work attached. I can see it at the “Cover flow”, but it has desapeared at the main menu — that a “slide” show on the right side. Has someone noted the same problem?

Thiago:

Winamp displays cover art by looking for an image file in the directory with the mp3 file, named after the mp3′s ID3 tag album title. At least, that’s how my winamp is set up. I think it’ll also accept an image named “folder.jpg”, although that could be a problem if you have files in the same directory from different albums.

I think the ipod requires the album art to be embedded in the ID3 tag, so winamp won’t correctly transfer the album art to the ipod. When I tried it, I didn’t get album art on the ipod unless it was embedded in the tag.

P.S.: Winamp works better with the ml_ipod plugin installed.

I was happy that I found an alternative, Itunes sucks. All I want is to play music from my computer on my Ipod, why the hell is itunes crashing all the time?? This is not encouraging to by a mac

According to what I read on the Winamp web site, the free version won’t rip CD’s to MP3–only to WMA. And I don’t think an iPod can play WMA files.

Media Monkey is a very similar program. In fact it can even use some of the “plugins” that were created for Winamp. It also comes in two flavors–free and “gold”. But the free version rips to MP3 and doesn’t seem to be missing any essential features for use with an iPod.

@John: Try a small and simple free util called Sharepod. It installs directly onto your iPod. Sort the display by artist or title and del the duplicates. Then backup your music to your PC using any of the options offered for file naming. My personal choice is

(Album)\(Track#)-(Title)

Save to a dir that isn’t currently in your Winamp library. Clear out your Winamp lib, and then import the files that you just saved.

Thanks Neil, I’ll give that a try.

Does this work with the newest sixth-gen iPod Classic?
Cheers!

Help,
j’ai synchronisé mon ipod avec winamp, transfert ok mais apres l’ejection mon ipod m’affiche zero chanson rien n’est lisible et pourtant c’est bien dedans!?

Great article

Thanks a lot simplehelp.net has done a wonderful job
All the Best

You Rock my friend. I recently installed iTunes on my PC running Windows 7 Ultimate and had nothing but trouble trying to get it to work with my wife’s 3rd Gen Ipod Shuffle. I too have been using WinAmp now for about 10 years as an alternative to WMP. WinAmp is so much easier to use with her Shuffle than that horrible excuse of a program known as iTunes.

Thanks so much,
Keith

i tried to sync the new ipod nano 5th gen to winamp and it doesn’t recognize it…any ideas if it is supposed to work with latest ipod?

why after i sync my ipod on winamp i cant see the songs i sync i cant even play it on my ipod pls help

Same problem here….would be nice with som help

OK i did the same thing it says but it says that there is nothing in the portables yet i can play the songs off the i pod from the audio list how do i fix this?

Gentlemen,

I am glad I found this forum. I have particular needs for which this seems ideal but I need a little more help before actually going out and buying a large ipod.

On my computer, on a remote drive, I have a huge collection of digitized classical music, which I use winamp on my computer to play. The collection is in nested folders. For instance, there’s a folder called Beethoven, which includes three different folders that hold three separate sets of his nine symphonies. Each symphony, in turn, is a folder containing the movements, which are .wav files. The winamp playlists (one per symphony) are also nested in folders in the same way.
I hope that’s clear. What I’m wondering is whether I can get not only the music, but the playlists that go with it, onto the ipod–or am I going to have to make new playlists (and give them names) on the ipod itself? Does the ipod store files of playlists?
Many thanks in advance.

Hola! tengo un ipod clasic de 120 gb le he pasado musica con el winamp pro y todo iba bien hasta que lo hice en otra compu instale el winamp pro el mismo con el q lo utilizaba en la compu de siempre pero al momento de expulsarlo me dice que esta siendo utilizado por otro programa y no lo expulsa, siendo que no tengo ningun programa abierto, no se si tenga algo q ver el windows vista espero me puedan ayudar gracias

I put music on using Winamp, all working fine and all, but when I put om my shuffle, it keeps telling me: “pls use itunes to sink music.” WTF can’t install itunes, cow I need a Internet connection, and serial key, witch I can only get from iCrap (iTunes) but can’t install without it WTF!! How is their logic?!? Pls help.. Lol should have just got an Phillips or something

Does this still not support the Gen 5 iPod Nano? Because I’ve spent the last hour and a half making sure everything is correct and it still doesn’t work. I’ve noticed from earlier comments from almost a year ago that Gen 5′s don’t work, is this still the case? Because I have some sound files I want to put on my iPod that Winmap will accept that iTunes won’t (because it’s a bloody stupid program!).
Please help?
Corri

I am trying to get my music from winamp to my ipod but can’t seem to manage it. I have followed the step by step guide but the music still does not appear on the ipod! When i transfer al the music into a playlist then click “send to ipod”, my computer freezes and shuts down winamp? Any ideas?

I am extremely frustrated and extremely confused. I have a relatively new ipod that I have been using itunes with. I tried this procedure, above, last week, and it worked perfectly for one playlist of four movements (a symphony.) That is, I loaded the playlist in winamp, sent it to the ipod, and it showed up. But then I accidentally had itunes open and it synched my ipod again. And now, when I try the procedure, winamp says it’s working–you see the progress of transfers–but the stuff doesn’t show up on the ipod. HELP!!!!! Thank you.

My itunes refuses to open, when i try to open it, nothing happens.
I’ve tried uninstalling it and reinstalling it- Nothing
and i’ve tried several times going in “Tasl Manager”, “Processes” and end itunes but still- Nothing
So i cant “Enable Disk Use”

Thank you so much for telling us about Winamp. It works great! I love being able to update my ipod shuffle so easily and remove and add music so quickly.

i can’t thank you enough! iTunes was a pain in the wrong place! every time i formatted my PC, i had to re-install iTunes and make a whole new Playlist. ugh.
THANK YOU.