Using Windows Media with iPhone 4s

[edd]

I know, just use iTunes. I don't want to. When I do an online search for how to do this I see some 3rd party software for sale which for all I know is great but I'd like to ask the pros here if anyone has an easy method for doing this.

Thanks in advance.

 

[Alli]

First of all, what do you mean by "Windows Media?" Do you specifically mean .wmv files? If so, you're SOL for the most part.

If you simply mean you want to load music to your iPhone without syncing with iTunes - that is the easy way. It remains the biggest negative to Apple.

 

[edd]

I mean simply using Windows Media to load music files onto my iPhone. I see software out there that claims to do it but I'd like to hear first hand accounts before I mess with / pay for it.

I love the iPhone but I agree with this music file issue being the biggest negative to Apple. If iTunes is so great than people would use it even if the iPhone was made to be MP3 or WMA capable.

 

[sting7k]

I mean simply using Windows Media to load music files onto my iPhone. I see software out there that claims to do it but I'd like to hear first hand accounts before I mess with / pay for it.

I love the iPhone but I agree with this music file issue being the biggest negative to Apple. If iTunes is so great than people would use it even if the iPhone was made to be MP3 or WMA capable.

The iPhone and iTunes do play MP3 files. What is your issue with music on the iPhone? Why do you want to use WMP?

 

[ghostface147]

I use iTunes for everything on my phone and am happy with it. It's reliable, fast, and efficient for my needs. However I am not too sure anyone here would have first hand experience using Windows Media Player to sync since Apple tends to lock that program out. If there is an app, you're going to have to go at it alone and try it. TOFTT.

 

[edd]

The iPhone and iTunes do play MP3 files. What is your issue with music on the iPhone? Why do you want to use WMP?

I'm new to Apple (got the phone last October). So, all of my music files are MP3/WMA. I downloaded iTunes (that went poorly) and transferred my music to it for conversion. This process took (if memory serves) about 12 hours. When it was finished it the music file organization was truly decimated. The whole thing became pointless to me. Addtionally, these new created files took an extra 40GB of hard drive space I didn't care to sacrifice but that's just a pet peeve I guess.

The iPhone plays MP3s? You sure about that? I thought iTunes converted everything to AAC first so that it could be played on Apple devices.

Using WMP would just be easier and conserve hard drive space. It would be a cool move to allow this.

I use iTunes for everything on my phone and am happy with it. It's reliable, fast, and efficient for my needs. However I am not too sure anyone here would have first hand experience using Windows Media Player to sync since Apple tends to lock that program out. If there is an app, you're going to have to go at it alone and try it. TOFTT.

Yes, I'm getting that feeling. Just thought I'd check.

 

[ghostface147]

Yes it plays MP3 files. I have several MP3 files it plays. You can even tell iTunes to encode files into MP3 format if you want.

 

[Fausty82]

I'm new to Apple (got the phone last October). So, all of my music files are MP3/WMA. I downloaded iTunes (that went poorly) and transferred my music to it for conversion. This process took (if memory serves) about 12 hours. When it was finished it the music file organization was truly decimated. The whole thing became pointless to me. Addtionally, these new created files took an extra 40GB of hard drive space I didn't care to sacrifice but that's just a pet peeve I guess.

The iPhone plays MP3s? You sure about that? I thought iTunes converted everything to AAC first so that it could be played on Apple devices.

Using WMP would just be easier and conserve hard drive space. It would be a cool move to allow this.



Yes, I'm getting that feeling. Just thought I'd check.

It might be a "cool move" for Apple to allow this, but don't hold your breath. ITunes is a key part to the Apple ecosystem... and has been since day one. The story is documented well in Isaacson's Steve Jobs biography... and actually iTunes for the Windows environment was an after thought... the intent was to lock the customer into the Apple ecosystem with the iPod (at the time, the only Apple device for playing music), iTunes and the Mac.

I can't see Apple ever willingly giving up that control. They even protect their ecosystem from other media players - remember the Palm/WebOS hacks to iTunes a few years ago... it's all part of Apple's cat and mouse game with the rest of the world. It's just how it is.

 

[edd]

It might be a "cool move" for Apple to allow this, but don't hold your breath. ITunes is a key part to the Apple ecosystem... and has been since day one. The story is documented well in Isaacson's Steve Jobs biography... and actually iTunes for the Windows environment was an after thought... the intent was to lock the customer into the Apple ecosystem with the iPod (at the time, the only Apple device for playing music), iTunes and the Mac.

I can't see Apple ever willingly giving up that control. They even protect their ecosystem from other media players - remember the Palm/WebOS hacks to iTunes a few years ago... it's all part of Apple's cat and mouse game with the rest of the world. It's just how it is.

I read the biography and thought it was excellent; I learned alot about the tech industry relationships and history.

I can't say enough how much I enjoy this phone but there's something inside me that doesn't want to wade too far into Apple's waters. I always keep an eye on the WP7 phones but Sprint's selection is close to non-existent so the iPhone is an easy choice since I'm not willing to switch carriers yet.

 

[Fausty82]

I read the biography and thought it was excellent; I learned alot about the tech industry relationships and history.

I can't say enough how much I enjoy this phone but there's something inside me that doesn't want to wade too far into Apple's waters. I always keep an eye on the WP7 phones but Sprint's selection is close to non-existent so the iPhone is an easy choice since I'm not willing to switch carriers yet.

I understand the reluctance... and you are not alone. The upside to having a single company control the process from start to finish is that they can control everything - making the experience seamless, and therefore, arguably better. The downside is that they can control everything - and the fact that their objectives may conflict with those of the customer... and some processes/actions get blocked, or at the least, left out.

 

[sting7k]

I'm new to Apple (got the phone last October). So, all of my music files are MP3/WMA. I downloaded iTunes (that went poorly) and transferred my music to it for conversion. This process took (if memory serves) about 12 hours. When it was finished it the music file organization was truly decimated. The whole thing became pointless to me. Addtionally, these new created files took an extra 40GB of hard drive space I didn't care to sacrifice but that's just a pet peeve I guess.

The iPhone plays MP3s? You sure about that? I thought iTunes converted everything to AAC first so that it could be played on Apple devices.

Using WMP would just be easier and conserve hard drive space. It would be a cool move to allow this.



Yes, I'm getting that feeling. Just thought I'd check.

The iPhone and every single iPod ever made have always played MP3 files. I do not know where everyone gets that idea that they do not from.

The downloader for AmazonMP3 even will add downloaded tracks to your iTunes library automatically and put it's own storage folder inside the iTunes folder.

All you need to do is use iTunes. You don't need to ever buy anything from it as long as everything is in a compatible format. For audio this is easier since it plays MP3 which is very common. The simplest way to find out is, if it plays in iTunes it will transfer and play on your iPhone. For videos unfortunately they must be in a specific format.