Apple has established iTunes as the defacto music player and organizer for most people, but they will only allow Apple products to sync with their software. That leaves Android, BlackBerry, Windows Mobile, and webOS users out in the cold as far as synching their phones to their music library. There are a few options with 3rd party software that work well, and I've taken two of the most popular ones for a spin.
DoubleTwist
DoubleTwist is a nice desktop application that resembles iTunes in a lot of ways, but allows you to sync your Android, BlackBerry, Windows Mobile, or WebOS phone with your iTunes library. Just plug your phone in and DoubleTwist does the rest. It figures out what kind of phone you have and copies your library over. DoubleTwist can even sync to an SD card if you want faster performance.
DoubleTwist can even convert videos for your device with a single drag and drop action. If you like DoubleTwist, you can use it as an iTunes replacement as it allows you to search podcasts, the Android Market, and Amazon's MP3 store. It's a gorgeous interface that works well, when it works.
I really like DoubleTwist, but I found it to be very slow in several situations. On its initial boot it goes through and inspects all of your music files, and tries to import your iTunes playlists for syncing. This process can take anywhere from 2-8 hours depending on the speed of your computer and the size of your music library. Once that is done most operations speed up, but we noticed the cursor spinning a lot of the time without explanation. DoubleTwist really needs some progress bars with explanations about what the program is doing.
DoubleTwist just released a version of their software for Android. If you use DoubleTwist on your phone and your desktop, the two sync your music effortlessly, and can act as a complete iTunes replacement. DoubleTwist is free (for now), and is available for Mac and Windows.
Sailing Media Sync
Another option for syncing your iTunes library is Sailing Media Sync. I found this software to be fast and effective. Instead of an iTunes replacement, Sailing Media Sync focuses on grabbing your iTunes playlists, and allowing you to sync them to your phone. Once installed, Sailing Media Sync places an icon in your Windows Task Bar, or Mac toolbar. The program can be set to automatically run and sync when you connect your phone. You simply select the playlists you want to sync, and the software does the rest. It's incredibly easy to use and effective.
Sailing Media Sync allows you to sync music, podcasts, and photos in both the free and paid versions.
The free version allows you to copy your library over, but every time you sync you'll have to re-copy the music over. If you pay for Sailing Media Sync ($22 US), the syncs will happen intelligently, only copying the changed files over.
I found Sailing Media Sync to be the best option for me because it was fast and easy. I really like using iTunes on my Mac and Windows machines, and Sailing Media Sync allows me to sync my music with my Palm Pre, Sprint EVO, and Windows Mobile Treo 800w. Now my iPods and my phones are all in sync with one music library. Hooray!
DoubleTwist
DoubleTwist is a nice desktop application that resembles iTunes in a lot of ways, but allows you to sync your Android, BlackBerry, Windows Mobile, or WebOS phone with your iTunes library. Just plug your phone in and DoubleTwist does the rest. It figures out what kind of phone you have and copies your library over. DoubleTwist can even sync to an SD card if you want faster performance.
DoubleTwist can even convert videos for your device with a single drag and drop action. If you like DoubleTwist, you can use it as an iTunes replacement as it allows you to search podcasts, the Android Market, and Amazon's MP3 store. It's a gorgeous interface that works well, when it works.
I really like DoubleTwist, but I found it to be very slow in several situations. On its initial boot it goes through and inspects all of your music files, and tries to import your iTunes playlists for syncing. This process can take anywhere from 2-8 hours depending on the speed of your computer and the size of your music library. Once that is done most operations speed up, but we noticed the cursor spinning a lot of the time without explanation. DoubleTwist really needs some progress bars with explanations about what the program is doing.
DoubleTwist just released a version of their software for Android. If you use DoubleTwist on your phone and your desktop, the two sync your music effortlessly, and can act as a complete iTunes replacement. DoubleTwist is free (for now), and is available for Mac and Windows.
Sailing Media Sync
Another option for syncing your iTunes library is Sailing Media Sync. I found this software to be fast and effective. Instead of an iTunes replacement, Sailing Media Sync focuses on grabbing your iTunes playlists, and allowing you to sync them to your phone. Once installed, Sailing Media Sync places an icon in your Windows Task Bar, or Mac toolbar. The program can be set to automatically run and sync when you connect your phone. You simply select the playlists you want to sync, and the software does the rest. It's incredibly easy to use and effective.
Sailing Media Sync allows you to sync music, podcasts, and photos in both the free and paid versions.
The free version allows you to copy your library over, but every time you sync you'll have to re-copy the music over. If you pay for Sailing Media Sync ($22 US), the syncs will happen intelligently, only copying the changed files over.
I found Sailing Media Sync to be the best option for me because it was fast and easy. I really like using iTunes on my Mac and Windows machines, and Sailing Media Sync allows me to sync my music with my Palm Pre, Sprint EVO, and Windows Mobile Treo 800w. Now my iPods and my phones are all in sync with one music library. Hooray!
