Organize multiple iTunes libraries & music folders.
PowerTunes allows iTunes users to create multiple libraries, organize their music among multiple music folders, and share music and libraries between multiple users on a machine. In addition to simply creating and keeping track of your libraries, PowerTunes also offers many additional features to help organize your music. Users can copy music back and forth between their libraries while maintaining all their ratings, play counts, and other information stored in iTunes. This allows libraries to be split up into smaller ones, or merged together into larger ones. PowerTunes also offers a one-step solution for sharing iTunes libraries and music among multiple user accounts on a machine, allows users to fix dead tracks whose files have gone missing, finds orphaned music files in their music folders, and much more.
Decent GUI, although not as flexible or powerful as iTunes
Cons
SLOW.
Doesn't do all that much.
Can't adjust screen font size (hard to read)
Summary
This would be a decent $5.00 little app, but IDK that it's worth $20.
Great Features - Unexpected Side-effects
srogers4_dotmac
Pros
Does exactly what it says in terms of taking control of your iTunes Library and allowing you to split up a large unwieldy library into multiple libraries.
Cons
Once upon a time, iTunes used to be just about music. Now it's the Grand Central Station of syncing all sorts of data across multiple devices. After a pass through PowerTunes, I found some dead tracks and moved some seldom-used tracks into a secondary library. Organization - yea! But then my top-level preferences for iPhone and iPad were lost (e.g. sync wirelessly with this device). Not a big deal - re-checked. Then I get a warning from my iPad that it thinks it was sync'd from a different account - not good. iTunes became completely confused about the sync state and I had to delete all music from the iPad and re-sync to get it straightened out.
PowerTunes delivers on it's promises to get control of your iTunes library. Unfortunately, there's just so much more jammed into iTunes now that many things can go wrong.
Summary
Enjoy cleaning up your music tracks - watch out for subsequent sync horrors. Make sure your devices and your iTunes Library are backed up.
Excellent product
ctakim
Pros
Great for managing, merging and maintaining large iTunes libraries across a home network
Cons
Not the speediest of programs, but very automated so easy to let run
Summary
I have a home networks with 4 desktop Macs, two laptops and a bunch of ipods, iphones, and iPads. My main music file is on a NAS (actually a Drobo hooked to a MacMini) but each of the desktops have their own iTunes library/Medial Folder. How to I keep all of our music centrally but let each computer have their own set of songs? PowerTunes!
I can merge libraries yet exclude duplicates and maintain metadata across all the computers by periodically merging everyone's iTunes library with the central server. I was using Fat Cat's iPhoto Library Manager first, but when I heard about this somewhat analogous software, I also bought it. I have no connection to this company, but I'm happy with their projects.
For those of you with growing Mac home networks, and a bunch of iTunes Libraries, this is the tool to bring it under control.
mange your itunes libraries
jtmiller1
Pros
Does things that Itunes should do but neglected
Cons
have not discovered any yet
Summary
Worth buying
Behaves strangely and dangerously
nicmart
Pros
Nice feature set in principle.
Cons
Bad things happen. It causes iTunes to act as though it is being opened for the first time, showing Agree to Terms window. iTunes opens with preferences reverted. When moving playists PowerTunes froze and some songs became delinked from their files.
Summary
Very risky in my short experience, with the possibility to create havoc. I have a large library of songs and would never use PowerTunes again.
Highly Recommended
mail661
Pros
Cons
Summary
This review was originally posted on VersionTracker.com.<br />A superb tool. Five stars all round!
Fantastic! A must have iTunes enhancement.
VersionTrackerUserOpinion
Pros
Cons
Summary
This review was originally posted on VersionTracker.com.<br />I don't often write reveiws, but my satisfaction with PowerTunes has gotten me to do so with this great piece of software. I have multiple iTunes libraries on different Macs -- as well as portable hard drives. PowerTunes makes it EASY to get things organized, and keep them organized. It integrates very smoothly with iTunes. The customer support is GREAT! I had a couple of questions about PowerTunes, and the developer Brian answered quickly with very helpful information. In my opinion this software is a must have for iTunes users.
Great!
themouse1
Pros
Cons
Summary
This review was originally posted on VersionTracker.com.<br />I love this program. Once you figure out what this program does, if you need it, it becomes indispensable. I wish Apple would do something as advanced and creative, it would probably be a little more seamless. But until they do there's PowerTunes. I use it every day as I have a very large music library.