Alternative to iTunes?

Question

Over the past decade I've come to acquire a random selection of large hard disks from my older computers. While most of the stuff on it isn't vital, there are fair bits of music I made over the years just sitting on them.

I'd like to have all these files stored in some kind of library kinda like the way iTunes does it... HOWEVER.

A lot of it is either crap, or the disk may even contain large groupings of game audio files etc.

I don't want to bog my actual iTunes library down with this nonsense. So can anyone recommend me an alternative that will essentially scan these old disks and add any content to its library.

Answer 1

You could create alternative iTunes libraries.

Just hold the Option key while starting iTunes and point it to a new directory. To go back to your main library quit iTunes and start it again while holding the Option key.

If you are on Windows, the Alt key should have the same function, I don't remember which one.

Answer 2

You should try Songbird. It's an open source media player with Firefox-like extensions. It supports lots of file formats, unlike iTunes.

Answer 3

In addition to Songbird that lpacheco suggested (and also I think it's best Alternative) you have some other choices:

• Instinctiv
• EverPlay
• PicoPlay
• Banshee
• VoxApp

Answer 4

One option would be to create playlists for all of these files you don’t really like and then have a smart playlist which displays all music not in those playlists. Then, all you have to do is avoid the main library view of iTunes and only use that smart playlist as your stating point whenever your browsing for songs to play.

It’s not an optimal solution, however, because every now and then iTunes will show you the main media library again and you’ll have to manually select the smart playlist view again. (And because you get a useless number before each entry.)

I’d be great, if iTunes had an option to create a second (or even more) ‘Music’ view in the library for all the stuff that is secondary.