iTunes remains a centralized media hub for Windows users who prefer managing their digital collections and Apple hardware locally rather than relying entirely on cloud services. While newer separate applications handle streaming, this enduring software continues to serve as the primary utility for syncing content, backing up devices, and organizing extensive libraries of owned music and videos on Windows 10 and Windows 11. It bridges the gap between your desktop environment and portable electronics, ensuring your media is accessible even without an active internet connection.
Key Features
- Local Device Backup: Creates full, encrypted backups of iPhone and iPad data directly to your computer's hard drive, offering a secure offline alternative to iCloud storage for restoring personal information and settings.
- Smart Playlists: Automatically organizes music based on specific criteria you define—such as genre, play count, or release year—allowing for dynamic listening experiences that update as your library grows.
- Podcast and Audiobook Management: Serves as the exclusive Windows home for accessing, downloading, and organizing episodic spoken-word content and audiobooks, a function not yet fully migrated to standalone PC apps.
- Disc Burning and Ripping: Retains the classic ability to import audio from physical CDs into high-quality digital formats like ALAC or AAC and burn custom playlists onto discs for car stereos or archival purposes.
- iTunes Store Access: Provides a direct portal to purchase permanent copies of movies, TV shows, and songs, ensuring you own your favorite media files rather than renting them through monthly streaming subscriptions.
Use Cases
This software is ideal for audiophiles with massive personal music collections who need advanced metadata editing tools and for privacy-conscious iPhone owners who want to archive device data locally on their Windows 10 or Windows 11 machines. It also remains indispensable for users who listen to podcasts on their desktop or need to synchronize content to legacy hardware like older iPods that modern streaming services no longer support.
For users seeking granular control over their file library and offline device management, iTunes offers a dependable utility that modern streaming alternatives have yet to fully replicate.
Version 12.13.9.1 — October 2025
- Added compatibility support for the latest iPad Pro models equipped with the M5 chip.
- Improved overall application stability and resolved minor performance bottlenecks.
- Fixed various security vulnerabilities and general bugs to ensure smoother operation on Windows devices.
