Which mp3 players work with itunes

Audiophiles have long looked down on digital music because the sound quality was notably inferior for golden-eared listeners with distinguishing tastes. But the development of lossless file formats such as FLAC and cheap ample multigigabyte storage have made portable high-fidelity music a reality.

I've used earlier versions of each brand, but not the current models. If you're the sort of person who has hard drives full of uncompressed music audio files -- and can hear the difference between that and comparatively low-resolution MP3 and AAC files -- then, by all means, pair up one of those players with your wired headphone of choice.

Get CNET's comprehensive coverage of home entertainment tech delivered to your inbox. That said, I think the better option for budding audiophiles is a subscription to one of the several music services that offer higher bitrates on your existing devices.

This premium approach began with Tidal , which offers content at 1, Kbps and up. And later in , Spotify is planning a higher-quality offering called Spotify HiFi. If you like what you hear, consider upgrading to a decent headphone DAC that's "digital to analog converter" like the Audiofly Dragonfly and a serious wired headphone. Then you'll have a solid audiophile option that's good for the road, without the need for a standalone music player.

If you've got a digital music collection that includes one-offs and live tracks that aren't available on the mainstream services, you can upload them to online services, where they can live alongside subscription tracks and be shared among multiple devices including smart speakers. YouTube Music, formerly known as Google Play Music, offers this service at no additional cost for up to , tracks. Apple users can opt for iTunes Match , which lets you upload your own digital music to live in tandem with Apple Music tracks.

If you opt for either of these options, make sure you keep a local backup of your files, just in case these services go away. Note that Amazon shuttered its "MP3 locker" service in CNET editors pick the products and services we write about. When you buy through our links, we may get a commission. John Falcone. Best for die-hard iTunes users iPod Touch.

However, some mp3 players may offer a certain level of compatibility with iTunes with a little help from third-party software tools. To be more specific, these tools will allow your mp3 player or some Android device to sync with iTunes. Unfortunately, since none of them are approved by Apple, they may not work with all devices. Every player on this list can play AAC files but none of them will sync automatically with iTunes. Check Price on Amazon.

Check Price on Walmart. The answer imposes itself — The only thing that prevents Apple from making iTunes fully compatible with non-Apple mp3 players is the profit.

And Apple wants you to buy its devices and stay you in its ecosystem. This concludes our article about mp3 players compatible with iTunes. If you want to find out more, go through our FAQs. A: The short answer is no. There are numerous third-party software tools that might help you synchronize your mp3 player with iTunes but none of them are approved by Apple and there is no guarantee they will work with your mp3 player.

A: None of the currently available mp3 and digital audio players on the market have native support for iTunes. A: Both iPods and non-Apple mp3 players are basically the same kind of devices and have the same purpose. The purpose of this article was to help you find the best MP3 players with iTunes compatibility. For many years, all the iTunes compatible MP3 players were made by Apple. Luckily, our article enlists high-end MP3 players that offer iTunes support.

Other than MP3 players listed in this article, there have been interesting footnotes about iPod history. The HP iPods worked remarkably and were compatible with iTunes. It uses music content availability at iTunes to attract buyers. Apple makes its money on hardware sales. The profit for selling a single iPod is more than the profit for selling hundreds of songs at iTunes.

If Apple allows non-Apple hardware to sync with iTunes, consumers might choose non-Apple devices. Apple wants to make sure the privilege of using iTunes remains with people who invest in their hardware.

But, different programs can allow iTunes to connect with Android phones, MP3 players, and other devices. If you have one of those devices, check out these programs:. Yes, there are MP3 players that allow you to play iTunes music. When picking up a music player for iTunes, make sure the audio format is compatible.

To change your iTunes music to MP3 format, find the song in your iTunes music library and highlight it. Apple Music gives you have access to upwards of 50 million ad-free songs. You can also download them on any supported device for offline listening. MP3 can handle one type of media, which is an audio file. On the other hand, MP4 players can play both audio and video files.

MP4 is a compressing technology that decreasing video and audio technology. You can buy millions of songs from your favorite artists on Amazon. Best of all, every song from Amazon is DRM-free and encoded in high-quality kbps audio format. If you subscribe to Apple Music, you can add songs from the Apple Music catalog to your library.

Stream music online or download music to listen to offline. Precision engineered for better sound quality, authentic sound with Hi-Res audio, includes a digital amplifier for crisp sound quality.

Digital music and photo player with FM radio, iTunes compatible, and rechargeable 50 hours of battery life. Ingenic XE processor with DAC AK, dual microphone for calls and sound recordings, touchscreen gesture, customizable screen orientation. The device also has a relatively easier interface to give you more control over how you like your music. Enjoy crisp and dynamic sound quality and your favorite iTunes with this amazing MP3 player. If you are someone who loves extraordinary gadgets, this one will be a pleasant surprise.

This compact size MP3 player is an excellent device that we highly recommend. Best Features: The device has a simple interface and extraordinary features and a twin DAC that makes it stand out.

Pioneer is a native name in the music player industry and this particular design is all you need for your music on the go and iTunes compatibility. The model comes in a sleek-looking design and flaunts hefty internal specifications. In addition to all the aesthetics, the MP3 player boasts various balanced output modes to give for improved control. Best Features : The stylish MP3 player features GB internal memory, wireless capabilities, and 33 to 60 hours battery life so you can enjoy high-resolution audio.

Our focus on this article was to help you find the best MP3 players with iTunes compatibility so you can enjoy all of your music in a single gadget. Other than the devices mentioned in this article, there have been interesting footnotes regarding iPod history, featuring a non-Apple audio player that was compatible with iTunes: the HP iPod.

These were the real iPods, but with a different logo on it.