Best way to organize and sync music with Windows XP?

[davidg4781]

So my mom got a Galaxy S4 the other day (coming from an S3 and S before that). I've been trying to help her get it synced up and, honestly, I feel way over my head.

Just for full disclosure, I am an Apple fan guy and have been since 2006. I also know my mom wants nothing to do with them so I'm trying to help her out as best as I can.

I think we've figured out how to sync and transfer her photos from her old phone to the new one through Picasa. The problem I'm running in to is syncing music. She has a few songs of her own in iTunes and some of mine that I've Home Shared over. She also has a balance in her iTunes account I think but hasn't used it. She's starting to really get in to using features and is wanting music but I can't find an elegant solution to keep it all synced up.

I tried Kies. What I didn't like about that is when she buys some songs through iTunes She'll have to find those individual files to put in Kies then transfer them over. DoubleTwist doesn't work anymore. I think there's an updating version but you need Windows 7 and she doesn't plan to upgrade any time soon.

I've come to the realization that we may have to leave iTunes. So what's the best place to go to so everything is smooth and easy for her? Since the songs don't have DRM when can move them into any other player so that won't be an issue.

And this phone is pretty nice. Messing around with that for a while and then picking up my 4S feels like watching a 65" DLP for 2 seasons of Scrubs then going back to a 24" CRT.

 

[SactoKingsFan]

You can transfer all the iTunes music to the s4 using Easy Phone Tunes app. Google Play is a good replacement for iTunes.

 

[HPferoxCraft]

The best part of not using iTunes and using Windows explorer is you don't have to sync anything. You just plug your phone into your Pc and drag and drop the songs/album/discography onto the sdcard. And done. There are so many great music player apps out there and most all of them now allow you to make playlists.
To get already iTuned stuff over though look into what the above poster stated or check out isyncr, another app to merge songs.
ITunes does not make it easy to leave, they don't like giving up control, bwahaha. Sorry I'm not great with humor.

Posted via Android Central App

 

[davidg4781]

Is Google Play a Windows app? Will that sync your music? Is that Easy Phone Tunes app only available in the UK? I thought I had found an awesome one but it's not for us Americans.

And the thing I don't like a out using Windows Explorer to sync music is let's say you have a music folder on the PC an you add a few CDs to it. You have to go dog around looking for those folders then drag and drop them onto the S4. Compared to iTunes and just plugging in the phone.

I don't know if it's so much they don't want to give up control but there's not a really great alternative.