iTunes for Chromebooks?
Published on
by Jim Mendenhall
Tags:
Chromebooks,
Chrome OS,
Chromebook FAQ
Can you download and install iTunes on a Chromebook?
Short Answer:
No. Apple does not make a version of iTunes that is compatible with Chromebooks and other Chrome OS devices. iTunes currently requires Mac OS X or Windows to run.
Long Answer:
While nothing would keep Apple from writing a version of iTunes for Chrome OS, it is very unlikely to ever happen. The iTunes model of keeping all of your music on your local hard drive doesn’t fit very well with the Chromebook’s cloud storage approach to computing. In fact, most Chrome OS devices only come with 16 or 32 GB of storage, not nearly enough space to store your entire music collection.
So, what is Google’s response to iTunes? Officially, Google recommends that you upload all of your music to their Google Play Music online music streaming service and use that to listen on your Chromebook (and other devices like Android phones). It is also possible to use other online music services such as Amazon Music Cloud Player or Spotify.
While not having iTunes can come as a shock to users who are accustomed to having all their music right on their computer, there are advantages to storing your music in the cloud with a service like Google Play Music. It frees up valuable hard drive space, is always backed up, and lets you access your music from any device. However, making the shift from storing your music locally to relying on the cloud can be a very uneasy move.
What about streaming your music from iTunes to your Chromebook? This seems like it should be possible using iTunes’ built in sharing (DAAP), but to date, there are no Chrome Apps that can stream DAAP streams. Perhaps this situation will change in the future.
Are you an iTunes and Chromebook user? How have you managed to take your music with you to your Chromebook? Leave a comment below and let us know your solution to this problem.
