Manage your iPod with Winamp

News earlier this week that the next version of iTunes will enable you to sync your podcasts directly with your iPod, without needing separate podcatching software, has been eclipsed by this news in Wired News about Winamp:

iPod users are raving about a plug-in that makes the Winamp digital jukebox a better way to manage the iPod than Apple's iTunes. The plug-in, called ml_iPod, allows iPod users to bypass iTunes and manage music collections in Winamp instead. The iPod is supposed to work with iTunes only. A new version of the software was released Monday.

The only time I use iTunes is when I want to sync podcasts (and music) with my iPod Mini. My usual digital music player is Winamp, so I'm pleased to hear this news. Others feel the same, too:

[...] The ml_iPod plug-in has been downloaded half a million times. [...] The plug-in works with all varieties of the iPod, but some users have trouble getting the software to work with the iPod Shuffle. [ml_iPod programmer] Fisher said there are plans to make the plug-in available for other digital music players.

A new version 5.091 of Winamp was released last week, a security fix. I commented in Monday's podcast that I'd had problems with version 5.09 not playing some MP3 files. Looks like the updated version has the fix for that, as those MP3s now play in 5.091.

Comments

[Jonathan Marks]

Ipodder is having problems with the latest version of itunes....something has corrupted and the two programs aren't talking to each other. I shouldn't have upgraded!