Free • FadingRed • Mac only
One of the worst things about iTunes is that you can't easily transfer content from your iPod into it - which you might need to do if your iTunes library goes 'phut' for some reason. Senuti's solution makes iPod to iTunes transfers a breeze, enabling you to synchronise individual tracks, playlists and metadata.
Free • iConcertCal • Mac and PC
This visualiser plug-in doesn't dazzle you with hyperactive visual effects, but rather serves up a list of upcoming concerts and album releases in your area. Clicking a link kicks you over to Amazon.com (where iConcertCal's creators get a cut if you buy something), or to a suitable concert promo site. UK integration is limited, but it's a great idea that works well.
€15 • Metaquark.de • Mac only
This great-looking alarm clock lets you wake to the sounds contained in your iTunes library, including smart playlists. Naturally you can set different wake up times for each day, set Aurora to snooze or even use it with an Apple Remote.
$25 • Tagtraum Industries • Mac and PC
Aimed at DJs and fitness fanatics, beaTunes automatically analyses and assigns Beats Per Minute (BPM) info to all the tracks in your iTunes library. This enables you to create custom playlists based on BPM. Other goodies include a metadata editor, social networking and blog integration, as well as music recommendations.
Free • fusd • Mac only
iTunes 8 now lets you view your music and movie library by genre, complete with artwork for each one. The problem is iTunes genres are pretty broad, which can be frustrating if your tastes are more specialised. iGenres gets around that problem by serving up artwork for a wide variety of sub-genres using user-generated content.
$25 • Zelek Software • Mac and PC
This makes light work of finding cover art for your iTunes Library - sometimes serving up better result than iTunes is capable of doing on its own. The PC version is definitely worthy of investigation, getting a 5 star rating on VersionTracker.com. However Mac users have been less kind, complaining that it's a CPU hog.
From free • SoundSpectrum Inc • Mac and PC
Another great alternative to the visualisers found in iTunes. This one uses wire-frame animation to create amazing 3D visuals - and even works well on a flat panel TV. It includes a wide-range of customisation options and a screensaver.
$4.95 • Maza Digital • Mac only
This app makes it a snap to find songs your iTunes library has lost - either because you've moved the library to a new hard drive or Mac, or simply just removed them from iTunes. iTunes Consolidator scans your Mac and finds tracks that iTunes is missing - and then gives you the option to add them back or to completely delete them.
Dupe Eliminator 6.0 for iTunes
$34.95 • Markelsoft • Windows only
If iTunes is taking over your hard drive, then you might want to try this - a sophisticated duplicates finder that helps you weed out identical tracks. It works better that the Find Duplicates function in iTunes, chiefly because it enables you to customise your searches. Mac users should try Dupin, which is similar.
Free • Fast Thinking • PC only
Launchy is the nearest thing Windows has to QuickSilver - an app that enables you to fire up applications using a few simple keystrokes. iTuny integrates iTunes control into Launchy, letting you play, pause, skip tracks and so on without having to resort to iTunes.
Free • Alex Sirota • Windows only
If you like to listen to music while you surf, this plug-in for Firefox and Internet Explorer could be just what you need. It offers basic playback controls for iTunes, as well as a wide variety of other media players. It even enables you to get access to related web content simply by using the right-click menu.
See also TechRadar's guide to watching blockbuster movies on your iPhone
