Android - Life after iTunes with Doubletwist

So you've got your nifty Android smart phone and you have an iTunes music library.  A question you might be asking yourself (particularly if you're not a huge nerd like I am) is how do I get my music on to this thing?  Don't worry, my friends.  It's actually not that hard.

Unfortunately Steve Jobs hasn't built support for Android phones into iTunes, so we're going to have to use something else.  There are plenty of options out there, but, the best iTunes alternative for Mac and Windows is called Doubletwist.  If you're looking for a Linux solution, try Banshee

Doubletwist is fantastic!  It will import you iTunes playlists, it will synchronize your music and podcast with your phone, will let you purchase music from the Amazon.com MP3 store (like iTunes store), and will even let you install apps!

1.) Just head on over to www.doubletwist.com and install the software. If you're familiar with iTunes it'll be a piece of cake.

2.) After you've installed Doubletwist on your Windows PC or Mac, you'll also want to install the Doubletwist App from the Android market place on your phone (open up the market icon and search for Doubletwist).  I find that the doubletwist app looks nicer than the built-in Android music player and it does some other good things like automatically enable the USB storage mode when you plug your phone into your computer (think iPhone-like automatic synchronizing).

3.) Use your USB cable to connect your phone to your PC. When you connect your Android's USB cable to your computer, you'll notice a small USB icon that appears on the top left of your phone's screen. Touch it and drag it down the screen with your finger. You'll be presented with a "USB connected" notification. Tap the "USB connected" notification, then select "Mount".  (Note that using the Android Doubletwist App should automatically mount the USB device when you connect the cable).

4.) Open up your Doubletwist application on your computer and hit the Sync button on the lower right.  Sit back and get ready to take your tunes everywhere you go!