How to Add or Delete Music on iPhone Without Using iTunes

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Managing music on your iPhone doesn’t have to mean being locked into iTunes. In fact, many users—especially Linux users—have been left out by Apple’s system. Luckily, several third-party tools let you add or delete music on your iPhone without ever needing iTunes.

Here are three of the best options available today for Mac, Windows, and Linux users.

1. Sunshine (for Mac and Windows)

Sunshine is a free iOS app that lets you transfer and stream media across devices without needing iTunes.

How it works:

  • Install the Sunshine mobile app from the App Store.
  • Install the Sunshine desktop client (available for Mac OS X and Windows).
  • Create a Sunshine account and sign in on both your iPhone and your computer.
  • Open the desktop client, go to “My Device,” and select your iPhone.
  • From there, you can add new music, stream files, or even cast media to a Smart TV.

Tip: Sunshine’s official website offers great step-by-step tutorials if you need help getting started.

Download Sunshine: Visit the Sunshine website

2. MediaMonkey (for Windows)

MediaMonkey is a powerful media management tool for Windows that supports iPhone syncing—no iTunes required for the actual media management.

How it works:

  • Install MediaMonkey (basic version is free).
  • (One small catch) Install iTunes—MediaMonkey uses iTunes drivers to access your iPhone’s database.
  • After that, you can add, delete, organize, and sync music easily through MediaMonkey’s interface.

Key Features (Free Version):

  • iPhone/iPad syncing
  • Auto-organize music libraries
  • Auto-tagging and artwork support

Upgrade to Gold for even more tools like automatic organization and bit-perfect ripping, but basic iOS sync is free.

Download MediaMonkey: Visit the MediaMonkey website

3. GtkPod (for Linux)

Linux users rejoice—GtkPod is your go-to tool for managing iPhone music without iTunes.

How it works:

  • GtkPod is a graphical interface built on libgpod (the iPod access library).
  • It supports playlists, cover art, podcasts, smart playlists, and more.
  • Installation and usage can be a bit complex, but there are thorough tutorials available online.

Important: GtkPod isn’t as beginner-friendly as other options, but it’s one of the only choices available for Linux users who want full iPhone music management.

Tip: Check tutorials here and here to get started with GtkPod.

Download GtkPod: Visit the GtkPod website

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