It’s not uncommon for iTunes to act up or malfunction. After all, there are several reasons why it might do so. Perhaps you haven’t updated it yet to its latest version. Maybe there’s a bug that the developer has yet to fix. Among these possible causes, the most common reason why it often malfunctions is its tendency to create a ton of files. As a result, it may end up taking a lot of disk space from your computer. And once it reaches a certain threshold, it’s only a matter of time before it acts up.
That’s why it’s advisable to regularly clean up the iTunes directory, but then again, that can take a lot of time, possibly hours, if you were to do it every day. For that, you need to have the best iTunes cleanup software, and here are your options.
Best iTunes Cleanup Software #1: CleanMyMac X
CleanMyMac X is a cleaning app developed by MacPaw in 2008. It allows you to delete all kinds of files from your computer, and that includes iTunes junk. It is one of the most popular cleaning apps on the market and has a relatively good reputation in the Apple community. Unlike other cleaning apps, it doesn’t have any major issues or controversies in the past, so it’s safe to assume that the app is legitimate and safe. It is, however, important to keep in mind that it’s not a free app. It costs $34.95 for one license to a macOS computer per year, though you can also opt for the one-time purchase of $89.95.
What We Liked
- It consists of numerous features that you may or may not like
- The scanning and cleaning speed is rather fast
- It can accurately scan for files
- The software is easy to use if you have experience with these kinds of toolkits
What We Didn’t Like
- The interface has a fixed theme which may not suit certain individuals
- It has a relatively large size
- You might be spending money on features you won’t use
- It’s a bit more costly than other cleaning apps
Overall, we’d say it’s worth the money, but there are areas it can improve on, such as its pricing, size, and customizability. Of course, this may not be a problem for some people, such as those who like the theme, those who have money to spare, and those who have storage space to spare.
Best iTunes Cleanup Software #2: Tune Sweeper
If the only file type you want to get rid of on your computer is iTunes songs, then Tune Sweeper might be the ideal product for you. As the name suggests, it allows you to “sweep” or delete tunes or songs on your computer. Since iTunes mostly consists of audio files anyway, you can think of it as a semi iTunes cleanup software. It has useful features as well, such as a duplicate finder and a broken track finder. Of course, it’s not a suitable app if you also need to delete other file types from iTunes.
What We Liked
- It can accurately locate unnecessary audio files
- The application is lightweight
- There’s a trial version if you want to try it out
- It can scan files rather quickly
What We Didn’t Like
- It’s limited to audio files
- The interface is a bit old-looking
- Its aesthetics makes it difficult to understand the software
Our Recommendation: Mac Cleaner
The title can belong to any app depending on your preferences. It depends entirely on what your priority is, whether it’s the number of features, aesthetics, user interface, or performance. The aforementioned apps should at least be up to your standards unless your standards are extremely high. They do their jobs pretty well, but one thing you may notice is that they’re not that easy to use due to the rather clunky interface. That’s where Mac Cleaner shines.
Mac Cleaner is a cleaning app that can delete unnecessary files, including iTunes junk. What we liked about it the most is the fact that it has an extremely simple design, making it easier to use. Here’s a guide to show you what that means:
Step #1: Open Mac Cleaner on Your Computer/Laptop
The first step is obviously to get the software. You can start by clicking this link. Doing so will take you to the Mac Cleaner download site where you must click the Download Now button. It should prompt the download of a DMG file. Open the file once the download is complete to run the installer. Then, follow the onscreen instructions. The software will open automatically once the installation is complete.
Step #2: Select a Cleaner Module
Mac Cleaner currently has six modules. You can find them on the left sidebar of the interface. These include (1) Clean Up Junk, (2) Delete Large Files, (3) Delete Duplicate Files, (4) Erase Private Data, (5) Speed Up Your Mac, and (6) Manage Apps & Extensions. For your purposes, you’ll only need the first three modules which we like to call the cleaning modules. They should be the modules that can perform cleanups on your computer. Here’s what each module does and how they can help you:
- Clean Up Junk allows you to scan and delete junk files from your computer. These may include system cache, app cache, Trash files, and disk images.
- Delete Large Files looks for files that have a size larger than 50MB.
- Delete Duplicate Files takes a look at a specified directory to find files with extra copies somewhere in the computer. It then allows you to delete those duplicates to save space on your storage drives.
To proceed, you must select a module, and you can do so by simply clicking on it from the left sidebar of the interface.
Step #3: Scan Your Mac for Files
For the third step, you need to scan your computer for the appropriate files, depending on the module you chose. The way to do it will vary from module to module. With that said, here’s what you need to do for each of the three cleaning modules:
- Clean Up Junk: You should see two sides in the interface. The left side says Quick Clean while the right side says Deep Clean. Quick Clean allows you to scan and delete System Junk, App Junk, Trash Bin, and iTunes Junk. Meanwhile, Deep Clean can scan and delete all those file categories in addition to Downloads, iOS Junk, and Unused Disk Images. Simply select an option from these two and once you do, click the Scan button to proceed.
- Delete Large Files: Click the Scan button to proceed.
- Delete Duplicate Files: On the Select a File Directory field at the center of the interface, you’ll find a button to its left that says Browse. Click that button, and when a popup window appears, use it to select the folder you want to scan for duplicates. You may have to do a bit of navigating to do so. Click the Scan button once you’ve selected a folder.
Step #4: Pick a File/s
You’ll be taken to the next page where you’ll find a list of items. For the next step, you must pick the files you want to delete from this list. Again, the way to do it will vary from one module to another. In the case of the Delete Large Files and Delete Duplicate Files modules, you only have to click the corresponding checkboxes of the files to select them. You can also click Select All if you want to include all items in the list. In the case of Clean Up Junk, you must first select a file category.
The file categories should be shown on the list on the left. It will consist of items like System Junk, Downloads, Trash Bin, Unused Disk Images, and more. Once you select a category, a new list will appear on the right. Select files from there.
Step #5: Delete the File/s
The final step is to simply click the blue button found at the top-right corner of the window. It should either say Clean or Delete. Regardless, that should finalize the process, though it may take a few minutes for it to delete the selected files.
The main selling point of Mac Cleaner and the reason why we consider it the best iTunes cleanup software is that it has a rather simple interface. As a result, you can easily figure out how to use it and what each button means. For that reason, it’s the perfect software for beginners that haven’t used these kinds of software in the past.
Wrapping up
By using an iTunes cleanup tool, you’ll find that the app is no longer as likely to encounter issues or errors. It should also perform even better than before you were able to clean it up regularly. But most importantly, a cleanup tool allows you to get rid of unnecessary files without touching files that are vital to the app. This is often the problem with manually cleaning up the software’s directory. You may end up deleting files that are crucial to iTunes’ operation. Considering these benefits, there’s really no reason not to use or find the best iTunes cleanup software.
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