ITunes: poor downloading performance

I've done all the things Apple suggests to improve downloading performance, but continue to waste literally hours trying to get songs from iTunes. I hear many people complain about iTunes' poor quality. I read tons of blog entries of people complaining. Why do we consumers put up with this? Or better yet, why doesn't Apple ... or someone ... demand this be fixed? I've tried to communicate with Apple on this, but never get an answer. Also, why does Apple make it so difficult to communicate with them? Why isn't there an email "contact us" site so we can provide this type of feedback?

that is actually very true. plus the fact that h.264, even in HD, plays perfectly in media player 11. i get the feeling the fewer features a mediaplayer has, the quicker it is. i'm not a software engineer but i really have no idea why itunes is wasting so much system ressources on windows. i don't know if it's the same on the mac? i mean yea, you could argue i should get a mac. and how i would love to, but since macs aren't cheap, not even the tiny macbooks, it's out of the question for me at the moment. but i do own a video ipod and bought quicktime pro, sure all the shows i download with itunes look great on the video ipod, but not on quicktime. and i think i still deserve to get the same for my not so old notebook, right?
Message was edited by: germanintheburgh

Similar Messages

Any ways around iTunes poor download manager?

Does anyone else get frustrated that a paused download will not resume from the point it had reached - it always reverts to 0Kb downloaded and starts again. This is particularly frustrating to those of us who must still use dial-up or low speed bradband connections. The download manager for Software Update seems similarly afflicted - with many updates it is possible to navigate to a page from which I can add the download to a manager program such as Speed Download. Is Apple working on improving this limitation? Are there other ways around it?
G5 1.8Ghz PPC 1.5GB Ram Mac OS X (10.4.8) and 12"G4 powerbook

I have the same problem as well. For many different reasons I keep getting my connection cut and cant resume the download from where it left off. It's getting really annoying especially when you are trying to get a +450MB file.
You would think that the developers would have thought to make sure that iTunes and other Apple apps could resume downloads esp since this has been a feature of most internet apps even as far back as the gopher days!!
I made a previous post about this issue here:
http://discussions.apple.com/thread.jspa?threadID=699061&tstart=0
But so far no one seems to have any practical suggestions or ideas. I wish I could simply FTP the file directly--it would be so much nicer especially with a program that has auto-shutdown features and the like.
Anyway, maybe if we squeek enough it will be included in iTunes 7.0.X

Poor Internet performance (ping, download, and upload) even wired directly to modem

I recently purchased a new iMac running OSX 10.8, and have been noticing exteremely poor internet performance compared to what I am used to with our internet connection. Running speedtests, I typically get results as follows:
Ping: 500-2500ms
Download: 2-3Mbps
Upload: 0.05-0.1Mbps
There more or less reflect the way web browsing feel. It takes forever for clicks to take effect, but content loading on pages is reasonable for most lightweight pages. As a comparison, running the same test on my Win 7 Dell laptop, I get more or less the advertised limits of my internet package:
Ping: 20-80ms
Download: 18-15Mbps
Upload: 0.4-0.6Mbps
To troubleshoot the issue, I wanted to ensure it was not the wireless connection or the router, so I disconnected the router and run an ethernet cord directly from the iMac to the router, and I got the same results. I then disconnected the router entirely and ran the cord directly to the cable modem, and again got the same results. Questioning whether it was an issue with the browser, I downloaded Chrome and again ran the test, only to get the same results.
Now I feel stuck. I know there is no issue with the cable modem or the connection coming to our home, but have no idea how to improve the performance of the computer. I would appreciate some tricks or tips to try and improve the performance on either a wired ethernet connection, or ideally on wireless.
Thanks in advance.

Triple-click anywhere in the line below to select it:
kextstat -kl | awk '!/com\.apple/{printf "%s %s\n", $6, $7}' | open -f -a TextEdit
Copy the selected text to the Clipboard (command-C).
Launch the Terminal application in any of the following ways:
☞ Enter the first few letters of its name into a Spotlight search. Select it in the results (it should be at the top.)
☞ In the Finder, select Go ▹ Utilities from the menu bar, or press the key combination shift-command-U. The application is in the folder that opens.
☞ Open LaunchPad. Click Utilities, then Terminal in the icon grid.
Paste into the Terminal window (command-V).
A TextEdit window will open with the output of the command. Post the contents of that window, if any — the text, please, not a screenshot. The title of the window doesn't matter, and you don't need to post that.

ITunes can only perform one thing at a time

Ever since updating to the latest version of iTunes on my dual core mac mini, iTunes can only perform one task at a time beach balling the entire time. For example if it is downloading a podcast, and I try and watch something off my apple tv via home sharing on this library, it fails to load. Same thing if it is syncing my iPhone.
Importing new media into my library also seems to take much longer than it did before, for instance importing a 700mb movie takes ~20 hours.
What can cause such a degrade in performance?

Back up your drive now. Slow copying may be one sign a drive is about to fail, because it is having to repeat a lot of actions many times.
What does Disk Utility say about the SMART status in get info? Have you verified the hard drive with DU's first aid?

Problems with restoring my iTunes library after performing an HP backup and system recovery

Hello,
Last Sunday night/Monday morning, I had to perform a system recovery (from the discs supplied by HP) on my HP Compaq Presario SR5310F 32-bit desktop computer running Windows Vista Home Premium, (on the recommendation of samone at HP) and just backing up my 90+ GB iTunes library took 12 hours (the actual system recovery took only about 2-1/2 hours, the following morning). After the recovery process was complete, I 'restored' the backed-up files by either double-clicking or just opening the first backup file (the one whose file name ends in '.1') and following the prompts, which placed the files into something called the 'System Restore Files' folder. I thought I could just restore my iTunes library by dragging and dropping the music, video and iTunes folder files from this System Restore Files folder back into their original places on my computer, but while the song titles did show up in my iTunes library, whenever I tried to actually play one, an exclamation point would appear beside the song's title and I'd get the error message 'iTunes cannot find the file'; when I clicked on 'Find missing file'--or whatever it's called--the C < Users < [username] < Music folder would open, and it would be completely blank, with only the words 'This folder is empty' appearing in it. (And BTW, before you try to recommend the 'Finding missing content in iTunes' or 'How to find missing music in iTunes' articles to me, I should point out that I did try all of the steps in those articles, but my iTunes library was still completely empty at that point, despite trying those steps; that was why I finally tried 'dragging and dropping all of those files back into the Desktop, Downloads, Documents--yes, some really large download files, not from iTunes, showed up in the Documents folder--and also a couple of downloaded music files--again, not from iTunes--showd up 'loose' [by 'loose', I mean not in one of the folders (e.g., Documents, Downloads etc.) in my [username] subfolder] in my [username] subfolder, after which, I was able to get most of my song and video titles listed in iTunes again, but they just won't PLAY! Also, it appears I'm missing about 5 GB from my iTunes library now, as it's saying that I only have about 85.15 GB worth of files in it, where before I had 90+ GB worth of files in it.)
BTW, I can play the files I moved to Desktop, Downloads, etc. if I right-click on the individual files in these locations and then click on 'Play' or 'Open With', but they just won't play in iTunes.
And one more thing: I stupidly deleted my 2 iTunes podcast file titles after I discovered that these, too, would not play; is there any way I can recover these--and my iTunes library--without performing yet ANOTHER system recovery and starting over 'from scratch'? (But if that's what I'll have to do, I'll do it--or else I'll just give up and start all over again with the new computer I plan to buy over the Labor Day weekend [it'll be a 64-bit Windows 7 computer, I know that much at least], as most of my music was ripped from CDs or else downloaded from places like Bandcamp or Amazon MP3, and these downloads were saved to a series of USB flash drives; I was informed that if worst came to worst, I could redownload my iTunes purchases, but my 2 podcasts will be lost forever, as iTunes doesn't 'keep' those--or words to that effect...)
P.S. The computer I'm using has only a 250 GB hard drive, of which 223 GB were available, I couldn't perform the 'Consolidate' function so I could properly back up my iTunes library, as, what with the accumulated Windows downloads (I got this computer in February 2008) and other programs, I had only a few (< 10) GB free--not enough to consolidate the iTunes library, and second, the computer malfunctioned just prior to my performing the system recovery, so that I could no longer log on in 'normal' mode, only in the various safe modes. A lady at Microsoft told me I could back up my iTunes library by logging on in safe mode with networking (since I could do that, albeit with the error message 'Your account has been loaded with a temporary profile') and pasting my iTunes library to my external hard drive, but when I tried this, I got a message listing my iTunes library as '(empty)' when I clicked on iTunes in 'All Programs', and needless to say, my iTunes library wouldn't even open in any of the safe modes (I don't know whether it was 'just' my computer, or whether the lady didn't know what she was talking about--she does work for Microsoft, after all).

OK, before you moved the iTunes folder did the library contain entries for your original files?
This is the normal layout of the iTunes folders. From what you said at the outset it would seem that, as far as that copy of your library is concerned, it thinks the media folder is C:\System Recovery Files\C\Users\<User>\Music\iTunes\iTunes Media
Not quite sure where you have moved the original set of library files to (that is the five files listed above and the Album Artwork folder) but you should move these to C:\System Recovery Files\C\Users\<User>\Music\iTunes, (leaving everything else in place) then click the icon to launch iTunes and immediately press and hold down the left shift key until asked to choose or create a library. Click choose and browse to the library file at C:\System Recovery Files\C\Users\<User>\Music\iTunes\iTunes Library.itl - fingers crossed this will open your old database, which will be able to find your old files. If that goes well we can look to moving them somewhere more sensible.
tt2

"waiting" in itunes. the download does not start.

I have bought and paid for movies in itunes. Now is it just "waiting" in itunes. the download does not start. what do I do?

re: quantization.
Logic can do a "soft" quantize as it's recording, by soft I mean playback MIDI data is quantized for both audio and visuals (piano roll), but if you turn quantize off you will see your notes as you played them.
Select a MIDI track, softsynth or external, in the upper left corner of the Inspector is a Quantize value. Click and hold to see what's available.
While you're there, make sure the Delay value is set to zero.
Also make sure that Preferences/Audio "Recording Delay" is set to zero.
And last, (very important.)
Delete the Logic 10 preferences file AND the shared control surfaces file.
In the Finder, choose Go > Go to Folder from the menu.
Type ~/Library/Preferences in the "Go to the folder" field.
Press the Go button.
Remove the com.apple.logic10.plist file from the Preferences folder. Note that if you have programmed any custom key commands, this will reset them to the defaults. You may wish to export your custom key command as a preset before performing this step. See the Logic Pro User Manual for details on how to do this. If you are having trouble with a control surface in Logic Pro.
then delete the com.apple.logic.pro.cs file from the preferences folder.
Make sure and remove both files.

Computer crashed. Had to rebuild. Everthing loaded and working properly except itunes. Operating System Windows 7, Home Premium. Itunes was downloaded and installed. Itunes will open, but not connect to internet. No itunes store, CD artist, name of songs.

Computer crashed. Had to rebuild. Everything loaded and is working properly except itunes. Downloaded itunes and installed. Will not connect to internet. Keeps on trying to connet to itunes store, but never connects. If I insert a CD all I get is the track number. No artist or song information. Operating System Windows 7 Home Premium.

Hello Rachet Jaw,
Thank you for the details of the issue you are experiencing with iTunes. I found a few articles I suggest for the issue you described.
If you are getting a white screen when accessing the iTunes Store, I recommend reviewing this article:
Apple software on Windows: May see performance issues and blank iTunes Store
http://support.apple.com/kb/TS4123
If you are still not able to access the store or are getting a different error than just a white screen, I recommend the following articles:
Can't connect to the iTunes Store
http://support.apple.com/kb/TS1368
iTunes: Advanced iTunes Store troubleshooting
http://support.apple.com/kb/TS3297
Thank you for using Apple Support Communities.
Best,
Sheila M.

With the latest update of iTunes the download quits and gives me and error code of 2324

With the latest update of iTunes the download quits and gives me and error code of 2324. what do I do now? As iTunes wont open up.

For general advice see Troubleshooting issues with iTunes for Windows updates.
The steps in the second box are a guide to removing everything related to iTunes and then rebuilding it which is often a good starting point unless the symptoms indicate a more specific approach. Review the other boxes and the list of support documents further down the page in case one of them applies.
The further information area has direct links to the current and recent builds in case you have problems downloading, need to revert to an older version or want to try the iTunes for Windows (64-bit - for older video cards) release as a workaround for installation or performance issues, or compatibility with QuickTime or third party software.
Your library should be unaffected by these steps but there are also links to backup and recovery advice should it be needed.
tt2

Poor Network Performance from VPN sites

We are experiencing poor network performance when connecting from hardware VPN sites. VPN sites have Cisco Hardware VPN client 3002 which terminates to Cisco 3005 VPN concentrator. Geting upload/download speeds of 355/484kbsp from VPN to surewest.com. If I remove the VPN and connect laptop directly to dsl modem, speeds are 3mb up and 1mb down. Any ideas what could be causing this?

Try this
Adjust the MTU and MSS size in concentrator and client.
Try these link for more info:
http://www.cisco.com/en/US/products/hw/vpndevc/ps2284/products_configuration_guide_chapter09186a008015ce0e.html#1223423
http://www.cisco.com/en/US/products/hw/vpndevc/ps2286/products_user_guide_chapter09186a00803ef6c5.html

ITunes Match downloads very slow over LTE

Hi, I have an iPhone 5 on iOS 6.1.4. When downloading iTunes Match songs to my phone it is very slow over LTE taking roughly 1 minute per megabyte. Over wifi it is a lot faster taking perhaps less than 20 seconds per track on average. All other data based activity is fast over LTE so the issue does seem to be limited to iTunes Match downloads and is the same whether my music was matched or uploaded to to icloud.
Any fixes/suggestions much appreciated. I have a brand new handset and restored my phone yesterday. I'm on the EE network in London.
Thank you

Hello there Caliente78,
Here is some info about troubleshooting the cellular data connection.
iPhone: Troubleshooting a cellular data connection
http://support.apple.com/kb/ts3780
Follow the instructions below for assistance with troubleshooting cellular data issues on your iPhone. After performing each step, please test to see if the issue is resolved.
Toggle airplane mode: Tap Settings, turn airplane mode on, wait three seconds, and then turn off again.
Restart your iPhone.
Ensure that your software is up to date:
Check for a Carrier Settings Update. Tap Settings > General > About.
Check for an iOS Software Update. Tap Settings > General > Software Update.
Note: Some updates may require a Wi-Fi connection.
Remove the SIM Card and reinsert it. Allow the iPhone to acquire the network again.
If your SIM card has SIM PIN enabled, try toggling it off: Tap Settings > Phone > SIM PIN.
Try another location. If a different location works, but the original location still does not, contact your carrier to report the issue.
Reset network settings: Tap Settings > General > Reset > Reset Network Settings.
Restore the iPhone as new.
Contact your carrier to:
Verify that the iPhone is properly set up on the account with the appropriate, current data plan.
Verify that there are no account-related blocks.
Find out if there are specific error messages in the carrier logs that could help determine why the issue is occurring.
If none of the above steps resolves the issue, contact your carrier, make an appointment at an Apple Retail Store, orcontact AppleCare to troubleshoot further.
All the best,
Sterling

Has the download performance improved of late

Before I buy any more movies or TV shows from iTunes, I would like to know if the download performance is now at an acceptable level (at least 15MB / minute). If you've made a rental or purchase in the last 24 hours, and the download performance was such that you could start watching within a minute of the purchase, please let me know.

In the interest of fair disclosure --- download performance is now back to normal. I'm currently downloading a number of TV shows at 3.1 MB / sec, which is the max my broadband can deliver.

My iPhone 5 won't let me use my apps until I connect them with iTunes after downloading ios7. Solutions?

My iPhone 5 won't let me use my apps until I connect them with iTunes after downloading ios7. There's just a thing that pops up and says that in order to activate banners and push notifications I have to connect the app with iTunes. The thing won't go away no matter how many times I push ok, and it doesn't give me another option. Solutions?

Oh my gosh I had the EXACT same problem, and for ages I couldn't figure out how to fix it until today. Here's what I did:
First I went onto my computer, opened itunes, and un-installed tumblr, vine and kik. These were the apps I was having problems with (it said I had them on my phone but, like you, they didn't show).
Then I went to the itunes store, searched for each one, and it said I could update them so I did (just FYI: for tumblr a window popped up saying "please click ok to confirm you are 17 years or older", so I did that also)
When I went back to my phone and tried installing them again (still on my computer), it worked!
I hope this helps, because it was incredibly frustrating. Good luck!

Why does iTunes Match download songs that I skip?

I haven't seen this question posted yet, but feel free to direct me to any pertinent posts.
I've been using iTunes Match for the last couple days, and all in all I really enjoy the service. There is one issue that I've yet to see addressed on these boards yet though; why is iTunes Match downloading songs that I skip? I listen to all my music in random, so occasionally there will be a song I just don't want to hear at the moment. I assumed that if I don't listen to a song completely that it would not be downloaded to my device. Not true apparently. I was able to use about half a gig of data in a few hours just by skipping songs. Every song that was skipped, even if I didn't hear a single second of it, was downloaded (at an average size of 5-8 MB). I sincerely hope this is just a bug and not a 'feature'.
Any insight on this would be appreciated.

I have noticed this too. I filled up my phone VERY fast yesterday.
and deleting is not easy, lots of left swipe DELETE action, took a while.

ITunes Movie Download keeps stopping at 1.64GB

Hiya,
I recently bought the Avengers off iTunes [HD, trying 1080p] but everytime the download gets to around 1.64GB, the timer vanishes and the progress bar stops going up indefinatly, though it says it's still downloading.
The iTunes extra part of the download has installed and works perfectly (it was a seperate download). Occasionally when using the pause/resume all button to try and get the movie download to work the extra came up with a -50 error, but after another reset it downloaded fine. Another issue both have had is the timer starts saying thousnds of hours will be needed for the download after a pause/unpause. The movie is watchable upto about 41 minuets after/during every download
Thing's i have tried:
-Deleting the "Downloads" folder in iTunes media
-Downloading to an external Hard Drive by changing the locatoin of my iTunes Media folder (where the download froze at about 400MB instead of 1.6GB)
-Deleting the film/download file and begging the download anew from "check for availabe downloads"
-Restarting iTunes
-Restarting my computer (2011 13" Mac Book Pro Running Lion 10.7.5)
-Leaving the download to run over night, was still on 1.64GB in the morning.
-Watching/Not Watching whilst downloading.
I might try downloading in SD/720p, but will i be able to download the 1080p version later on if i do so?
Many thanks.

Heya, thanks for replying
I eventually got in touch with iTunes support who could see I still had pending downloads and were quite happy to cancel them and give me a store credit refund. Their advice was to try another movie or leave it for a few weeks as the movie I wanted was under high demand, which may have led to the problems I had (Avengers + Christmas, fair enough really).
...so about 2 days later I tried it again along with the batman trilogy and everything downloaded just fine.
I always hate the idea of going to customer support but I have to say apple's has always been quick, reasonable and helpfull, so just go for it with a detailed explination and you should be fine
Good luck!

I mistakenly asked iTunes to download a TV series and I can't get it to stop trying to download it. how do I kill the download?

I mistakenly asked iTunes to download a TV series and I can't get it to stop trying to download it. how do I kill the download?

You've got to be freakin' kidding me. I'm in Brazil, I accidentally started a 2.2GB download that it says will take 592 minutes to download, and there's no way I can stop it and download something else until that first download finishes? I would have thought it was unthinkable 15 years ago that anyone would build an app that downloads things but doesn't allow the option of canceling the download, but in this day and age? So much for Apple making intuitive, user-friendly products.

ITunes: poor downloading performance

Similar Messages

Maybe you are looking for