Built a macOS app to finally replace iTunes for Classic syncing — FLAC support, podcasts, no subscription
Hi everyone,
I've lurked here for years but finally have something worth sharing.
About six years ago I got fed up with how painful it was to manage music on my iPod Classic. I went deep on every available tool, settled on Swinsian for library management, and ended up writing a sprawl of shell scripts to handle the bits it couldn't — especially around format conversion for large FLAC libraries. It worked, but it was never really what I wanted.
My background is iOS development, so eventually I just built something for myself. It did what I needed but was rough around the edges and never something I'd have shared. Then earlier this year I decided to properly sort it out and turn it into a real app — and that's what I want to share with you today.
ThirtyPin is a macOS iPod manager — a spiritual successor to iTunes, built with the Classic in mind.
What it does right now:
• Sync a local music library to your Classic
• Automatic format conversion — FLAC and other unsupported formats are transcoded transparently, with bitrate control so you can make the most of that storage
• Podcast subscriptions and syncing — episodes sync as proper podcasts, not just tracks
• Per-device sync profiles, useful if you run more than one Classic
• Full support for 6th and 7th gen, and the rest of the click-wheel family
The app will be free, with a one-time Pro unlock for advanced features. No subscription.
It's still in active development — I'm currently focused on polishing the UI — but I'm planning to open a TestFlight beta soon and will post here when that's ready. If you'd like to be notified, drop a comment or follow my profile.
Happy to answer any questions, especially from Classic owners who've run into the usual iTunes headaches.
