Apple has carefully engineered their
portable devices in such a way as to ensure that one can easily add music,
video and photos, requiring only a computer running a recent version of iTunes
to get started. However, the reverse cannot be said to be true – getting media
files off an iPod or iOS device is very difficult and without the help of a
specialist application, can involve a lot of hacking and command-line wizardry.
The Mac application Senuti is capable
of pulling playlists, songs and even videos from your iPod, iPhone or iPad –
even if the device in question is not sync’d to your computer. This is very
handy if, for example, your computer was lost or stolen and you wished to gain
access to your media. Let’s take a closer look at how to get started with
Senuti.
Like iTunes, but backwards
Senuti was initially created by then
high school student Whitney Young, who upon finding no easy way of transferring
his iPod’s songs onto a Mac decided to write an application to do it himself.
As its name suggests (Senuti is iTunes spelt backwards), Senuti’s main function
is to perform the opposite task of what iTunes is primarily used for and unlock
the virtual door which keeps all your iPod’s songs firmly within the confines
of Apple’s beautiful devices, allowing a users to easily drag and drop songs or
even transfer them to your iTunes Library.
Senuti is shareware and comes as a
free download which can be used for a maximum of 30 days (and 1,000 songs
transferred), but to unlock the full functionality, a licensen is available for
a one-off fee of $18.99.
Getting started
Senuti is available from the
developer’s website and installing is as simple as dragging the app into your
Applications folder. Once Senuti is launched, the Senuti Setup Assistant
provides some simple instructions on setting up an iPod and iOS device,
including stating the requirement that iTunes automatic syncing must be
disabled before one uses the software.
To disable automatic syncing, launch
iTunes with your iPod or iOS device disconnected and then open iTunes’
preferences, choosing the Devices pane. Then one must check the box entitled ‘Prevent
iPods, iPhones and iPads from syncing automatically’.
The next step is to choose whether to
transfer songs directly into an iTunes folder or a custom choice. Following
this, we can get started using Senuti.
Using Senuti
Media
Player
Following the completion of the short
configuration steps mentioned above, Senuti’s main window will be presented and
will contain your device’s media, organized into Library and Podcasts, on the
left hand pane. Though the primary function of the application is to copy media
from your iPod or iOS device, Senuti also contains a rudimentary but very
useful media player from which it is possible to play songs through your Mac’s
speakers.
The slim play, pause and skip buttons
are located on bottom of Senuti’s main window and any playlists created on your
device should also show up on the left hand pane, directly beneath Library and
Podcasts.
Transferring
Songs
To transfer songs from a iPod or iOS
device, we must first select the desired song(s), then click the green ‘Transfer’
button located on Senuti’s menubar. The application will now offer a choice as
to whether you’d like to simply copy the file in question or also have it
automatically added to your iTunes Library. Metadata will be maintained, so in
the majority of cases, songs imported into iTunes should not require manually renaming.
Senuti is compatible will all recent
versions of OS X and even works with older PowerPC Macs. So, whatever your
machine and whatever your device, the full power of Senuti can be wielded to
take control of your media.
