The Three Best Alternative iTunes Icons So Far

Leander Kahney ()

The Three Best Alternative iTunes Icons So Far

Here are three of the best alternative iTunes 10 icons so far, and instructions how to install them:

The Three Best Alternative iTunes Icons So Far

This cloud-inspired iTunes 10 icon is by designer Pedja Rusic.

… we are done with the cd-s, but we are gonna store them on a cloud like drive.
That has some kind of connection to a server etc. [cuz of the bliipin lights :D]
Changed the tune icon a bit, added those curves on the top…makes it a bit more modern i guess.
I dunno about the cd i guess it needs some more tweaking.Overall im happy that it’s not a circle like icon, fuk that lol

The Three Best Alternative iTunes Icons So Far

This iTunes 10 icon from the design consultancy Antrepo is clean and simple. It was inspired by QuickTime X icon.

The Three Best Alternative iTunes Icons So Far

This alternative icon was made by designer Chris Carlozzi.

I whipped this up as an alternative to the new iTunes 10 icon. I thought it might be cool to borrow from Apple’s existing icon language. There’s a little Quicktime, Dashboard, and Time Machine in there. I’m pretty happy with the result for an hour’s worth of work.

Here is how to install these icons, courtesy of an Apple knowledgebase article:

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To change an item’s icon to another one:

Select the volume, application, folder, or file whose icon you want to stamp onto another, just click the icon to select it.

From the File menu, choose Get Info or press Command-I to open the Info window.
Click the icon in the upper-left corner of the Info window to select it.
From the Edit menu, choose Copy or press Command-C.
Select the volume, application, folder, or file whose icon you want to replace.
From the File menu, choose Get Info or press Command-I.
Click the icon in the upper-left corner.
From the Edit menu, choose Paste or press Command-V to replace the icon.

In addition, software like Panic’s CandyBar makes icon management even easier but costs $29. It is worth it if you plan a more ambitious overhaul of OS X.

21 comments »

About the author

Leander Kahney

is the editor and publisher of Cult of Mac, and author of three books about technology culture: Inside Steve’s Brain, the New York Times bestseller about Steve Jobs; Cult of Mac; and Cult of iPod. Leander has written for Wired, MacWeek, Scientific American, and The Guardian in London. Follow Leander on Twitter @lkahney and Facebook.

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Posted in Apple, iTunes, News, Software |

  • Implied

    So I saved the 3rd one to my desktop, tried to replace my iTunes icon with it but it just showed me the JPEG Picture. Help?

  • Implied

    Never mind I see. Not released yet.

  • http://www.oakbog.com Adam Rosen

    Perhaps Apple should rename iTunes as iPlayer?

  • Sherman

    Get a life.

  • http://www.howiesweb.com Howie Isaacks

    There’s nothing wrong with the new iTunes icon! Get over it. Jeez!!!

  • http://www.howiesweb.com Howie Isaacks

    And… These suggested icons look like crap!

  • Joseph

    The first one makes no sense. Doesn’t look so hot either. The other 2 are not bad at all. I don’t hate the new iTunes icon, but I do think it’s too simple, so as to look generic. It needs more detail like the last icon on your list has.

  • http://arronhunt.com Arron Hunt

    I enjoy the new iTunes icon, and I feel it will grow on people. People probably said this same thing when apple went from the rainbow apple logo to the chrome one.

    The cloud one is amazing. Too bad it doesn’t apply yet. (I might change it to this is apple ever introduces iTunes as a cloud player)

  • Michael

    meh i changed the old icon anyway (to Darth Vaders head) but when Steve said the CD was old i was like wtf? i have never bought a song of itunes and most of my library is ripped from CD’s, Apple just assumes that everyone with a ipod or iphone uses the store. I think the three alternatives work Nicely and display what itunes is all about

  • http://iphone4hdwallpapers.blogspot.com Sid Pena

    Here’s one I found on Submicron’s DeviantArt Page:
    http://submicron.deviantart.com/art/iTunes-Replacement-Icon-177996450

  • Robert

    Don’t you guys have something better to do than copying the Microsoft attitude….. Trying to improve/copy Apple!

  • petar

    check iconpaper.org for some nice icons. only the first one (the best) is there. but there are many more

  • http://www.hub-bub.co.uk Tom

    The first design doesn’t work at all, remember the new logo is also the dot above the i in the Ping logo.

    I like the 2nd and 3rd logo’s though, good work. I’ll be sticking with Apple’s logo though, it’s starting to grow on me.

  • Johanna

    Whats with the perverse fixation to CD’s?

    I have not used a CD or DVD to store music in 8 years, the new icon is great and reflects what iTunes is today in a much better way than the old…

    Just let go, please

  • Jake

    They are way to big to be practical. And if you shrink them down you can’t see the detail in the last one.

  • armin
  • MacinScott

    The new logo is fine. I have more of a problem with the application name. iTunes? Should have been changed to iMedia or something years ago.

    Now that iTunes manages your music, movies, tv shows, books, apps, syncing services, Ping and more maybe the icon should represent more than just music.

    iTunes could remain as on of the many services iMedia has just like iBooks.

  • Church of Apple

    Chris Carlozzi’s is amazing.

  • Me

    “This iTunes 10 icon from the design consultancy Antrepo is clean and simple. It was inspired by QuickTime X icon.”

    It’s very similar to iTunes 10 official icon…yet in previous articles you complained how awful the new icon is…

  • http://tekunoloji.com Ballmer Schmidt Jobs

    These are hideous…really.

  • Pedja Rusic

    Custom icons have been with us since Aqua, so hating this is just silly.