Why are My iTunes Downloads so Slow?

I just tried to download 28 weeks later... 56Kb/s... says "25 hours remaining", and I'm on 5Mb/s internet. Apple either A) FIX THIS or B) lose me as a customer. I spend probably 300/yr on iTune, 2500 dollars on a macbook pro, as well as 6 iphones bewteen me and my wife over the years. This one issue will cause me to leave Apple for good, in every way. FIX IT!

OMG, I am so frustrated with iTunes. I know it's not my computer or my internet connection, because I can download any other file incredibly fast. But iTunes is at such a crawl it's ridiculous, and then when it does download, the playback quality is all jacked up. It freezes, the sound gets out of sync. None of my other files do that, not even other iTunes videos I've downloaded.

I find it fascinating that this thread has been here for 5 MONTHS with not a single reply from an Apple moderator.

I have the same issue. And I'm sorry, but this is NOT an ISP problem. This is a critically wrong implementation in iTunes that must be addressed. VUDU can stream in 5.1 720p HD and start your movie in a minute or less on even a shakey 6 Mb connection. Netflix is able to scale with your connection to keep your HD content watchable even if the connection slows. HBO Go is the same way. iTunes has had this issue since the first day rentals became available. You literally have to pick the movie you'd like to watch in the early afternoon and have someone start the download for you so that you can watch it that evening by the time you're at home on the couch.

I will never rent a movie on iTunes again. Ever.

HEY APPLE! ARE YOU PAYING ATTENTION?!??!

If I have to download a video from itunes I plan for a long nite and make sure there is snack food in the fridge.One small thing - if it is going to take a day or so to download, I have to make sure the computer is not going to sleep ever, otherwise I sometimes lose what I had and have to start over.

I know my system is fine, as I can streeam Netflix any tine without a single problem.

The problem is there is nothing we can do about Apple'a appauling service/speed. There are a number of facts at work here...

1) Not enough people will leave the service to make Apple sit up and take notice when it affects their bottom line

2) Apple genuinely don't care less that they offer the most expensive yet slowest online service on the planet - they have our money and a (relatively) captive audience

3) Apple is one of the most arroogant, ignorant and complacent companies that exist - only exacerbated by them being on top of the pile now!

For the record I love Apple products but I cannot abide the company nor the level of service they force down our throats!

I'd like to add to this... until recenly my iTunes (on a hard-wired Macbook) was very fast, suddenly an HD movie on iTunes takes up to 24 hours to download whereas I can get the same one direct to my iPad or Apple TV over the same connection (on the same broadband service while the iTunes download is still active) takes less than 1 hour.

Has somebody broken iTunes?

If you're using Google DNS, Open DNS, or similar free DNS services, this may be what is affecting you. Try puting in a static DNS setting such as the following:

12.127.16.67

209.244.0.3 - 209.244.0.4

4.2.2.1 - 4.2.2.6

For Mac users (Lion):
System Preferences > Network

Now make sure your appropriate connection you are utilizing whether it be your WiFi, Ethernet or otherwise is highlighted and currently active, then click "Advanced..."

Click the DNS tab, and then click the "+" icon under DNS servers to add in one or more of the above static DNS IPv4 settings.

Click "OK" and make sure to hit "Apply".

Windows users:

Follow these instructions to add in static DNS IP settings:

http://windows.microsoft.com/en-US/windows7/Change-TCP-IP-settings

My apologies, I don't have a Windows machine in front of my to walk you through the steps quickly.

Hope this helps everyone, it worked for me! Went from 80 KB/s to 5 MB/s

Please like this post if it fixed your issues!

DNS has NOTHING to do with 'slow service'. That will affect lookups ONLY, not actual speed. Learn what you're talking about before you actually post.

I've been managing my own networks for YEARS. There's just a couple incidents that cause some lag issues, iTunes/Apple and YouTube. Everything else pings, downloads, uploads off the charts. The iTunes/Apple problem has only just come up.

The reality is that Apple doesn't have the bandwidth to cover their needs, nothing more. They need to upgrade bandwidth. This isn't a user issue, it's an Apple/network issue. When I CAN download up to 50m/s, and that cap isn't even coming close to being reached, yet EVERYTHING else pulls just fine, the problem isn't with my own network, but with the affected network I'm trying to get to/from.

You make a valid point that Apple does not have enough bandwidth to cover their needs... but you need to look at the architecture of Google's DNS to understand how it is affecting the downloads off of iTunes. Google utilizes Anycast DNS. Do some research on this. And if you still think that I'm wrong then read this article:

http://reviews.cnet.com/8301-13727_7-20026241-263.html

Or how about this one:

http://apcmag.com/why-using-google-dns-opendns-is-a-bad-idea.htm

Or this one:

http://joemaller.com/2577/itunes-slowdowns-with-google-dns/

Or even this one:

http://appleinsider.com/articles/10/12/20/apple_tv_itunes_downloads_slowed_by_go ogle_dns.html

The evidence fully supports my post and is backed by industry experts.

Again, you fail to understand the concept of DNS. DNS is used ONLY to look up servers, nothing more. In the case of RR or anycast type services (like akami). DNS servers will simply try to locate the closest based on YOUR IP address. That has absolutely NOTHING to do with Google's DNS or OpenDNS. The fact of the matter is that this is a problem on APPLE'S network, nothing more.

Get some education before you speak, stop making uninformed posts based off of supposed 'experts'. None of those blogs you linked to are even close to 'expert' blogs

yeah, nice try.

As someone who has over 10 years in dealing with DNS, networking, internet servers, I know what I'm talking about. The reality is that DNS does not slow anything down, and, in the case of anycast/RR dns, the closest server is found based on YOUR IP .

The reality is that the server you're being routed to is running low on bandwidth, nothing more. You're routed to that server based on YOUR IP ADDRESS, nothing more.DNS simply tells something where to go, it doesn't actually do anything more.

Based on your assumption that "this person is right" because you found something working AFTER removing Google/OpenDNS, anyone (such as myself) who has tried this ridiculous theory, and found it NOT working is proof that they are NOT right...

The reality is that this has NOTHING to do with DNS, and EVERYTHING to do with Apple's pathetic infrastructure. Even WITHOUT Google/OpenDNS, I'm STILL barely pulling a meg a second. Improvement? NOT EVEN. Don't try to blame Google/OpenDNS for a pathetically poor infrastructure, that's just uneducated, misinformed and ignorant

There is absolutely no doubt whatsoever that it really is down to Apple's ****-poor infrastructure! They are a joke of a company...pay top whack for average kit and get the slowest and most unreliable service behind it.

But...twhiting9275...you really get off on being so rude to people?

Poor infrastructure it may be. I'm not speaking to that.

What I am speaking to is the fact that, for whatever reason, DNS settings do affect iTunes download speeds.

Why? I do not know. All I know is that it does.

Since our diplomatic and gracious friend twhiting9275 was essentially implying that I was lying or somehow attempting to deceive everyone here, I thought it might be best to provide a quick video recording of this effect.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rhahyNvnlWY&feature=youtube_gdata_player

"DNS settings do affect iTunes download speeds."

This is misinformation.

"Why? I do not know. All I know is that it does."

So, we're supposed to just believe you that "it does". No, it does not.

I understand you want to go on and on and on and on claiming they do, but DNS settings DO NOT affect downloads at all. What affects downloads are improper network settings, improper infrastructure, etc.

Just because something (temporarily) works faster after you adjust DNS doesn't mean that the problem is resolved by doing so. When you're addressing something like this, you have to take into account the fact that your network is typically restarted after updating DNS settings (in your router), you lose whatever connection you had, others stop their own downloads, others start them, etc... To claim (incorrectly) that DNS settings fix this problem is just insane and shows nothing but misinformation.

Did you even watch the video? I know my network and I know my infrastructure.

I have an SNMP interface monitor installed directly to the machine upon which I was testing. There was no other significant network traffic, period. Look at the readout from the interface monitor in the video.

You're telling me that my speeds went from 15mb to 115mb becuase of a network restart....

Would you like me to repeat the experiment in reverse? I have. Video linked, below.

I'll show you over and over again how setting my DNS to Google or OpenDNS results in lower speeds, while setting it to default to my ISP's DNS results in higher speeds every time. In any order you want.

All that I have simply demonstrated here is that I am capable of downloading iTunes media at over 100mb/sec ONLY when using my ISP's default DNS servers, and NEVER when using Google or OpenDNS.

And since this is the information that the people in this forum post are seeking, I think it is only reasonable of me, rather than inane, as you claim, to post this data.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YVrzIYTYxiY&feature=youtube_gdata_player

For you to claim (incorrectly) that my DNS settings are having no effect on download speeds, after watching this whole video, shows that you, sir, are the inane one, who is misinformed.