iPod Playlists


In a slight diversion from video-conferencing, some tips on iTunes Playlists

So you have a Mac - and that means you probably have and use iTunes. I adore iTunes, its simplicity, its integration - and above all the flexibility of its playlists. Playlists not only contain the songs you drag into them, but they can be "smart" in the sense that iTunes decides what goes into them. You can create a playlist that contains only the tunes you haven't listened too before, for example. Or only those you have rated five stars. Or U2 songs over five minutes. The options are almost endless.

If you have an iPod, you might like to experiment with playlists in order to create a good mix of music for when you are on the move. I happen to like the Random selection features (rather like the iPod Shuffle's built-in randomizer). However, the problem with random playlists is that they don't refresh themselves - they remain the same every time. That is, unless you refresh them either manually, or using a cunning AppleScript, like the one I've written about here: Create Random Playlists.

Here are some other great sources of Playlist information:

SmartPlaylists.com - site of useful playlist ideas
Bactroid.net - Managing your iPod with Smart Playlists
Dummies Guide to Playlists
CodePoetry - DIY radio station

Posted: Tue - February 1, 2005 at 10:29 PM      

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