iTunes 5 new features? What should apple do?

[TBR]

I'd like to put playlists in any order I want, not in alphabetical order. Plus I'd like to be able to seperate playlists from other playlists with a line or something to that effect. I have my music in broad decade based playlists but I'd like to have a "Relaxing Music" or "Upbeat" sub playlist that I can seperate from the rest.

You can have a "relaxing" or an "Upbeat" playlist, you can use the grouping tag for that.

the Browser view is another point of contention. the iPod-like interface is almost really good, but i rip all the "genre" tags out of my music. as a result i'm left with an empty "genre" box in the top left that doesn't do anything except take up space. i should be able to close that box if it's empty, or iTunes should do it for me automatically.

If you go to views you can turn on/off all the different tags to show or not in the browser window.

 

[gopher]

My wishes for iTunes 5

What should apple put in the next iTunes five that will probably come out with the next system? One thing I would really like to see is a wish list, so when we find an album we like we can put it in a list and not have to search for it all over again. What do you guys think would advance iTunes?

1. The Browse columns should include Composer.
2. MP3 recording built-in for any sound input device.
3. WMA and Realplayer streaming support both audio and video, as well as
Quicktime. I would like to see iTunes as my one stop for all streaming media.
4. The ability to search and replace multiple MPEG3 tags much the same way a spreadsheet or word processor can.

 

[Damien]

1. The Browse columns should include Composer.
2. MP3 recording built-in for any sound input device.
3. WMA and Realplayer streaming support both audio and video, as well as
Quicktime. I would like to see iTunes as my one stop for all streaming media.
4. The ability to search and replace multiple MPEG3 tags much the same way a spreadsheet or word processor can.

In response to point 3, I would also love that. Using iTunes too replace quicktime and having it play realplayer and WMA wouuld make it great. The best media player ever but they couldnt call it itunes it would have to be iMedia or something

 

[stoid]

While it would be really neat to see iTunes and QuickTime team up into one app, I think that right now they have jobs that aren't combinable. Quicktime uses one file at a time of a relatively short list. iTunes collects all your music files into one huge list and can access them all upon launch. Perhaps QuickTime 7 will have a file organizing utility like iTunes that will allow you to have access to all your movie files just by opening it.

Steve has made it clear that he thinks movies and music are two completely different animals and should not be treated as if they are two sides of a coin. The only thing that a joining of QuickTime and iTunes technology could possibly involve would be music videos.

"You listen to your favorite songs hundreds of times, but you only watch your favorite movies a few tens of times at most."
-Steven Paul Jobs

 

[Damien]

While it would be really neat to see iTunes and QuickTime team up into one app, I think that right now they have jobs that aren't combinable. Quicktime uses one file at a time of a relatively short list. iTunes collects all your music files into one huge list and can access them all upon launch. Perhaps QuickTime 7 will have a file organizing utility like iTunes that will allow you to have access to all your movie files just by opening it.

Steve has made it clear that he thinks movies and music are two completely different animals and should not be treated as if they are two sides of a coin. The only thing that a joining of QuickTime and iTunes technology could possibly involve would be music videos.

"You listen to your favorite songs hundreds of times, but you only watch your favorite movies a few tens of times at most."
-Steven Paul Jobs

I will noot be itunes though it will be a merging oof several diffrant apple products, a media tool, Using itunes browse feature whhich wiill have a added secrion to decide it you want audio or video then it wouuld either go into the current format for itunes or a new one devoted to video the video will preview in a small window and go to a bigger screen such as itune has e.g the visual effect feature to display video.

It would also be used for DVD, a dvd icon appearing in the left bar like a current cd.

 

[Snowy_River]

i haven't read all the posts yet, but the webstreaming feature of iTunes4 would be cool. but because of this RIAA "complaint", Apple could create a technology bluetooth-like, 2 macs could be "paired" and only the 2 (or maybe 3 or 4) macs could contact the "iTunes Music Server" which is let us say @home from the office macs.

Something like this could also open up the University streaming market, a la Napster...

 

[briankonar]

cocoa.
new UI.
instant download of album art (it d/l's CD info automatically, why not album covers).
new UI.
user editable crossfades.
new UI.
better visualizer options.
itunes menu extras (non 3rd party, something like Synergy)
and a NEW UI.

 

[Snowy_River]

...
new UI.
...
new UI.
...
new UI.
...
and a NEW UI.

You know, based on this post, I really can tell that there's something about the user interface in iTunes that you don't like. However, I have no idea what it is. Just asking for a new UI is like saying you want a soda that tastes different...

 

[stoid]

asking for a new UI is like saying you want a soda that tastes different...

Well, damn, that must be my problem!! I've been sending letters to Coke and Pepsi telling them to make it taste different. I was inspired by the whole 'think different' and said taste different.

 

[bennetsaysargh]

briankoner, what's wrong with the UI?
im fine with the current one as it is.

 

[jesuscandle]

album covers

DL'ing album covers would be great, but there are some pitfalls...

First, they *could* rig it up to DL covers from the itms, but I think this is part of the product that they want you to pay for. It doesn't seem like a good business model to give it away.

Plus, most of the cd's I don't have cover art for aren't on the music store...so...what's the point?

Second, any third party option would run into similar problems. You can't just steal the album cover from amazon, as Amazon wouldn't want to increase their server traffic with no promise of increased business. Remember, you'd only DL the album art *after* you bought the record.

You might be able to convince the All Music Guide that this would be a good thing for them, but Apple would have to pay them. And again, that seems like a lot of money for a relatively minor thing.

todd

 

[wrldwzrd89]

The same thing I'd like to see in iPhoto 5.... multiple libraries. I hate having every song I've ever imported all in one library. all my wife's stuff, all my kids stuff, all my stuff. when i import new stuff with the automatic read & import option, it all gets dumped in there. i only have a few hundered songs., it must be a right pain for folks with thousands of songs.

Why on earth do you do this? Use Mac OS X's multiple users feature if you want everyone's stuff separated. That's what it's there for! With that you don't NEED multiple libraries.

 

[jelloshotsrule]

Why on earth do you do this? Use Mac OS X's multiple users feature if you want everyone's stuff separated. That's what it's there for! With that you don't NEED multiple libraries.

signing in and out just for different libraries is more of a pain that it needs to be. it's that simple.

with multiple libraries some people don't NEED multiple users

 

[nesbitt_a]

iTunes 5 request

On the fly queuing of music - essential for those of us DJing off our powerbooks!

-- Andrew

 

[New Guy]

I think not only should iTunes let you see who is listening to your music it should be integrated with iChat as well. In the left hand pane, underneath the playlists, should be an iChat icon with one of the expander arrows next to it. When you click on the arrow it expands to show a list of all users listening to your music. Click on a name and the right hand pane shows a list of the last 10 songs they listened to. Double clicking on a name would bring up an iChat window so you could send that person a message.

 

[nesbitt_a]

I think not only should iTunes let you see who is listening to your music it should be integrated with iChat as well. In the left hand pane, underneath the playlists, should be an iChat icon with one of the expander arrows next to it. When you click on the arrow it expands to show a list of all users listening to your music. Click on a name and the right hand pane shows a list of the last 10 songs they listened to. Double clicking on a name would bring up an iChat window so you could send that person a message.

What happens with windows/rendezvous users? I definetly agree that there should be some kind of share history.

One feature i've just thought of is temporary playlists when connected to another computer - so you can pick and choose which songs you want to play, or create several playlists - that could be stored locally and used every time you are connected. This would avoid the hastle of selecting/deselecting songs that you do or do not want to play.

I'd be up for a few more visualisations too Apple! (skins?)

 

[ingenious]

anyway

What happens with windows/rendezvous users? I definetly agree that there should be some kind of share history.

One feature i've just thought of is temporary playlists when connected to another computer - so you can pick and choose which songs you want to play, or create several playlists - that could be stored locally and used every time you are connected. This would avoid the hastle of selecting/deselecting songs that you do or do not want to play.

I'd be up for a few more visualisations too Apple! (skins?)

i heard that hp was working with apple on some rendezvous stuff.... can anyone back me up on this one? also, skins are too much of a "PC" thing. Very ugly (IMHO). I agree with the iChat thing, tho, more of a link to see who's listening to my music. I share it in class and a I can't ever tell who's listening to it without ACTUALLY talking!

 

[TyleRomeo]

Have another info slot if a song is a cover or not. a good lyric link would be great. room for liner notes under comments could work also. FLAC files in the ITMS. C'mon bandwidth. I can take downloading 40MB files. I'm not paying for something thats compressed.

Tyler

 

[wrldwzrd89]

signing in and out just for different libraries is more of a pain that it needs to be. it's that simple.

with multiple libraries some people don't NEED multiple users

I have a question for you, then: what's so painful about signing in and out? I would think that the benefits of multiple users (distinct preferences, distinct permissions) would outweigh the benefits of allowing users to have more than one library. Maybe it's just me, but I'm not the type to share my user account with others, which seems to be the only situation in which multiple libraries would be useful.

 

[Freakk123]

Like others have said, a lyrics tag would kick. And if it worked with my iPod, all the better! And, yeah, multiple libraries would be awesome. The auto-DJing idea is a great one, I'd love to see what apple could do with it. Lets see... I have a more concerning matter... What color will they make the musical note in the logo?!?

 

[Jeewhizz]

CDDB integration

Oh and itunes in the UK. I am using it at the moment with a friend's US credit card, but i'd like to whack on about 15 albums at a time, and would rather do that on mine

Jee

 

[bennetsaysargh]

I have a more concerning matter... What color will they make the musical note in the logo?!?

that is my main concern actually. stupid, yes, but i don't know. they already have the gift certificates in green, so what happens when they need to change the color?
i didn't like purple all too well. it was a bit de-masculinizing. (not a word)
maybe teal? or silver. hmm. another thread awaits!

 

[mainstreetmark]

You can play OGG files in iTunes:
http://www.illadvised.com/~jordy/

You can queue your music on the fly:
Just make a new playlist, get iTunes playing in that playlist, and drop new files in there as you find them

You can already connect to CDDB (or equivalent) in iTunes

There are better visualization options:
To name a few: http://www.itunesregistry.com/products/products.php?cat=Software&subcat=Visualizer

You can turn off the "Genre" column in the browser

You won't be able to play WMA and RA in iTunes:
It's unlikely that Apple will be able to license the technology for free, and iTunes isn't currently an Allpurpose Media Player anyways.

 

[bennetsaysargh]

You can play OGG files in iTunes:
http://www.illadvised.com/~jordy/

You can queue your music on the fly:
Just make a new playlist, get iTunes playing in that playlist, and drop new files in there as you find them

You can already connect to CDDB (or equivalent) in iTunes

There are better visualization options:
To name a few: http://www.itunesregistry.com/products/products.php?cat=Software&subcat=Visualizer

You can turn off the "Genre" column in the browser

You won't be able to play WMA and RA in iTunes:
It's unlikely that Apple will be able to license the technology for free, and iTunes isn't currently an Allpurpose Media Player anyways.

not quite sure about how people want to do the on the fly list. your idea works, but maybe people are looking for a shortcut.
as for saying iTunes isn't an all purpose media player, i think it will be soon. with pressure to open up the iPod to play Real's AAC, itunes will have to do the same. this will make apple and real talk, and i don't see why not adding rm. not necessarily in itunes 5, but i don't see why not down the line. as for WMA, i think apple might budge eventually and accept it, because they now have itunes for windows, and people may have started using itunes and still have WMA files. yet again, i say why not? it won't hurt them. maybe the Real aac thing wont go through, so that might cause they rm not to go through.

if you look in the resources folder in the iTunes app package, there are 2 icons for ogg and wma, so you never know.

 

[nesbitt_a]

Thats an interesting point actually. Why include the icons if the player cannot handle the file-format?

-- Andrew.