iTunes 5 new features? What should apple do?

[Diomedes]

That's because you have it set to sort by artist (it may default to that, I'm not sure). Just click on the leftmost column header (the one with the numbers) and it will sort in your order. Then you can rearrange tracks however you want, in just the order you like.

All playlists and smart playlists work this way - click on any column header to sort by that column, and click it again to sort in the reverse order. The leftmost column is for your own custom order.

OK, I tried it again. The resultant Smart Playlist is sorted by the number column (the leftmost column), but that sorting is alphabetical by artist.

Aside from that, it seems that way requires one to have more manual effort in keeping the non-Smart Playlists organized, and makes the flexibility of moving tracks around as ones preference change. For example, if you (like me) move tracks around in my "Top 20" frequently, by that method (it seems) one would have to manually keep track of those changes.

My suggestion for nested playlists is to be able to add a playlist - smart or manual - in an existing playlist, at a specific point. And that nested playlist is independent of the one it is nested in. Using my example, my "Shuffled" playlist that is nested within my Top 20 list is self-contained. (I hope I'm not rambling too much...lol)

 

[rdas7]

For some strange reason, you can't do that to your entire music library - it won't show the numbers nor let you click the leftmost (empty) column. I wonder why this is.

That's because your main Library does not have a numerical sequence, nor does it have a custom order. Your main Library is just that: the main index of ALL your songs.

The number column is to indicate the order of the tracks, and the left (blank) column is to switch to your custom order. The Library is not a playlist, and as such has neither a fixed order nor a custom order.

If you wanted to order every song in your library, make a new Playlist and drag every item from your Library into it (or drag the Library from the source menu down onto your Playlist - that should work). Make a Smart Playlist, if you want it to auto-include any new additions to your library.

Ah, the magic of iTunes. Hard to believe that the initial version was a four month hack project My how it's grown

 

[sacear]

Ah, the magic of iTunes. Hard to believe that the initial version was a four month hack project My how it's grown

What? iTunes was and still is SoundJam. The initial version of iTunes was SoundJam repackaged. SoundJam had been around for years before Apple bought the rights. Apple actually wanted Audion (a better MP3 player: better sound, better song transitions, faster ripping, with casting, and playlist organization; also the first Mac app with alpha-channels, i.e. skins), but Panic was not interested in selling Audion, so Apple bought SoundJam, dressed it up Mac-like and released it for free. iTunes functionally is still the same today as when it was SoundJam back in 1999-2001, just looks slick and has a few more features.

 

[Sharewaredemon]

The ability to sort by what is checked, and un checked.

I need this because I update my iPod according to songs that are checked.
If I want to check all my songs to back them up, I would like to be able to throw all of the songs that aren't checked into a playlist, so that after the backup, I can uncheck them again.

Yes, definitely! The ability to re-order playlists by dragging would be great! Currently, I am using numbers to put my playlists in the order I want.

I'd also like the ability to sort according to mulitple criteria order and column names, and to pick that sort order, for example, Artist > Year > Album > Song.

Two things which I would really like, especially the sort by multiple criteria, I would like to be able to listen to a bands albums in the order they were released, yet still be able to listen to each album as a whole.

UNDO that actually works..

other than that, I'd like
- ability to edit ID tags such as Year directly in the browser
- playlist folders
- separate libraries for my music, sound effects, misc stuff

OMG an undo feature is so despretly needed.

Ever delete a playlist by accident, then hit command z and nothing happens.

FRIG,

it's really bad when you do that.

currently I haven't updated my iPod for a month, because I deleted a playlist, and I still haven't got aroung to writing each song down from my iPod (which still has the playlist) so that I can recreate it.

Grrrrrr

 

[Mitthrawnuruodo]

The ability to sort by what is checked, and un checked.

I need this because I update my iPod according to songs that are checked.
If I want to check all my songs to back them up, I would like to be able to throw all of the songs that aren't checked into a playlist, so that after the backup, I can uncheck them again.

You could just make a playlist with all the checked songs (easy to do with a smart playlist) then uncheck all in library and recheck the once on that list...

 

[bankshot]

You could just make a playlist with all the checked songs (easy to do with a smart playlist) then uncheck all in library and recheck the once on that list...

Even easier (at least to me ) is to create two smart playlists: one called "Checked" which matches some criteria that'll catch every song in your library. Something like Time is greater than 0:00. Click on Match only checked songs. Then make a second playlist called "Unchecked" which matches Playlist is not Checked.

 

[Sharewaredemon]

You could just make a playlist with all the checked songs (easy to do with a smart playlist) then uncheck all in library and recheck the once on that list...

That would work, I was trying to think up a way to do that,

anyway, I still want my feature.

 

[bennetsaysargh]

currently I haven't updated my iPod for a month, because I deleted a playlist, and I still haven't got aroung to writing each song down from my iPod (which still has the playlist) so that I can recreate it.

Grrrrrr

hmm, how about just making an on the go playlist by holding the action button on that playlist on the ipod, and then it will bring that playlist back into itunes. just rename it from the on the go name, and it's back!
hope i helped

 

[Sharewaredemon]

hmm, how about just making an on the go playlist by holding the action button on that playlist on the ipod, and then it will bring that playlist back into itunes. just rename it from the on the go name, and it's back!
hope i helped

OH. MY. GOD.

You are a genius!

Thank you so much.

It's so great that I know so much about iTunes, and OS X, but I would never have thought of that.

Macs rule.

PS Nice 'tar, is that a fisheye you used?

 

[bennetsaysargh]

OH. MY. GOD.

You are a genius!

Thank you so much.

It's so great that I know so much about iTunes, and OS X, but I would never have thought of that.

Macs rule.

PS Nice 'tar, is that a fisheye you used?

no problem, and thanks! i actually put the lense of the camera up to the peep hole at a mohegan sun hotel room.

 

[Sharewaredemon]

no problem, and thanks! i actually put the lense of the camera up to the peep hole at a mohegan sun hotel room.

Ohhhhh cool!

Yeah I can totally see that now.

 

[dyck15]

One thing that I would like to see is a function that would allow you to create an AAC/MP3 playlist, then burn it as an MP3 CD, but iTunes would automatically convert the AAC files to MP3, burn them, and then delete the converted files. I'm not too sure if iTunes already does that with the recent releases, but I know that some of the older versions didn't. Would be great for when I finally get an MP3 deck in my car.

Also, some filter to remove streams (ie: Di.FM MP3 streams) from smart playlists would be great.

 

[arcobb]

Multiple Disk Back-up retaining folders

I read all the posts and if I missed this one I apologize. I'd like to see an option when you back-up your library onto dvd it retains the songs into the artist folders and have it disc span the files across the dvds. Right now iTunes will disk span but it will list all the songs individually. Makes it harder when you only want back-ups of the stuff you don't really listen to (i.e. 50 Cent) but want to find later harder.

On a side note I did make a back up of my music using Dragon Burn and I was able to keep the artist folders this way. I just think it would be super easy to add a checkbox that would allow this.

 

[Dahl]

Folders!

 

[CubaTBird]

Auto Album cover downloads.

Links to bands sites with downloads.

More than 128 Bit AAC downloads, say 160 if one wants for better quality.

the auto album cover downloads would be great... nd id be happy enough with that.. and make em high quality... so when u maximize they take up the whole screen..

 

[tubedogg]

Yeah, or not

There is no way to [burn an MP3 CD with AAC files without converting them to MP3 first] directly nor a way around this due to copyright protection laws.

Wrong. There is nothing in copyright law to back this up.

This is the compromise Apple was able to make with copyright holders in order to make and distribute iTunes. (I'm still surprised Apple even got the legal "Okay" to make and distribute iTunes in the first place.) If Apple implemented such a feauture, then they would not be allowed to make or distribute the product (iTunes).

Wrong. The only way to prevent Apple from making and distributing iTunes is if iTunes were violating laws (actual laws, not those that you made up in your head). This would include, for example, decoding MP3s for playback without a license.

To copy or distribute someone else's property is stealing and is illegal.

This is true, but is irrelevant to this discussion.

Yes, that is what I have explained at length. It will remain a 2-step process so that Apple does not get sued.

I sincerely doubt you have seen the licensing agreement between Apple & Dolby, and therefore you have no basis for that comment.

iTunes will not convert an AAC file to MP3 and then record that to CD all from one command because they are legally prevented from doing so.

Again I doubt you are familiar with the AAC licensing agreement; there is no basis in regular law for your statement.

Those that own the AAC format won't allow it, because the probability of illegal file sharing is great.

Dolby doesn't have a stake in whether people file-share. In fact it could be said that Dolby is actually encouraging file-sharing by creating these formats that allow music to be compressed on a computer. It keeps improving them with new formats that compress into smaller and smaller files at higher and higher fidelities, allow quicker transport of the files, thereby further encouraging more file-sharing.

Apple has given us everything they are currently allowed.

Where is the proof of this? Again unless it says in the licensing agreement "You must make it a two-step process for users to burn AAC files to an MP3 CD", there is no basis for Apple not being "allowed" to do this.

AACs can be recorded to audio CD and AACs can be down converted to MP3s.

This is all true.

Dolby wants money for their technology,

Again that's true.

so contact them about the agreement with Apple about the abilities and capabilities of iTunes.

Again you have not seen the agreement with Apple and I am quite confident in saying with 99% certainty that there is nothing in it that causes the current method to be used, as it does not prevent file-sharing in the least, and even if it did, Dolby has no interest in pissing off its' licensees for something that doesn't benefit Dolby.

And quite frankly that process does take only two-steps. So what?

So why should it take two steps? Your argument that it prevents file-sharing is crap. People who have AAC files that they are burning to CD are not doing so to use them on file-sharing networks! Hello, the files are already on the user's computer ready to be traded, in either AAC or MP3 (after they are converted using iTunes' handy AAC -> MP3 converter). What possible purpose would burning them to a CD have? If the user wants AAC files to be in MP3 format to trade them (which they don't even need to be these days, given the ubiquity of iTunes and WinAMP), they use the AAC -> MP3 converter and then trade them. Burning to CD doesn't enter into it, at all.

Let's not be so lazy that we complain and draw attention to things that the copyright owner did not want.

Again this is just crap that you made up.

Apple gave us the loop-hole, so let's not ruin it, otherwise even that will disappear in the next iTunes release.

There is no way it will disappear.

With all due respect, you are on crack.

You are saying that to prevent AAC -> MP3 conversion, Dolby forces Apple to make users perform a manual AAC -> MP3 conversion prior to burning the files to CD? This accomplishes exactly the opposite of what you claim is the goal.
Were it a seamless process where iTunes converts and burns on the fly, normal users wouldn't be able to keep the MP3 files to trade (advanced users might, if they could find where iTunes' cache was). Yet under the current way it works, the MP3 files are left over, just waiting to be shared.

All of this is moot anyway as MP3 files are not the only thing that can be traded on file-swapping networks. I'm kind of surprised AACs haven't taken off on them faster, considering the higher fidelity at lower bitrates (hence smaller file sizes).

You don't make any sense and you certainly don't have law backing you up. I'm 99% sure you haven't read Apple & Dolby's licensing agreement either, so that's not where you got your "facts". Nice try but you are just blowing smoke.