Apple just released iTunes 7 with a slew of new iPods today. So, let’s take a look at some of the new functionality inside iTunes.
If you haven’t already, Perform a Software Update. Click the Apple at the top left of the screen and Select Software Update. Hit Install. Wait for the install process to complete. Restart.
Open iTunes 7.
If iTunes 7 asks to Update Cover Art, Hit Yes.
Multiple Library Support
Hold Option while iTunes Loads and this message will pop up. This is quite handy if I store an iTunes Library on an External HD and want to quickly access it.
Browsing is Different But the Same
Click Music in the Library.
There are now three ways to view my music collection. These can be selected by the three icons by the search bar.
List
Classic iTunes List View
List with Album Covers
Segments List View into Albums and displays Cover Art.
Cover Flow
Cover Flow allows me to seamlessly scroll through my album collection. I can scroll left and right inside the covers section and Double Click an Album to Play. Or I can scroll up and down in the listings and Single Click a Track to advance to that album or Double Click a Track to Play.
iTunes updates Album Art automatically if I have an iTunes Store account.
To get album art for the entire library:
Select all the music in the library. Select Advanced: Get Album Artwork from the menu bar at the top of the screen This will take awhile, especially if I have a lot of music. Get Album Artwork only searches the iTunes Store for Album Artwork. So, I will have to manually add any albums not found in the iTunes store.
What if I don’t have an iTunes Store account? So, I visit art4itunes.com to retrieve my Cover Art. If that website fails to retrieve an album cover, I use Google Image Search. Kind of a drag, since Apple bought Cover Flow and stripped it down from search mutliple places for cover art. Try to find an image that is close to 300×300.
To insert cover art manually:
Find the image of the Cover Art.
Double Click the Album in iTunes (not a track in the album).
Drag and Drop Image to Cover Image Well on bottom left of iTunes window (if that image well is absent, click the box with an arrow inside at the bottom left).
To add album art for every track on the album, Select Track 1. Hit Cmd+I. Select the Artwork Tab. Select the Cover. Copy (Cmd+C). Hit Next. Paste (Cmd+V).
Gapless Albums, Compilations and Skip When Shuffling
Possibly the coolest new addition to iTunes 7. Ever get annoyed when an album that is supposed to be gapless plays odd in iTunes? I have one album called In the Aeroplane Over the Sea by Neutral Milk Hotel that has many tracks that are supposed to play seamlessly.
To make an album gapless:
Select all the tracks from the album (Click the first track, Hold Shift and Click the last track).
Hit Cmd+I to bring up Multiple Track Information.
Check Gapless Album and Select Yes. Hit OK.
To skip a track when shuffling:
Check Skip When Shuffling and Select Yes. Hit OK.
To remember the position of a track:
Say I have a track that has a bunch of dead air in the beginning of it. This can happen with the bonus track of a CD. Remember Position will tell iTunes to remember the start position of a single track. Pause the track where you want it to start everytime iTunes plays the file. Hit Cmd+I to get the information of a single track. Check Remember Position and Select Yes. Hit Ok.
To make a compilation:
When I have a soundtrack in my collection or a compilation CD, iTunes tends to be all over the place with the tracks in my library. Select all the tracks in a compilation. Hit Cmd+I. Check Compilation and Select Yes. Hit Ok.
Burn Disc and Browse
Burn Disc is now in the bottom left of the iTunes window. Click the Eye to enter Browse in List and Album List Modes.
Back Up to Disc
Now iTunes has the ability to Back Up an entire Music Library to CD or DVD. This would be crazy for me to do with my 45GB music collection. That would be 10 DVDs! Apple thought of this, so they included an option to only back up items changed or added since last back up.
To backup my iTunes Music library:
Select File: Back Up To Disc
If this is my first back up:
Select Back Up entire iTunes Music library and playlists
If this is since my first back up:
Select only back up items changed or added since last back up
Hit Back Up
I will need to insert mutiple discs depending on the size of my iTunes library.
Restore iTunes Library from Disc
Insert First Back Up CD / DVD and wait for dialog.
Check Overwrite existing files. Hit Restore
iPod Summary
Now there is a detailed information screen about your iPod. Including a new bar that segments how much space is being used on my iPod. A tabbed browser interface has been added so I can look through all my music, movies etc separately.
Movies
Now I can download feature-length movies at the iTunes Store! All movies are now 640×480, encoded with H.264. Just about as good at 480p. There’s a new movie controller. Notice the fullscreen button on the right?
iPod Games
Some simple games are available via the iTunes Store for 5th generation iPods and above. It’s certainly no Nintendo DS. Tetris on an iPod is cool though.
