iTunes Genius playlists

[roymond]

OK, other than the conceded feature name, I'm finding this very entertaining. I've recently re-ripped about 600 CDs (8265 songs) onto an external drive and placed an old Mac laptop running iTunes next to the stereo where some CDs used to live. I have perhaps 600 more CDs in VT to rip one day.

There was a thread a while ago about re-discovering old music. I'm finding this "Genius playlist" feature in iTunes is doing a pretty good job.

- You select one song as a starting point
- Then press the little atom genius icon
- It builds a custom playlist of songs in your collection, supposedly based on other users' selections and habits.

Whatever, it builds up a playlist of pretty well compatible songs from your collection. And I'm hearing a ton of music I wouldn't recall owning and certainly wouldn't be retrieving one song at a time. It's quite satisfying, actually

Some recent re-discoveries this morning:

XTC - King For A Day
Lucinda Williams - 2 Kool 2 Be 4-Gotten
Michelle Shocked - Anchorage
Lou Reed - What's Good

[Caravan Ray]

That sounds good. But WTF!?! - everytime I click the "Genius" button - it asks me for a credit card number?

Now, I know Apple only has good intentions for me, and I would happily sign over most of my internal organs too them, knowing they would give them back to me with a funky new design - but why is my record player asking me for a credit card number?

There is something slightly disturbing about "building a custom playlist of songs in your collection, supposedly based on other users' selections and habits". You know what that means!?!?! That means THEY KNOW WHAT YOU ARE LISTENING TO MAN!!!!!!

Although I trust the good people at Apple not to use that information nefariously - when I take over the world, I'll be making lists baby, and checking them twice.. Watch out if you've got Matchbox 20 on high-rotation. And Reisty, I'll be rounding up all of your Genesis-loving mates too.

[roymond]

Yes, you agree that Genius makes use of your play history data. I think there's two angles here, one is Genius in iTunes Store so they can recommend and sell you new stuff you simply didn't know you needed. The other is pure playlist action. The second doesn't require CC info, but may require an account. RTFM comes to mind, but I may be wrong, since my account has my CC info in it.

And yes, there are plenty of guilty pleasures in my collection (no, really, they're all MY WIFE'S!)

[drë]

Hey I agree, Genius is the shit. i always dislike itunes, but now am stuck using it just because of genius.
with 10k+ songs, its great. doesn't work for songfight songs tho

[ujnhunter]

doesn't work for songfight songs tho

It's obviously not Genius then...

edit: iTunes software I mean... not songfight songs... they are genius of course!