iTunes Playlist Query

[Si Hunt]

The "25 Most Played Songs" playlist in iTunes is potentially the most exciting thing ever, as it'd be great to have an ongoing 'chart' of which songs I listen to the most.

Problem is, I very rarely listen to a song until the very last second (including the silence at the end), who does? I automatically find myself selecting the next track as soon as the fade-out starts! But I THINK iTunes only registers a "play" to a song (and increments the Play Count for the track) if it runs all the way through. Am I right?

If so, can I change a setting so it registers a Play if I START playing a song, rather than me having to play it all the way through?

Si.

[SiHart]

I don't know. I don't use iTunes.


The ever helpful Si xx

[Rob McCow]

www.last.fm takes a chart of all your songs. And you only need to play 50% of a track for it to register.

You skip the fade outs? Really?!

[Si Hunt]

If I'm on the move, yes. Sometimes I get to the office when I'm 80% through a track or maybe I nudge the player trying to get my ticket or something out and it jumps track - I still need it to record that I (mostly) listened to the song.

www.last.fm is no good because most music I listen to on the move. When I'm on the computer, quite often the thing I'm working on INVOLVES sound (video or audio editing) so I can't listen to music.

Si.

[Rob McCow]

You can download the 'scrobbler' that uploads your tracks for an I-Pod. It'll upload your playlist when you connect to the PC

[Si Hunt]

Sounds complicated.

I was hoping someone knew of a setting in iTunes where you can choose to make it trigger a play when a song starts, rather than finishes.

Si.

[Paul Monk]

I can't find one unfortunately.

[Rob McCow]

Sounds complicated.

Shouldn't be much harder than downloading any other app.

[Si Hunt]

I didn't really understand what you meant by "download a scrobbler which uploads your tracks". Could you explain exactly what it is and how it works? Sorry, I'm being a bit slow!

Si.

[Rob McCow]

It's been a while since I set it up, but:

Set up a user name and password with last.fm.
Download the 'Scrobbler' file for your I-pod.
Install it.
Type in your last.fm password and user name when prompted.
All your songs will now be counted on last.fm.

I think that's how it works.

[Lissa]

There is a cross-fade in iTunes which you can set to segue from one song to another before the song properly ends. You can choose how many seconds you want it to blend.

[Si Hunt]

Shame it doesn't just count starting a song as a 'play' anyway. Who ever listens right til the end of a song, even the seconds of silence at the end of the tack?

Si.

[Lissa]

Me? If I've got a playlist I just leave it playing and only get involved to stop it when I'm bored.

[Si Hunt]

I don't really have a playlist though, I like to choose songs as and when I feel like hearing them!

Si.

[Si Hunt]

I 'Selected All' on all my tracks on iTunes last night and clicked 'reset play count' and they all went to zero. I then resynced and on my iPhone, the '25 Most Played' playlist dissapeareed - I guess it would, if they have all been reset. But after playing a few songs, some twice, it hasn't appeared again! No idea why not. Surely the first few songs I've played today should have been added to it?

Si.

[Si Hunt]

For anyone following this strange inconsequential iTunes soap opera, odd thing number 1 - it regenerated my playlist when I synced (isn't "live updating" supposed to mean it does it on the move?) and odd thing number 2 is that it displays the songs on the playlist on my iPhone in seemingly random order. Useful!

Still, at least I can see my Top 25 list of most played songs on the computer every time I plug in. *sigh*

Si.