iTunes 8 Genius Playlists

As I eagerly await the arrival of my iPod Touch second generation, I upgraded to iTunes 8 today as it is required for the iPod Touch to sync with. I'd read about some problems with iTunes 8, but decided to risk it anyway and so far so good - nothing buggy happening.

I like some of the changes version 8 has brought, including the grid album cover view.

But one of the most talked about features is the addition of Genius playlists. Basically, iTunes analyzes your library, sends the information to the Apple Store (anonymously) and feeds back information about your tracks to the Genius in your library. Then, if you play a track and click the Genius button, it will generate an "intelligent" playlist of music you should like if you were playing that track to start with.

I've experimented with it and have been pleasantly surprised by the playlists Genius compiles. They ain't 'arf bad really. OK, so there were some weird recommendations in there for my more obscure artists. But to give you an example, I told it to make a 25-song playlist based on "This Is the Day" by The The (one of my favourite bands). This is the list it came up with (with suggestions from my own library). Click on the image to view a larger (legible) version.

Not bad really. And then, if you open up the Genius Sidebar it will give you recommendations for songs you might like from the iTunes Music Store which you don't yet have. Clever little bugger that Steve Jobs isn't he?

Many people are already praising the Genius function quite simply because it is enabling them to (re)discover music they already have in their libraries but never listen to. Seeing as I have 27594 songs in my library, chances are big that I may even hear songs I've never heard before!