Hi

In our previous iPod 101 segment, we learned how to “import” audio CDs using iTunes. More likely than not, your library is now quite large - if you don’t already have more than a thousand songs, you will soon. In no time at all, you will find that the most enjoyable way to listen to your audio collection is not “shuffling” through your entire library. If your library is like mine, you’ll quickly get frustrated when, after finishing a goosebump-inducing listen of Samuel Barber’s beautiful “Adagio for Strings,” you immediately head ruthlessly into The Beastie Boys’ “Fight for your Right to Party.” It just doesn’t work.

The solution? Playlists. Make a playlist (or collection of songs) for the ride to work. Make a “mix” of music to study to, or to exercise to. Make a collection of “Love Songs” or “Hate Songs.” Put together a “Blissful Blend” or a “Melancholy Mix.” The possibilities are endless. Read on and I will walk you through creating your own custom “mixes” in Apple’s iTunes.

iTunes offers two fundamental types of playlists. The manual playlist, which this article will cover, allows you to manually create your custom mixes however you wish. The “smart” playlist, featured in our next iPod 101 segment, is automatically generated from criteria you specify. These may include genre restrictions, ratings, keywords, date added, the number of times a track has been played, and more.

Thanks