iTunes as playlist generator

[pogo97]

 

I use iTunes for lots of things, including making playlists of songs I'm learning. Was playing around a bit today and found a new use: using the Genius feature to fish up new tunes.

example: 

I'm in a trio that plays alt country (I think that's what you'd call it). One song that goes over well is "Stars Turn Blue" by Ryan Adams.

So I select that song, click the genius button and voila, a list of songs I own that--according to Apples monster database--are liked by people who also like that song. like this:

Can't Let Go Lucinda Williams

Have A Little Faith In Me John Hiatt

 

It Ain't Me Babe Bob Dylan

Only Love Can Break Your Heart Neil Young

Cecilia Simon & Garfunkel

Diamonds On The Soles Of Her Shoes Paul Simon

Kindness Ryan Adams

Talkin' Bout A Revolution Tracy Chapman

Hands Jewel

Car Wheels On A Gravel Road Lucinda Williams

Bad U2

Both Sides Now Joni Mitchell

Mr. Tambourine Man Bob Dylan

Answering Bell Ryan Adams

Billy James Blunt

After the Gold Rush Neil Young

My Favorite Mistake Sheryl Crow

Let Her Cry Hootie & the Blowfish

Big Yellow Taxi Joni Mitchell

The 59th Street Bridge Song (Feelin' Groovy) Simon & Garfunkel

Fast Car Tracy Chapman

Your Body Is A Wonderland John Mayer

Old Man Neil Young

Just What I Needed The Cars

So I pick songs out of that list. Want some alternatives, click genius again.

[daddymack]

yet few of those songs are what I would consider alt country...

[pogo97]

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daddymack wrote:

yet few of those songs are what I would consider alt country...

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That because I'm too old to have come of age on alt country and have very little of it in my collection. The 'genius' isn't genre driven anyway, which is cool; it's driven by the number of people who own both the 'key' song and others. (At least that's what I figure, Apple isn't telling.)

There's also a thingy down the side that lists suggested songs in the iTunes store. Tends to stick closer to the key song stylistically because, of course, instead a few thousand songs in my collection, it has hundreds of thousands of songs to choose from.

[Bob Dey]

Interesting, never tried genius but I'll give it a try.