iTunes 4.5: Major iTunes Music Store update!

This entry was published at least two years ago (originally posted on April 27, 2004). Since that time the information may have become outdated or my beliefs may have changed (in general, assume a more open and liberal current viewpoint). A fuller disclaimer is available.

iTunes 4.5

The iTunes website hasn’t been updated yet (as of 0:17 4/28/04), so I can’t download it yet, but if you open up iTunes and go to the iTunes Music Store, you’ll see a badge for iTunes 4.5.

Update at 0:29: The iTunes website has been updated with iTunes 4.5.

This looks huge.

Clicking on the badge leads to a page with a quick rundown of the new features. As it’s all within the iTMS interface, I can’t link to anything, but here’s what I’m seeing:

Free Downloads/Single of the Week: Great music from emerging artists each week. Check back every Tuesday for the latest. (Currently, clicking on the “Get Free Single” link just leads back to the main iTMS page. [Update:]{.underline} The Foo Fighters‘ “My Hero” is the first free single.)

iMix — Publish Your Playlists: Be a tastemaker on iTunes. Publish your playlists for all the world to see. It’s easy to send lists to friends and family via “Tell-A-Friend” to boost your ratings and top the charts. (Playlists can include music from your personal library along with songs available in the iTMS. Drag selections into a playlist, give it a title and description, hit Publish and it’s in the iTMS for a year, then hit “Tell-A-Friend” to send the link to friends.)

[Update:]{.underline}

In the spirit of experimentation, I’ve created my first iMix. Since I listen to a ton of non-mainstream music, I was curious just how good the iTMS was. I fixed my “Recently Played” smart playlist to only list the last 250 songs that I have listened to (as that’s the upper limit for what you can submit to an iMix in one playlist) and sent that in. Of those 250 tracks, 61 were recognized, and I’m rather surprised at some of the ones that made it in. Nifty!

Music Videos Page: Now there’s a whole area dedicated to music videos, with new ones added all the time. Buy the songs you like with just one click. (Currently there are 72 available, free to watch, with a link to the iTMS song underneath.)

Movie Trailers — Now in iTunes: The ultra-popular movie trailers from Apple’s QuickTime site are now available on iTunes. (This section is live, includes both trailers and soundtrack iTMS links.)

Radio Charts: Check out the most-played tunes on your favorite radio station. Updated weekly, there are more than 1200 stations across hundreds of cities nationwide. (Nine stations are listed for the Seattle/Tacoma area: Mix 92.5, KUBE 98, KMPS, KWJZ, KISW Rock, Star 101.5, The Mountain, KISS 106.1, Warm 106.9, and The End. Eight are listed for the Anchorage area: KFAT, KAFC, KYMG, KGOT, KMXS, KBRJ, KNIK and KWHL.)

Party Shuffle: Playlists just got even easier. Party Shuffle is a new dynamic playlist that’s always on and ready to party. It shuffles songs from your library or playlists, and you can add or delete on the fly. Be the DJ you’ve always wanted to be.

CD Insert Printing: Once you’ve burned your CD, print a jewel case insert for it right in iTunes. Choose from several cool designs using a mosaic of album cover art or just a single cover. iTunes also lets you print a list of all the songs or albums in your music library.

Wish List: Found a zillion songs in the Music Store you want to buy? Save the previews by dragging them into a playlist and download them later with a single click.

Import WMA Files (Windows): Along with your AACs and MP3s, you can now import WMA (Windows Media) files (unprotected files only).

Lossless Encoder: Using the Apple Lossless Encoder, you can import CDs into iTunes with sound indistinguishable from the original recording but at about half the size.

Links to Music Store: Your own music library now links back to the Music Store for a seamless connection to the artists you love.

Schweeeeeeet…!

(via Phil)