iTunes 8 September 2008
Is iTunes' latest addition really genuis?
Apple iTunes 8 adds the Genius music recommendation feature in the latest upgrade to the popular Windows and Mac free MP3 software. We gave it a first look review, and found that iTunes 8 is evolutionary rather than revolutionary, so it’ll still feel familiar to existing users, but adds a few interesting features.
First look: Apple iTunes 8
The latest free update to Apple’s popular iTunes music and video player and integrated online store, iTunes 8 is now available for free download.
Version 8 of iTunes is evolutionary rather than revolutionary, so it’ll still feel familiar to existing users, but adds a few interesting features.
First, there’s a new grid view: it may be a simple addition, but the ability to browse your music as rows of album covers is certainly convenient, and it also lends itself well to collections of video clips.
iTunes Genius sidebar
The biggest addition is the new Genius feature, which looks at your existing music collection and makes suggestions of other tracks that might appeal.
This works in two ways: first, it will make playlists from tracks in your current library that it thinks will match a selected song, and second it will go online to suggest new tracks you don’t yet have.
These are displayed in a sidebar and include ‘top songs you are missing’ (such as popular songs by the same artist) as well as recommendations of tracks by other artists you might like.
We found that this does mean that if you have a sprawling music collection, you can rediscover tracks that are similar to music you are currently listening to. And, if you do want to expand your collection, you can preview and then purchase similar music with far less hassle.
The suggestions are drawn from the preferences of all iTunes users, so should improve over time. And of course in order for it all to work you have to let Apple know the contents of your music collection, though Apple promises that it’ll store this information in an anonymous form.
Other than that, it’s business as usual at the iTunes store with the same simple interface that makes purchasing and downloading music, video, and podcasts for your iPod a snap, whether via a Windows PC or Mac.
Pros: Familiar interface, with a couple of new tweaks, free
Cons: No groundbreaking new features
Read the Which? MP3 player reviews to find out how Apple's iPod Touch, iPod Nano, iPod Classic and iPod Shuffle fared in our tough, independent tests.