Get Smart with Smart Playlists

Happy National Cheese Cake Day blog readers!

Today I’d like to talk about iTunes Smart Playlists. I’m always surprised how few people use Smart Playlists in iTunes.

Before I discovered Smart Playlists I would constantly use the “Shuffle Music” feature … Constantly disappointed I would be forever skipping to the next track.

One day I discovered the “Recently Added” Playlist that iTunes provides by default. That was cool for like 2 tracks … Then it started playing episodes of my recently downloaded podcasts.

By Right clicking on the “Recently Added” Playlist I realized that iTunes was generating this playlist based on a set of filters.

So I started making my own. I now have a number of Smart Playlists that are my go-to.

One of my favourites I called my “Hot 10.” This smart playlist is the Top 10 tracks I’ve played the most in the last week.

I also really enjoy my “Yesterday” Smart Playlist. I’m often purchasing new music and normally don’t want to hear all my old tracks.

However when I do get in the mood for a blast from the past I have a “High School” Smart Playlist for all songs released while I was in High School.

I also have a “University” Smart Playlist and a “Since University” to divide my musical tastes by easy markers.

My newest Smart Playlist is “Needs Some Love” which is within the music I’ve added in the last 2 months the tracks that I’ve played only once or twice.

I have about 30 now including:

• Hot 10 (not this week)
• Old 10
• Played this Week
• Not Played Last Week
• Top 40

I have a number of tracks in a Playlist called Sleep which (when necessary) help me fall asleep. I have all my Smart Playlists exclude this Playlist … so I don’t end up with white noise on my trip to the gym.

You have any fancy Smart Playlists?

C

(note: I don’t even really like cheese cake … I’m on a mostly-dairy-free diet).