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* [[Comparison of media players]]
* [[Comparison of media players]]
* [[Comparison of iPod Managers]]
* [[Comparison of iPod Managers]]
* [[List of audio conversion software]]
* [[Music visualization]]
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* [[iTunes Store]]
* [[iTunes Store]]

Revision as of 14:50, 22 March 2007

This article is about about the iTunes application. For the online media service, see iTunes Store.
iTunes name logo
Developer(s)Apple Inc.
Stable release
7.1.1 / March 16, 2007
Operating systemMac OS X, Windows 2000 and XP
TypeMedia player
LicenseProprietary (freeware)
WebsiteApple's Official iTunes Website

iTunes is a digital media player application, introduced by Apple on January 10, 2001 at Macworld Expo in San Francisco,[1] for playing and organizing digital music and video files. The program is also an interface to manage the contents on Apple's popular iPod digital media players. Additionally, iTunes can connect to the iTunes Store (provided an internet connection is present) in order to download purchased digital music, music videos, television shows, iPod games, audiobooks, various podcasts, and feature length films.

iTunes is available as a free download for Mac OS X, Windows XP and 2000 from Apple's website. It is also bundled with all Macintosh computers via Mac OS X as well as on a CD that comes with all new iPods.

There still remains a minor compatibility issue with the iPod & iTunes with Microsoft's newest operating system, Windows Vista.[2][3]

Features

File:Coverflow-Full Screen.png
Coverflow in Full Screen mode

Users are able to organize their music into playlists within one or more libraries, edit file information, record compact discs, copy files to a digital audio player, purchase music and videos through its built-in music store, download podcasts, back up songs onto a CD or DVD, run a visualizer to display graphical effects in time to the music, and encode music into a number of different audio formats.

Playlists

In addition to static playlist support, iTunes supports 'Smart playlists'. Smart playlists are playlists that can be set to automatically update (live updating), (like a database query) based on a customized list of selection criteria. Different criteria can be entered to control many aspects of the playlist.[4]

Playlists can also be published by a user of iTunes with his or her own preferences.

Playlists can be played randomly or sequentially. The "randomness" of the shuffle algorithm can be biased for or against playing multiple tracks from the same album or artists in sequence (a new feature in iTunes 5.0). Party Shuffle can also be biased towards selecting tracks with a higher star rating. With this bias enabled, each star rating increases the preference for that particular song about 4% over that of a one-star-less rated song. Unrated songs are the least likely to be played. Inter-star ratings are stored by iTunes, but only affect this feature in the range of zero to one star.

The Party Shuffle playlist is intended as a simple DJing aid.[5] By default, it selects tracks randomly from other playlists or the library; users can override the automatic selections by deleting tracks (iTunes will choose new ones to replace them) or by adding their own via drag-and-drop or contextual menu. This allows a mixture of both preselected and random tracks in the same meta-playlist. The playlist Party Shuffle draws from can be changed on the fly; this will cause all randomly chosen tracks to disappear and be replaced.

Music library

iTunes keeps track of songs by creating a virtual library, allowing users to access and edit a song's attributes. These attributes, known as metadata, are stored in two library files.

The first is a binary file called iTunes Library and it uses a proprietary file format. It caches information like artist and genre from the audio format's tag capabilities (the ID3 tag, for example) and stores iTunes-specific information like play count and rating. iTunes typically reads library data only from this file.

The second file, iTunes Music Library.xml, is refreshed whenever information in iTunes is changed. It uses an XML format, allowing developers to easily write applications that can access the library information (including play count, last played date, and rating, which are not standard fields in the ID3v2.3 format). Apple's own iDVD, iMovie, and iPhoto, and Freshly Squeezed Software's Rock Star[6] are examples of applications that access the library.

If the first file is corrupted, however, iTunes will attempt to reconstruct it from the XML file. Detailed third-party instructions regarding this are documented elsewhere[7].

For MP3 files, iTunes writes tags in Unicode ID3v2.2 by default, but converting them to ID3v2.3 and ID3v2.4 is possible via its "Advanced" > "Convert ID3 Tags" toolbar menu. If both ID3v2.x and ID3v1.x tags are in a file, iTunes ignores the ID3v1.x tags.

AAC and Apple Lossless files support Unicode metadata, stored in the MP4 container as so-called "Atoms". iTunes can play OGG Vorbis or FLAC if the required QuickTime plugins are installed.

Printing

To compensate for the lack of a physical CD, iTunes can print custom-made jewel case inserts as well as song lists and album lists. After burning a CD from a playlist, one can select that playlist and, by clicking File > Print, bring up a dialogue box with several print options. The user can choose to print either a single album cover (for purchased iTunes albums) or a compilation cover (for user-created playlists). iTunes then automatically sets up a template with art on one side and track titles on the other.

iMix

An iMix is a user-created playlist published in the iTunes Store. iMixes were first introduced in iTunes version 4.5. Anyone can create an iMix free of charge. iMixes are limited to 100 songs and support both music downloaded from the music store as well as music that has been imported from CDs (provided it is available on the iTunes Store). iMixes are public and searchable by any iTunes user. Users may also rate any iMix using a five-star system. iMixes are active for one year from their original published date. Users can publish their iTunes iMix to their blog, profile page or website.

Internet radio

iTunes 1.0 came with support for the Kerbango Internet radio tuner service, giving iTunes users a selection of some of the more popular online radio streams available.[8] When Kerbango went out of business in 2001, Apple created its own Web radio service for use with iTunes 2.0 and later.[9] As of February 2006, the iTunes radio service features around 300-400 distinct "radio stations" (with a total of over 700 streams, allowing for multiple bit rates), mostly in MP3 streaming format. Programming covers many genres of music and talk, including streams from online staples such as Radio Paradise, radioio, RauteMusik, Digitally Imported, Flashback Alternatives, RAM Radio and SomaFM as well as terrestrial stations such as KKJZ, WFMU, WMVY, and WRCT. iTunes also supports the .pls and .m3u stream file formats used by Winamp, enabling iTunes to access almost any stream using that format.

Up until iTunes 7, Apple no longer promoted the Internet radio feature, and no mention of it appeared on the iTunes website. However, it remains in the QuickTime 7.0.4 & iTunes EULA used by iTunes 6.0.5.20. With iTunes 7, the "Radio" item has reappeared as an optional source in the preferences, along with its stations.

File format support

iTunes 7 can currently read, write, and convert between MP3, AIFF, WAV, MPEG-4, AAC, and Apple Lossless.

It can also play anything QuickTime can play (even some video formats), including Protected AAC files from the iTunes Store and Audible.com audio books. In order to play other formats such as the Ogg-contained Vorbis or Speex codecs, iTunes requires the Xiph QuickTime Components to be installed. iTunes currently will not play back HE-AAC/aacPlus audio streams correctly. HE-AAC/aacPlus format files will play back as 22 kHz AAC files (effectively having no high end over 11 kHz). HE-AAC streaming audio (which a number of Internet Radio stations use) will not play back at all.

There has been some criticism of the quality of Apple's MP3 encoder, with regards to variable bit rate encoding. In a January 2004 double-blind public listening test of six MP3 encoders encoding at 128 kbit/s, conducted by Roberto Amorim, the iTunes MP3 VBR encoder came last. The author has later acknowledged that there were serious issues with how iTunes was tested.[10]

The Windows version of iTunes can automatically convert unprotected WMA (including version 9) files to other audio formats, but it does not support direct playback or encoding of WMA format.

Sound processing

iTunes includes sound processing features, such as equalization, "sound enhancement" ("sound improvement" in some languages) and crossfade. There is also a feature called "Sound Check" which automatically adjusts the playback volume of all songs to the same level. Like "sound enhancement", this can be turned on in the 'Playback' section of iTunes' preferences.

Music sharing

iTunes Library songs can be shared over a local network using the closed, proprietary Digital Audio Access Protocol (DAAP), created by Apple for this purpose. DAAP relies on the Bonjour network service discovery framework, Apple's implementation of the Zeroconf open network standard. Apple has not made the DAAP specification available to the general public, only to third-party licensees such as Roku. However, the protocol has been reverse-engineered and is now used to stream playlists from non-Apple software (mainly on the Linux platform).[11]

DAAP allows shared lists of songs within the same subnet to be automatically detected. When a song is shared, iTunes can stream the song but won't save it on the local hard drive, in order to prevent unauthorized copying. Songs in Protected AAC format can also be accessed but authentication is required. A maximum of five users may connect to a single user every 24 hours.

Originally with iTunes 4.0, users could freely access shared music anywhere over the Internet, in addition to one's own subnet, by specifying IP addresses of remote shared song libraries. Apple quickly removed this feature with version 4.0.1, claiming that users were violating the End User License Agreement.

With the release of iTunes 7.0, Apple changed their implementation of DAAP. This change prevents any third-party client, such as a computer running Linux, a modified Xbox, or any computer without iTunes installed, from connecting to a remote iTunes repository. iTunes will still connect as a client to other iTunes servers and to third-party servers.[12]

Video

On May 9, 2005, video support was introduced to iTunes with the release of iTunes 4.8. Users can drag and drop movie clips from the computer into the iTunes Library for cataloging and organization. They can be viewed in a small frame in the main iTunes display, in a separate window, or fullscreen. Before version 7 provided separate libraries for media types, videos were only distinguished from audio in the Library by a small icon resembling a TV screen and grouped with music in the library, organized by the same musical categories (such as "album" and "composer"). iTunes relies on Quicktime and is therefore incompatible with some common video formats, including WMV.

On October 12, 2005, Apple introduced iTunes 6.0, which added support for purchasing and viewing of video content from the iTunes Music Store. The iTunes Music Store initially offered a selection of several thousand Music Videos and five TV shows including most notably the ABC network's Lost and Desperate Housewives. Disney channels shows were also offered (The Suite Life of Zack and Cody and That's So Raven) 24 hours after airing as well as episode packs from past seasons; since that time, the collection has expanded with content from numerous television networks. The iTunes Music Store also gives the ability to view Apple's large collection of movie trailers.

As of September 12, 2006, the newly-renamed iTunes Store offers over 200 television shows for download, including, most recently, additions from Discovery Channel, Comedy Central, MTV, E!, and FOX. Additionally, a catalog of 75 feature-length movies from Disney-owned studios was introduced. The number of feature-length movies featured on iTunes as of January 12, 2007 is 199.

As of December 2006, movies and TV shows are only available to U.S. customers, with the only video content available to non-U.S. customers being music videos and Pixar's short films.

Video content available from the store used to be encoded as 540 kbit/s Protected MPEG-4 video (H.264) with an approximately 128 kbit/s AAC audio track. Many videos and video podcasts currently require the latest version of Quicktime, Quicktime 7, which is incompatible with older versions of Mac OS (only v10.3.9 and later are supported). Starting September 12, 2006, the resolution of video content sold on the iTunes Store was increased from 320x240 (QVGA) to 640x480 (VGA). The higher resolution video content is encoded as 1.5 Mbit/s Protected MPEG-4 video (H.264) with an approximately 128 kbit/s AAC audio track.

Plugins

File:ITunes Viz.jpg
iTunes visualisers: the default Apple visualiser is in the top left, LED Spectrum Analyzer on the right and another third-party visualizer in the bottom left.

iTunes supports visualizer plugins and device plugins. Visualizer plugins allow developers to create music-driven visual displays (iTunes includes a default visualizer, G-Force,[13] licensed from SoundSpectrum). The visualizer plug-in software development kits for Mac and Windows can be downloaded for free from Apple.[14] Device plugins allow support for additional music player devices, but Apple will only license the APIs to bona fide OEMs who sign a non-disclosure agreement.

Podcasting

Version 4.9 of iTunes, released on June 28, 2005, added built-in support for podcasting. It allows users to subscribe to podcasts in the iTunes Music Store or by entering the RSS feed URL. Once subscribed, the podcast will be downloaded automatically. Users can choose to update podcasts weekly, daily, hourly, or manually.

Users can select podcasts to listen to from the Podcast Directory, to which anyone can submit their podcast for placement. In this directory, Apple maintains four "official" podcasts: Podfinder (with Adam Curry), Street Official Real Talk (interviews with hip-hop artists), iTunes New Music Tuesday, and Apple Quarterly Earnings Call. The front page of the directory also displays high-profile podcasts from commercial broadcasters and independent podcasters. It also allows users to browse the podcasts by category or popularity.

The addition of podcasting functionality to a mainstream audio application like iTunes greatly helped bring podcasting to a much wider audience.[15] Within days after iTunes 4.9 was released, podcasters were reporting that the number of downloads of their audio files had tripled, sometimes even quadrupled.[16]

Video podcasting

Version 6 of iTunes introduced official support for video podcasting, although video and RSS support was already unofficially there in version 4.9. Users can subscribe to RSS feeds through the iTunes Music Store or by entering the feed URL. Video podcasts can contain downloadable video files (in MOV, MP4, M4V, or MPG format), but also streaming sources and even IPTV. Downloadable files can be synchronized to a video-capable iPod, and both downloadable files and streams can be shown in Apple's new Front Row Media Center application.

Synchronizing iPod and other players

iTunes can automatically synchronize its music and video library with an iPod every time it is connected. (The OS X version of iTunes can also synchronize with a number of other digital music players;[17] the Windows version will support only the iPod.[18]) New songs and playlists are automatically copied to the iPod and songs that have been deleted from the library on the computer are also deleted from the iPod. Ratings awarded to songs on the iPod will sync back to the iTunes library and audiobooks will remember the current playback position.

Automatic synchronization can be turned off in favor of manually copying individual songs or complete playlists. iTunes supports copying music to the iPod; however, only purchased music and videos can be transfered from the iPod back to iTunes. This has inspired third party software to allow you to copy all content back to your computer. It is also possible to copy from the iPod using ordinary Unix command line tools, or by simply enabling the "Show hidden files and folders" option under "Folder Options" in Windows Explorer, then copying music from the iPod drive to a local disk for backup. However, doing this can be confusing because the original titles are not kept and the files are organized in a very unfriendly way.

When an iPod is connected that does not contain enough free space to sync the entire iTunes music library, a playlist will be created and given a name matching that of the connected iPod. This playlist can then be modified to the user's preference in song selection to fill the available space.

iTunes supports a number of other popular portable music players with some limitations, most notably the inability to play music purchased from the iTunes Store. Supported players include a number of NOMAD players from Creative Labs, some players from Rio Audio and Archos, and the Nakamichi SoundSpace 2 device. Other manufacturers may also offer integration by way of a device plugin. A number of third party programs have been created to help a user of iTunes to synchronize songs with any music player that can be mounted as an external drive.

Though iTunes is the only official method for synchronizing with the iPod, there are other programs available that allow the iPod to sync with other software players.

As of iTunes 7 purchased music can be copied from the iPod onto the computer. The computer must be authorized by that iTunes account. iTunes currently allows up to 5 computers to be authorized on one account. It does not allow you to transfer imported music files between computers. This may be necessary to back songs up, transfer songs to a new computer, or restore music after a disk failure using an iPod as the backup source. A number of shareware or freeware applications exist that complement iTunes.

iTunes Store

File:ITunes-aacp.png
Mac OS X icon for a protected AAC file from the iTunes Store.
Main article: iTunes Store

Version 4 of iTunes introduced the iTunes Music Store from which iTunes users can buy and download songs for use on a limited number of computers and an unlimited number of iPods. Songs purchased from the iTunes Store are copy protected with Apple's FairPlay digital rights management (DRM) system. As of January 09, 2007, over 2 billion have been downloaded since the service first launched on April 28 2003.[19]

Those who use an operating system other than Mac OS X or Microsoft Windows such as Linux cannot use music purchased from the iTunes Store, since a Linux version of iTunes is not available. This has resulted in the development of a number of alternative player software as well as published hacks or workarounds that allow customers of the iTunes Store to use the audio software or operating system software of their choice. The most notable of these hacks is PyMusique, which Apple has made several unsuccessful attempts at blocking. Software has been developed by third parties to decrypt purchased music, to allow it to be played or shared on other programs. However, this software is illegal in some countries.

iPod owners in U.S. markets are taken to a one-time page within the iTunes Store when first connecting it to their computer. This page currently offers a free album sampler from Lava and Atlantic Records where either the whole album or individual tracks can be downloaded. An album sampler from Universal Records was previously available and may still be accessed via a special link on the web.

There are currently iTunes Stores available in the United States, United Kingdom, France, Germany, Austria, Belgium, Finland, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, Canada, Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Switzerland, Japan, Australia and New Zealand.

In 2006, a controversy erupted about a French draft law aimed at reinforcing the protection of works of art against "piracy", or illegal copying; some clauses of the law could possibly be used to request Apple to provide information about its FairPlay system to manufacturers of competitor players.

The MiniStore feature was added in iTunes version 6.0.2. It adds a small window to the bottom of the main window, which can be turned on or off. When the user selects an item in their library, information about that particular item is sent to the iTunes Store, and the MiniStore shows related songs or videos. Initially, the MiniStore caused controversy because people feared it could be used as spyware.[20] Apple clarified that the MiniStore didn't collect any information from users and later made it opt-in.[21]

On September 12, 2006, the Store began offering movie and game downloads. To reflect the changes and to emphasize it as more than just an online music store, the iTunes Music Store was renamed as the iTunes Store. Apple announced on the same day that iTunes had become the first digital music store to be in the top 5 sellers of music in the U.S. At the January 2007 Macworld Expo, Steve Jobs announced that Apple had moved to the number four position.[19]

Gracenote

iTunes uses the Gracenote interactive audio CD database to provide track name listings for audio CDs. The service can be set to activate when a CD is inserted into the computer and an Internet connection is available. Track names for albums imported to iTunes while not connected to the Internet can be obtained later when connected, by a manual procedure. For any album loaded into iTunes for which there is not an existing Gracenote track listing, the user can choose to submit track name data to Gracenote.

Integration with other applications

File:ITunes widget.png
iTunes Dashboard Widget.

On the Macintosh, iTunes is tightly integrated with Apple's iWork suite of applications and the rest of the applications in iLife. These applications can access the iTunes Library directly, allowing access to the playlists and songs stored within (including encrypted music purchased from the iTunes Music Store). Music files from iTunes can be embedded directly into Pages documents and can supply the score for iDVD, iMovie and Keynote productions. iTunes is also integrated with Front Row (Front Row reads its info from iTunes and iPhoto). In addition, any song exported from GarageBand, Apple's music-making program, is automatically added to the user's iTunes music library. iTunes' Artwork.saver is a screen saver included in Mac OS 10.4 that displays album artwork as a screen saver. iTunes.widget is a Dashboard Widget that controls iTunes. The development of Senuti for Mac OS X allows iTunes to be integrated so the iPod and iTunes can transfer songs to each other. A browser add-on called FoxyTunes integrates between iTunes and Firefox, Flock and Internet Explorer. Moreover, iTunes can be scripted, using AppleScript for Mac OS X or using the Apple-provided SDK for iTunes on Windows via Visual Basic, JavaScript, or C.

History

Further information: iTunes version history

It was originally developed by Jeff Robbin and Bill Kincaid as an MP3 player called SoundJam MP,[22] and released by Casady & Greene in 1999. It was purchased by Apple in 2000, given a new user interface and the ability to burn CDs, had its recording feature and skin support removed, and released as iTunes.[23] Originally a Mac OS 9-only application, Mac OS X support was added with the release of version 2 nine months later,[24] and Mac OS 9 support was dropped with the release of version 3.[25] In October 2003, with the release of iTunes 4.1, Apple added support for Microsoft's Windows 2000 and Windows XP.[26]

Apple also developed iTunes branded software which runs on mobile phones such as the Motorola ROKR, Motorola RAZR and Motorola SLVR.


See also

References

  1. ^ "Macworld Expo San Francisco 2001". ArsTechnica.com. Retrieved June 16. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help); Unknown parameter |accessyear= ignored (|access-date= suggested) (help)
  2. ^ "iTunes and Windows Vista". Apple Support. 2007-03-16. Retrieved 2007-03-21. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  3. ^ "An Apple iPod may be corrupted when you eject it by using the "Safely Remove Hardware" feature or by using Windows Explorer in Windows Vista". Microsoft Knowledge Base. 2007-03-09. Retrieved 2007-03-21. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  4. ^ "Creating Smart Playlists". Retrieved 2006-07-02.
  5. ^ "DJ a Party with iTunes". {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |accesseate= ignored (help)
  6. ^ "Rock Star: Musical Game Software for Mac OS X". Freshly Squeezed Software. Retrieved January 12. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help); Unknown parameter |accessyear= ignored (|access-date= suggested) (help)
  7. ^ HOWTO: Move your iTunes music while preserving library data (when you don’t let iTunes manage your music library)
  8. ^ Munger, Michael (2001-04-04). "iTunes, Part 1". Retrieved 2006-07-02.
  9. ^ Alvear, José (2001-03-23). "3Com Drops Kerbango". Retrieved 2006-07-02.
  10. ^ Amorim, Roberto (2003). "Results of MP3 at 128 kbit/s public Listening Test" (http). Roberto's public listening tests page. Retrieved January 12. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help); Unknown parameter |accessyear= ignored (|access-date= suggested) (help)
  11. ^ "Digital Audio Access Protocol". DAAP. Retrieved January 12. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help); Unknown parameter |accessyear= ignored (|access-date= suggested) (help)
  12. ^ "Snorp.net - iTunes 7". DAAP. Retrieved January 23. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help); Unknown parameter |accessyear= ignored (|access-date= suggested) (help)
  13. ^ "G-Force: the leading visual plugin for your media player". Soundspectrum.com. Retrieved January 12. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help); Unknown parameter |accessyear= ignored (|access-date= suggested) (help)
  14. ^ "Development Kits". Apple Developer Connection. Retrieved January 12. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help); Unknown parameter |accessyear= ignored (|access-date= suggested) (help)
  15. ^ "The iTunes Effect". HawaiiUP.com. 2005-07-01. Retrieved 2006-07-04.
  16. ^ "Podcasts Get Lift From 'iTunes Effect'". Saint Paul Pioneer Press. 2005-07-08. Retrieved 2006-07-04.
  17. ^ "iTunes for Mac OS X: Compatible Players". Apple.com. Retrieved February 13. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help); Unknown parameter |accessyear= ignored (|access-date= suggested) (help)
  18. ^ "MP3 player compatibility with iTunes for Windows". Apple.com. Retrieved February 13. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help); Unknown parameter |accessyear= ignored (|access-date= suggested) (help)
  19. ^ a b "Live from Macworld 2007: Steve Jobs keynote". engadget.com. January 9, 2007. Retrieved 2007-03-02.
  20. ^ "MiniStore in iTunes 6.0.2 comes with privacy concerns". ArsTechnica.com. Retrieved January 20. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help); Unknown parameter |accessyear= ignored (|access-date= suggested) (help)
  21. ^ "iTunes MiniStore now asks for your permission". TUAW.com. Retrieved January 20. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help); Unknown parameter |accessyear= ignored (|access-date= suggested) (help)
  22. ^ Bill Kincaid. "The True Story of Soundjam". panic.com. Retrieved 2007-01-28.
  23. ^ Cabel Sasser. "The true story of Audion". panic.com. Retrieved 2007-01-28.
  24. ^ Apple (October 23, 2001). "Apple Announces iTunes 2". Apple. Retrieved 2007-01-28.
  25. ^ Apple (July 17, 2002). "Apple Announces iTunes 3". Apple. Retrieved 2007-01-28.
  26. ^ Ken Fisher (October 16, 2003). "iTunes and the iTunes Music Store comes to Windows". ArsTechnica. Retrieved 2007-01-28.
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