Grouping in iTunes: a feature I would like to see
*Forgive me if this has already been discussed to death, but I couldn't find a topic about it recently.*
In a future release of iTunes, I would like to be able to choose two or more individual tracks into a group. Not a playlist, not making them one track, but just linking them together, so that they would not be split up in a shuffle.
Why would I want this? Well, I'm sure I'm not the only one who enjoys a couple of songs from an album together. To separate them doesn't do them justice. Examples include Sgt Pepper's Lonely Heart's Club Band and With a Little Help from my Friends, or the last three songs of Dark Side of the Moon.
Does anyone else agree? Has this already been brought up? And how easy do you think it would be for Apple to do it? Do you see any chance of it in the near future? And if I request it through official Apple channels, how likely is it that any notice would be taken?
In a future release of iTunes, I would like to be able to choose two or more individual tracks into a group. Not a playlist, not making them one track, but just linking them together, so that they would not be split up in a shuffle.
Why would I want this? Well, I'm sure I'm not the only one who enjoys a couple of songs from an album together. To separate them doesn't do them justice. Examples include Sgt Pepper's Lonely Heart's Club Band and With a Little Help from my Friends, or the last three songs of Dark Side of the Moon.
Does anyone else agree? Has this already been brought up? And how easy do you think it would be for Apple to do it? Do you see any chance of it in the near future? And if I request it through official Apple channels, how likely is it that any notice would be taken?
Comments
In a future release of iTunes, I would like to be able to choose two or more individual tracks into a group. Not a playlist, not making them one track, but just linking them together, so that they would not be split up in a shuffle.
Like, say, Steve Miller Band's "Threshold" into "Jet Airliner" or Van Halen's "1984" into "Jump."
Found this in iTunes Help. Haven't tried it, but maybe this will accomplish what you want. It sounds as though it might work only with tracks imported from CDs, and you may have to live with them being 'one track' (or import them more than once I 'spose):
When you import songs from a CD into iTunes, you can combine songs so that they always play together.
To join tracks:
Insert and audio CD into your computer's CD or DVD drive.
When the songs on the CD appear in the iTunes window, select the ones you want to join (hold down the Shift key to select multiple songs).
Choose Advanced > Join CD Tracks.
Me personally, I'd love to have more ID3 tagging information including user-defined fields. The #1 thing I'd like is a "Sort As" function - I'm particular with my CDs (filed alphabetically by artist's last name [in order of release]) so I'd prefer to emulate the same file structure in iTunes, keeping my Annie Lennox in the L's and my 2 Live Crew in the T's. Also be nice to have fields for Recording Date, Recording Location, Remixed By, Produced By, check boxes for Live/Acoustic/Remix/Cover etc.
does that make the two tracks one file, or allow you to skip them?
does that make the two tracks one file, or allow you to skip them?
I had to actually go and test it, jajaja. When you select the two tracks on the CD (prior to import) and then join them (Advanced\\Join CD Tracks), iTunes shows a bracket to the left and removes the 2nd track's check box. You can still select and play the 2nd track on the CD. Once imported however, the two songs are one track in iTunes, that no man may put asunder, such that
CD Track. Song Title
1. Interesting Guitar Solo
2. 80's Mega Hit
becomes
Name
Interesting Guitar Solo - 80's Mega Hit
So, it's going to be one track - but at least it's distinguishable from each individual track imported separately, if you choose to do this. I'd recommend importing them separately if you want that, then join and import the joined file, then set the separate tracks to "Skip when shuffling" on each track's 'Options' tab.
Enjoy!
So, it's going to be one track - but at least it's distinguishable from each individual track imported separately, if you choose to do this. I'd recommend importing them separately if you want that, then join and import the joined file, then set the separate tracks to "Skip when shuffling" on each track's 'Options' tab.
If one insists on "these two tracks go together," then I can't see why one would also want to also rip the tracks separately. Some people are strange, I guess.
I'll add "The Happiest Days Of Our Lives - Another Brick In The Wall" to the list of tracks that cannot be separated!