Apple releases iTunes 11.0.3 with new MiniPlayer, improved Songs View
Apple on Thursday released a new version of its iTunes media suite, with a new MiniPlayer featuring artwork and a progress bar, along with an improved Songs View.

iTunes 11.0.3 is now available to download direct from Apple or through an OS X software update. The application is a 196.6-megabyte download for Mac. An update is also available for Windows users.
Release notes for the software state that users can now see their album artwork while in Songs View with iTunes 11.0.3. The updated software also adds support for multi-disc albums, which are now shown as a single album.
According to Apple, the update also provides performance improvements when searching and sorting large iTunes libraries.
The latest relatively minor update to iTunes arrived in February in the form of version 11.0.2,adding a new "Composers" view for music along with providing speed and reliability upgrades.
The last major update to the software was released as iTunes 11 last November. It featured a complete overhaul of the application's design, along with a new storefront and tighter integration with Apple's iCloud suite of services.

iTunes 11.0.3 is now available to download direct from Apple or through an OS X software update. The application is a 196.6-megabyte download for Mac. An update is also available for Windows users.
Release notes for the software state that users can now see their album artwork while in Songs View with iTunes 11.0.3. The updated software also adds support for multi-disc albums, which are now shown as a single album.
According to Apple, the update also provides performance improvements when searching and sorting large iTunes libraries.
The latest relatively minor update to iTunes arrived in February in the form of version 11.0.2,adding a new "Composers" view for music along with providing speed and reliability upgrades.
The last major update to the software was released as iTunes 11 last November. It featured a complete overhaul of the application's design, along with a new storefront and tighter integration with Apple's iCloud suite of services.
Comments
One thing I wish you could do in iTunes is the ability to tie two songs together so even if on shuffle they'll always be played back to back
What about not showing playlists made from iTunes Radio stations in the Songs listing along with my actual albums?
That started in… iTunes 10, I think? I want to see them in the playlist only, not under songs, since they're not.
POST-INSTALL EDIT: Still can't change the size of artwork… Thanks for removing that, Apple¡
I wish they'd correct an annoying problem I'm having with iTunes defaulting to album view. Basically, if I'm in song view (where I normally have it), insert a CD, rip it and then eject it, the damned thing always defaults to album view. Under normal circumstances, this wouldn't be an issue as I wouldn't be constantly inserting discs, but I'm in the process of re-ripping my collection one more time (in ALAC this time) and it is getting really friggin' annoying to have to constantly switch back to song view.
Very disappointed to read this, it's the one thing I don't like on the new iTunes. Since I bought a 27" iMac it just looks crazy busy having that many different albums on screen at once.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Ursadorable
The new iTunes 11 interface makes me rage so hard at it's awfulness that I've switched to J River Media Center. I don't know who thought they were making an improvement in design, but they failed miserably.
That's your (minority) opinion. I've been using iTunes for a long time, and I think 11 is a massive improvement in so, so many ways. God rid of a large number of annoyances, cleaned up the interfaces, significantly improved performance, and added some extremely useful features. I don't see what about it would make you "rage so hard". You know you can bring back the sidebar under "view", right? Your bitching doesn't make much sense.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Tallest Skil
What about not showing playlists made from iTunes Radio stations in the Songs listing along with my actual albums?
That started in… iTunes 10, I think? I want to see them in the playlist only, not under songs, since they're not.
POST-INSTALL EDIT: Still can't change the size of artwork… Thanks for removing that, Apple¡
Submit a bug report/feature request with Radar.
Not sure what you mean about changing the size of the artwork.
You can change the size of the artwork in the mini player.
Just click on the artwork. The artwork opens in a different window, and you can drag the size to some degree. You can't go full screen on the artwork, but it does allow about 4 times the size of the minimum (just a guess)
Do you want more than that?
They changed the design of little grabby thing on the timeline bar, too. Whatever it's called.
I forget what it looked like before… I use iTunes daily. I need committed or something.
Originally Posted by DeltaMac
Not sure what you mean about changing the size of the artwork.
In the iTunes window proper.
Do you want more than that?
I'd rather just have back what they took away from us. I went to the trouble of either finding or making myself high-resolution, gorgeous artwork for a reason: I want to actually see it.
Can we fix that please, Apple?
Quote:
Originally Posted by johnnyb0731
One thing I wish you could do in iTunes is the ability to tie two songs together so even if on shuffle they'll always be played back to back
You would probably have to do that through an audio editor and have it as one song. That's the only way I could see them doing that. i don't think that's a very common thing people want.
Quote:
Originally Posted by GTR
I'm still finding that there is some music in the world that just doesn't seem to appeal to me when I listen to it.
Can we fix that please, Apple?
I don't see how Apple can do anything about that. You have to just figure out what you like and don't like and do it that way. I don't like Rap music, but I don't think Apple is going to remove it from existence.
I like the fact that we can resize the artwork. Nice touch. I'm wondering if they are going to bring back cover flow in a future update...
Anyone miss it? Sometimes I like using Cover Flow, it's not mandatory for me, but it would be nice to see it again.
Quote:
Originally Posted by GTR
I'm still finding that there is some music in the world that just doesn't seem to appeal to me when I listen to it.
Can we fix that please, Apple?
forgot your /s cos you know someone will read it wrong
Quote:
Originally Posted by drblank
I like the fact that we can resize the artwork. Nice touch. I'm wondering if they are going to bring back cover flow in a future update...
Anyone miss it? Sometimes I like using Cover Flow, it's not mandatory for me, but it would be nice to see it again.
In which mode are you doing this? Miniplayer, artist, songs?
Quote:
Originally Posted by Rob55
I wish they'd correct an annoying problem I'm having with iTunes defaulting to album view. Basically, if I'm in song view (where I normally have it), insert a CD, rip it and then eject it, the damned thing always defaults to album view. Under normal circumstances, this wouldn't be an issue as I wouldn't be constantly inserting discs, but I'm in the process of re-ripping my collection one more time (in ALAC this time) and it is getting really friggin' annoying to have to constantly switch back to song view.
Amen to this. Please go to apple.com/feedback and report it.
Bugs the tar out of me.
Also, I have a similar problem where you switch from music to somewhere else like the App Store and then switch back to music and the song you had selected is no longer selected, is goes back to the first song alphabetically.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Tallest Skil
In the iTunes window proper.
In which view? Artists, Songs?