Using iTunes to DJ the Next Party
Connecting the iPhone Remote App to iTunes DJ On a Wireless Network
Now, thanks to a tag-team effort by Apple's iTunes software and its Remote application for the iPhone and iPod Touch, music fans can now request songs and manage playback by linking to an iTunes music library that sits on a wireless network.
iTunes DJ
In previous versions of iTunes, the "Party Shuffle" feature allowed users to shuffle songs on their computers from the iTunes music library, also offering the capability to play higher rated songs more often and delete unwanted songs from a shuffled list of upcoming tunes.
When Apple released the iTunes 8 software update earlier this year, the "Party Shuffle" feature appeared to go away, but it disappeared only in name, as "iTunes DJ" quickly stepped in to replace it.
At the same time that Apple introduced iTunes DJ, it released an update to the Remote app for iPhone and iPod Touch, available for download from the App Store, which added a functionality that would allow iPhone and iPod Touch users to request songs in an iTunes music library via a wireless network.
Incorporating the same features previously boasted by Party Shuffle, iTunes DJ also introduced new settings allowing for playback from an iPhone or iPod Touch device to be restricted by playlist, and granting an option for iPhone or Ipod Touch users to have the ability to vote for specific songs, which would control when or what order they could play.
Remote Application
When users first open the Remote app on the iPhone or iPod Touch, they are prompted to choose a music library. Of course, if a wireless network is not available or the iTunes software is not open, the app delivers a message that it cannot find the library.
However, when the iPhone or Ipod Touch does find a library, the app connects to it and subsequently populates a scrollable iTunes DJ playlist, drawing music from its selected source in iTunes and playing songs the same way that the iPhone or iPod Touch plays them locally.
After a connection is established between the device and iTunes, iPhone and iPod Touch users can click on a song's heart icon to vote for it, placing the song higher in the play order and giving it a higher chance to be played first.
Finally, iPhone and iPod Touch users can click the "Request a Song" button in Remote, which populates a scrollable list on the device that draws from a source set in iTunes, and can be searched or sorted by artist, album, or song.
The app, along with iTunes DJ, makes it possible for any iPhone or Ipod Touch user to share the responsibility of picking and playing music, which will undoubtedly spark new jockeying trends among party-goers and music lovers everywhere.
iPhone 3GS
|
What do you think about this article?
More in Technology
Latest Articles