Adding tags to the iPod
I use my iPod more than I do iTunes: that’s just the way my life works out.
This means that I rarely get the opportunity to sort or organise my tunes in the way that Andy Budd clearly does. The only opportunity I have to add some metadata to my music using my iPod is the highly unsatisfactory star ratings system.
Having used systems like Last.fm this really isn’t good enough. I want to be able to add tags to tunes on the go, so building up meta playlists.
I put this post to one of the Apple support forums recently and it received quite a bit of positive feedback, so I thought I’d mock up how I see this working.
The first step is to add some tags in iTunes. Yes, I know this does mean I’m straight away compromising my initial aim of doing everything from the iPod, but I figure you’ll know in advance what sort of tags you’ll want to be able to pick from later. The thing you don’t necessarily know in advance is what tunes will apply to which tags. You know you want to build a metaplaylist of angry tunes, but it’s not until you hear ???? that you realise it fits the tag perfectly.
One you’ve added these tags, you’ll be able to add as many of these as you like from the addTags screen:
Using this system, adding multiple tags is a cinch: the Menu and Select buttons allow you to quickly toggle between the addTags and viewTags screens.
One of the few downsides to the iPod interface as far as I’m concerned is that it is a very linear process. Based around the assumption that you know what it is you’re after, you are encouraged to go down a dead-end. The advantage of this system is that the viewTags screen is not only where you can review tags assigned to tracks, but also go on to a metaplaylist of all tracks that match that tag.
Well that’s as far as I’ve got with the concept at the moment: let me know what you think…
Technorati Tags: ipod, tag, folksonomy
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