How to setup and use Genius in iTunes
Summary
iTunes includes an exciting feature called Genius. Genius makes playlists and mixes from songs in your iTunes library that go great together. Genius also introduces you to music, movies, and TV shows you'll love, but don't already have in your library. To learn how to use Genius in iTunes, review the information below.
Products Affected
iTunes
How to turn on Genius
If you are using iTunes for the first time, you will see Genius listed on the left side of the iTunes window above Playlists. Click Genius and then click Turn On Genius to start using Genius. You can also start Genius by choosing Turn On Genius from the Store menu in iTunes, or by selecting a song from your library and pressing the Genius button at the bottom of the iTunes window.
When starting Genius, you'll be asked to sign in with your Apple ID or create a new one and agree to the terms and conditions.* iTunes will then proceed to gather information about the contents of your library, send this information to Apple, and download Genius results. The time to complete this process will vary depending on the size of library information and the amount of traffic on the iTunes Store. At any time during this process you can use iTunes to play music or other content.
To turn off Genius, simply choose Store > Turn Off Genius in iTunes.
Creating a Genius playlist
- Select a song in your library.
- Click the Genius button at the bottom of the iTunes window.
- To see the Genius playlist, click Genius located above Playlists on the left-hand side of iTunes.
Tips
- To change the maximum number of songs in a playlist, choose a number from the "Limit to" pop-up menu located in the upper right.
- To save a playlist, click Save Playlist. You can add and remove items from a saved Genius playlist.
- To get new songs for a Genius playlist (basing it on the same song), click Refresh.
- While listening to an iTunes DJ playlist, choose Genius as the source (under Playlists) to create a Genius playlist that refreshes itself automatically.
Using Genius mixes
Genius mixes are created for you by iTunes, and plays songs from your library that go great together. Genius mixes are groups of songs organized by genres that play continuously like a radio station, and appear below Genius on the left side of iTunes under the Genius section. Genius mixes can only be synced with iPhone/iPod touch (OS 3.1 or later), and iPod nano (5th generation).
Note: Genius mixes cannot sync to iPhone/iPod touch or iPod nano (5th generation) if the option to Manually manage music and videos is selected under your Device's Summary tab.
Note: If Genius mixes does not appear after updating to iTunes 9, try updating Genius from the Store menu by choosing Store > Update Genius.
Additional Information
*If Genius is unavailable, you can continue using iTunes and check Genius availability at any time by clicking the Genius button.