My Favorite Playlist

Okay, I'll admit it - I am a geek. So I thought I'd give you the benefit of my obsessiveness and share the approach I've developed to categorizing my digital music collection.

First off, I don't mess with Genre but simply accept whatever is assigned. But when I import a new CD, I immediately group the rock and electronic tracks into one of a few categories based on the artist and give all tracks a 4 star rating. My main groups are Upbeat (rock), Mellow (rock), Art Rock, Dance (electronica), Chill (electronica), and Ambient (electronica).

If I really enjoy a song and want to hear it again soon, I will bump it up a star. Or if I'm not so keen on it then I mark it down a notch. So every song would get a minimum of three listens before falling to 1 star status. I use the star ratings then to control frequency of play. (1 star songs are not played in any mixes, but I do listen to them in the context of the album.)

While I have a number of smart playlists for special purposes, my favorite (and most elaborate) is one called Fresh Mix. My implementation of FreshMix is essentially a random mix within a broad "rock" genre composed of:

• 5 star songs not played in the last 7 days
• 4 star songs not played in the last 30 days
• 3 star songs not played in the last year
• 2 star songs not played in the last 2 years
• New additions

This is a mix that often surprises and delights me! If you are not using Smart Playlists in iTunes, I strongly encourage you to fool around with it. It's fun and you might also find delight in the playlist put together by your "virtual DJ."