the2scoops iPod toolkit

I've been getting emails lately from friends who have bought into the Cult of the Pod. It's easy to start up with an iPod, but you'd be surprised what you can do with iTunes and the iPod. These links are helpful for tips, extension programs, reviews and forums on all things iPod. If you need more help, give me a shout through the email or MSN link in my profile:

iLounge - this site is the be all and end all of iPod. Loads of reviews on iPods and accessories, I found it particularly handy in finding the best iPod case and headphones for my needs. The forums are helpful for all you questions and there are several excellent "How The Hell Do I..." iPod 101 tutorials available.

I was trying to clean up my collection of MP3 files when I came across this handy post Tidy Up iTunes MP3 Collection - Fix ID3 Tags And More. It lays out the steps to properly manage your database:

1. Tagging - MusicBrainz free program helps get your album info correct
2. Re-import or update iTune files (deselect the "Rename File" option in your MusicBrainz program or this will get complicated)
3. Remove Duplicates using iTunes
4. Import Album covers to the music files using iTunes Art Importer

The handy links:

The most useful MP3 tool out there. MusicBrainz is a free community based music database. You can use the Musicbrainz program and database to automatically identify and label your music files with all the correct artists and title info, and format everything consistently. Be sure to uncheck the "Rename File" option in the toolkit if you are scanning your active iTunes music files, otherwise iTunes won't be able to find the files based on the old filenames.

The other useful tool is iTunes Art Importer, which copies the album art off of Amazon to your iTunes files.

the2scoops tips:

1. First thing you do: register that Applecare agreement. The iPod is hardware and software. Like all computers, weird shit can happen to make it non-functional. Keep that warranty up to date. The two times something happened with my older model iPod, I was surprised how easy it was to go in to the local Apple Store, get it tested, and leave with a replacement quickly.

2. Leave the headphones in the box. I don't care if you think it's trendy to have those little white iPod brand headphones - they are cheap and offer a limited range of sound. Invest in a decent pair of headphones, even a $20-30 model, and you will be surprised at how rich the sound is out of that little gadget. I prefer over the ear headphones as ear-buds never fit right and irritates my hearing. Two of my favourites are the Koss Porta-Pro and the Sennheiser PX 100 Headphones: function over form.

3. Get a decent case to protect your investment - I have tried a few and the best I've had are the Marware brand cases. Tough, portable, and the newest iPod cases have a kickstand so you can stand up your iPod and watch videos.

4. When you put your music on the iPod, the easiest way is to set up a playlist called "Ipod Stuff" or "Ipod Library", drag and drop the music you want to take with you into the playlist, and sync the iPod up to that rather than sync your entire collection. Use several playlists for variety: I have use a variety of lists including Morning Wake-Up, City Walks, and Get My Energy Up for Work.

4. Learn what iTunes can do - take some time and learn how to keep your music neat, organized, and experiment with the Smartlist function. If you have a lot of music you can use Smartlist to put together playlists for you based on your ratings, how often it's played, the last time you heard or any combination of criteria. Handy for when you can't pick what to put on your iPod.

My ratings:

5 star - Never get tired of this song, desert island picks.
4 star - Great song I like to hear often.
3 star - Good song. Average.
2 star - I only keep this song because I want the complete album. I wouldn't miss it.
1 star - Reserved for bad songs to delete or broken mp3 that need to be fixed.

Handy previous posts:
the2scoops: The Post About Music Blogs
the2scoops: the2scoops Podcast list