Q: If you want to listen to your entire library in shuffle mode, you just use the iPod’s “Shuffle Songs” menu option, and the iPod goes to work playing your entire library. But if you update the iPod, this option forgets everything it has done before, and I frequently hear songs I’ve already (sometimes just) heard in a previous session. How can I create a foolproof way to get through my entire library, without allowing changing menus or synchronizing to throw it off?
– Leann and many other Ask iLounge readers
A: The easiest way to make your way through your entire library is with a smart playlist that keeps track of what’s been played recently.
For example, the following smart playlist will select a number of songs at random from the entire library (Podcasts and videos excluded), but only ones that haven’t been played in the last three weeks. We’ve named ours “Fresh & Random.”
The neat thing about this playlist is that because playcounts and “last played” dates transfer between the iPod and iTunes, listening to your music using either device will change the playlist.
You need only synchronize your iPod to keep the list fresh and random. Enjoy!
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