Built-in to the new iTunes 8 is the brand-spanking new ‘Genius Sidebar‘. The goal of this new feature is to guide you to related and suggested titles in the iTunes Store. If you ask me, this idea is a bloody brilliant idea by Apple. What a great way to get more and more people back into the iTunes store, spending more of their time, and money there.
Take the screenshot below (click for a larger image) from my own iTunes music library. I have the ‘Fine Young Cannibals’ selected (I’ve got quite an eclectic music selection… leave me alone!). You’ll notice that the Genius Sidebar not only points out other FYC songs that I can purchase or preview, but it also denotes other related music that I might find compliments the song real well. In other words ‘You like THIS? Here’s more of THIS.’… ‘and People that bought THIS, also bought THIS’. Brilliant.
Setting up the Genius Sidebar is easy easy. In the sidebar itself there should be a button to initiate the setup. Click it, and you’ll be taken through Step 1, where Apple will look at and analyze your library.
Step 2 will send the info to Apple.
Step 3 will deliver the results within your iTunes. Now all you have to do is select a title, and your Genius Sidebar will be loaded with tons of related and suggested titles for you to check out. I should note here too that steps 1 through 3 are automatic. Sit back and let iTunes do it’s thing… As I said earlier, easy EASY!
You can also create Genius Playlists by selecting a song and clicking the Genius button at the bottom of our iTunes window. Playlists and recommendations will get better and better over time as more information is gathered from you and other users worldwide.
I should note too… if the Genius Sidebar does not return any results for a particular title, it will return top songs and albums from the iTunes store. Play around with it a bit. What do you think? A worthy addition to iTunes or simply a ploy to make more money from iTunes Store sales?
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