Download Squad

Although creating a playlist is theoretically as simple as finding a song you like and adding it to a new or existing playlist (by either dragging the file(s) to the playlist or right-clicking on the file and selecting the playlist you want in the "Add to playlist" menu), this can be a time consuming process, especially if your music collection is large and varied.

This is where using Smart Playlists to pre-sort your music can really come in handy. Once you have your library pre-sorted to fit a few set parameters (for instance, excluding all screamo, death metal or hardcore music, if the rest of the dinner party isn't into that), finding the music you want to include on your playlist becomes infinitely easier.

Using Smart Playlists

Smart Playlists are playlists created using a certain set of parameters, that will automatically include all (or if you want, only a set number) of the files in your library that adhere to those parameters. The trick to making Smart Playlists as effective as they can be is to keep the meta-data for your music files detailed and up to date.

What is meta-data? Meta-data is information contained in a music file, that when accessed by iTunes (or any other music program for that matter), can then be used to easily sort your library. In addition to basic information like Track Name, Track Number, Artist, Album, Year, and Genre, meta-data can also include information like "grouping" - if you want to group together that might be by different artists/on different albums - and song lyrics.

The more detailed/personalized the meta-data, the easier it is to pinpoint or eliminate songs in a Smart Playlist. For users who don't have their meta-data organized beyond the basics (Title/Track/Artist/Album), don't worry - Smart Playlists can still help you sort your music, it just might take more digging or more parameters.

For a Thanksgiving dinner playlist, I like to include music that is suitable for all of the people that will be in attendance. Although the resulting lineup might be more tame or bland than my personal tastes enjoy, it helps stave off an argument at the dinner table -- and I'm likely to start a few of those anyway -- so better safe than sorry.

I also don't like to go heavy on the Christmas-themed music, in large part because of how overplayed much of it is by the end of November (and to think, Christmas music used to start playing in December, and I'm only 25), and because I prefer to save that sort of thing for an actual holiday party. I still sprinkle a few songs here and there, but for Thanksgiving, I personally like to have a more folk-music/ambient instrumental/softer rock theme. My mom and dad, like me, really enjoy movie soundtracks - so I often include songs from Cameron Crowe films or other really good compilations, to make things enjoyable.

To begin crafting your perfect playlist, click "File" and select "New Smart Playlist"

You will be given a screen like this:

Now it is time to add our parameters, or "rules" as they are called in iTunes.

For my list, I'm going to start with a rule to include all songs that contain the word "family" in the title. Next, I'm going to add the option to also include the word "home" to my ruleset too. I'm also going to set my rule to "Match Any of the following" rather than "Match All of the following" to allow a wider selection.

I'm going to add some additional rules about genre and year as well. For instance, I want to include all music that I have tagged with the "Holiday" genre. I also want to include any music made between 1950 and 1975, so that classic rock family favorites like The Beatles, the Beach Boys, Elvis and others will be included in the mix. You can also include rules to exclude certain genres or artists, but be aware, this seems to only work if you are matching ALL the rules, and not "any" of the rules.

My final Smart Playlist rule list looks like this:


The resulting list is a large 1276 songs - BUT - this is down from more than 10,000.

I can now search this list for words like "christmas" or "home" or "family" and find tracks I like. I can also search for certain artists, like Cat Stevens or Explosions in the Sky or the Beatles to find specific tracks. Plus, if I see an artist or track that jogs my memory to something not in this list, I can just search my library for it and add it to my final list.

My final playlist, after sorting with a Smart Playlist and then culling that list into some of my favorites:


I'll also add-in a significant portion of my Sufjan Stevens Christmas CD box set - but that wasn't on my computer.

Playing Your Music

Now, after you have your playlist, how do you play it? Well, there are several options.

Option 1: Burn a CD (right click on the playlist and select "Burn Playlist to Disc") - Note that if you have a long list, you may have to burn multiple discs. After burning the CD, simply play it on the stereo or CD player closest to the action.

Option 2: If your stereo receiver accepts auxiliary inputs, you can connect your iPod (or other device - iTunes is compatible with the iPod, but you can export your playlist and import it in the program that works with your MP3 player), directly to your stereo and play from there.

Option 3: If you have a set of portable (or at least, small) speakers that are specifically designed to work with the iPod (my parents have the Klipsch RoomGroove System), just move them into the dining room.

Option 4: If the computer is nearby, and you have a nice set of computer speakers - just play the playlist straight off of the computer.


That's it! Hopefully, this has given you some ideas or some help in creating that perfect Thanksgiving Dinner playlist. Pass the turkey and skip to the next track!