iTunes 11 for the change-averse: Where did all that stuff go?
Is the new iTunes 11 interface making you a little hot under the collar? Reader response was so strong and so warm to our first iTunes 11 "where did it go?" post, we decided to follow it up with a handful of additional tips. Here are five things you might be looking for and struggling to find in the new iTunes 11 interface.
1. Where did those downloads go?
Like Safari, iTunes 11 has adopted the philosophy of "we won't show you the downloads window unless you're actually downloading something." You'll find the downloads activity indicator at the top-right of your window, to the right of the search field. A pulsing bar tells you iTunes is in the middle of downloading items.
Click the indicator to open the downloads window. Here, you'll discover the items currently downloading or waiting to start downloading.
2. Mini Player volume control
Frustrated with the mini player and its apparent lack of volume control? Don't be. You can use Command-up arrow and Command-down arrow to adjust the volume, or you can click the AirPlay button and adjust the master volume slider.
3. Genius
iTunes 11 now offers Genius playlist building from several places. Most easily, you can build a Genius playlist from the current-playing item by right-clicking the title bar at the top of the window.
Choose "Start Genius." Sadly, iTunes 11 doesn't provide any coherent feedback after you do so, but if you check the Up Next list (it looks like a three-item bullet list at the right side of the current-playing box), it tells you "Up Next: From Genius", so you know it "took."
Another way to begin a Genius playlist is from the track listings. Right-click any track, and again, choose Start Genius to begin.
4. Loop and randomize
In iTunes 11, loop and randomize have hopped up to the top current-playing box. Looping can be found to the left of the track scrubber, with randomize (that "x"-shaped thing) to its right. They work just like they used to in iTunes 10. They do not, however, appear when playing Genius mixes. So if they disappear? Clear the Genius list from the Up Next pop-up.
5. Restoring "missing" movies, TV shows, music
Apple, bless its oddly thoughtful little heart, now offers media streaming from the cloud. A little cloud icon indicates items stored off your computer at Apple's data centers.
What you might not realize is that iTunes 11 allows you to hide these items. So if you're looking for something in your library and it doesn't seem to be there, you may want to check the View menu. Choose Show XXX in the Cloud -- whether movies, music, TV shows, etc, and restore their listings to your iTunes 11 categories.
Note: Original headline changed.
