Often I want to shuffle a playlist, but then there’s a few songs I want to move around.
If you enable shuffle on an iTunes playlist you can’t move the music around. If you turn shuffle off again it will go back to the previous order.
I originally wrote two scripts to do this on Mac and Windows. They are no longer required because it’s now built into iTunes, but hard to find if you don’t know where:
- Create a playlist containing the songs to be shuffled – you can’t do this in the main Library.
- Make sure it’s sorted manually, not by Title/Album/etc. (click the column heading above the first (numbered) column).
- Click the shuffle button to turn shuffle on.
- Right-click the playlist in the list on the left.
- Click “Copy to play order“.
- Click the shuffle button again to turn shuffle off.
The playlist will stay shuffled, but you can now move music around manually.
Comments
1. Clark
This is EXACTLY what I was looking for. Windows Media Player allows you to randomize, then move songs in a playlist. Since I always wanted some Podcasts first, it was the only reason I used that program. From now on I can just stick with iTunes. Seems like a small thing, but it really is great. Thanks.
Posted on 3rd July 2007 at 6:45am.
2. karen
You are a hero!
Posted on 7th April 2008 at 9:58am.
3. Jeff
Dave, your method works perfectly. It’s built in to itunes but I would have never found that option on my own even though I’m quite the proficient user. Exactly what I was looking for.
Posted on 25th September 2008 at 5:53pm.
4. ryan
dude! thanks man
Posted on 10th January 2009 at 4:30am.