We help you get
closer to your customers.

Genius is, well, genius

Allow me to introduce you to my new BFF, Genius.

This new, iTunes 8 feature marries functions of Pandora and your personal iTunes library to create smart playlists at the click of a button. How does it work? Genius analyzes your music library and creates playlists for you. All you need to do is decide which song you want to hear at that moment, click on the “Genius” icon in the bottom right corner, and voilà, a playlist with similar songs automatically appears.

What fascinates me most about this feature is how I can create an instant soundtrack to my mood or activity. Whether I want a playlist for dancing around my apartment or persevering through the last hour of the workday, Genius delivers with accuracy. It’s smarter than the iTunes Party Shuffle and less repetitive than Pandora. For the most part, playlists are very logical. For example, if I click on The Decemberists, my playlist features similar songs from Clap Your Hands Say Yeah, The Shins, Stars and Of Montreal. However, the occasional random song sneaks in. For example, I wanted to listen to laid-back music. I clicked on a song by Air and received a playlist that included a dance track from LCD Soundsystem. Not what I consider laid back.

The Genius sidebar also recommends “songs you’re missing,” with an opportunity to download them immediately from the iTunes store. This strategy to get impulsive buyers to buy more mp3s is, from a business perspective, genius.

The sad thing about Genius is that it officially marks the end of the mix tape. But since I strive to create the ultimate road-trip mixes and ambiance-inspiring party playlists, I will be taking a short cut with my new friend Genius quite often.