iTunes just keeps getting better. The new 4.5 release adds a slew of great features, including some I’ve wished for. The best is the new ability to add Music Store preview tracks to your own playlists. I’ve wanted to do this for a while, because many times I’ll browse the store and think, “Oh, I want to buy that later,” only to forget within minutes. Now it’s not a problem.
Don’t miss the free songs they’re giving away. I just snagged “My Hero” by Foo Fighters after upgrading. Check out music videos and movie trailers, too. The new Disney section gives me a great idea for a birthday present for Gracie: her own custom mix CD, chock full of songs that won’t annoy Daddy in the car.
Printing CD inserts is a really nice touch, too. The mosaic on the left was generated from my Purchased Music playlist. Party Shuffle seems cools, but Jen and I will need to have another Un-Valentine Party so I can check it out. I haven’t tried Apple Lossless yet, since AAC and higher bit rate MP3 compression are acceptable to me, at least considering the file size trade-off.