At yesterday’s Let’s Rock media event, Apple CEO Steve Jobs unveiled a new feature to iTunes 8. A cross between an algorithmic solution and artificial intelligence that will learn your musical taste over time, and offer “Genius” recommendations, both from your playlist and the iTunes Store. While early users are complaining, Jobs mentioned that the feature would require some time to get to know you, and your musical preferences.
As with any product, or software update Apple releases, early users are usually the harshest critics. And it’s no different with this new iTunes Genius Playlist Feature. Some users are calling their Genius “deaf” and “an idiot,” saying the feature doesn’t know their preferences and offers ridiculous suggestions and recommendations. But what these users are forgetting to mention, or acknowledge is that the service takes some time to get to know your likings.
Apple CEO Steve Jobs explained how the iTunes Genius works at yesterday’s Let’s Rock media event (watch the video stream in HD here). In a nutshell: The service is comprised of proprietary algorithms developed by Apple which recognize your preferences, catalog your music, and cross reference your library across the other 65 million iTunes users around the world. All information is transmitted anonymously over the internet and Apple has clearly made security a top priority.
The Genius Feature is more than just algorithms however, it can be more likened to a cross between Artificial Intelligence as well as the algorithms Apple has developed. The algorithms use math and the iTunes Store in the cloud. Here is a step-by-step breakdown of how the Genius Feature works:
1. A user has his music library, and he turns on and opts in (voluntarily) to use the Genius
2. The Genius is going to send information about your music library to iTunes servers in the cloud (completely anonymously) - things like track names, play counts, ratings, playlists
3. The Genius algorithms (Apple) will take some time and learn about your musical tastes
4. The Genius combines your information with other 65 million iTunes users around the world
5. As you leave genius turned on, the algorithms just get smarter and smarter (they update once a week) - in other words, the more people that share information with the Genius, the more recommendations it can make for you
6. Genius sends back music recommendations that are “Tailored to your music library”
A description from Apple’s website explains The Genius Feature as follows: Meet Genius: a brilliant way to create perfect playlists. Play a song, click the Genius button, and iTunes creates a playlist of other songs from your library that go great together. Genius playlists help you discover songs in your library you never knew you had — and rediscover forgotten favorites.
While you reacquaint yourself with the music you already own, let Genius introduce you to new music you’ll love. As you select songs in your library, the Genius sidebar displays songs from the iTunes Store that go great with it. The Genius sidebar won’t recommend songs already in your library, and you can preview and buy recommended songs directly from the sidebar.
iTunes users should give the new Genius Feature a few weeks to a month before they begin to complain about the lack of relevant recommendations. Even though Apple’s algorithmic solutions are extremely well developed, they require some time before the true benefit will emerge. If you are interested in getting some truly relevant music recommendations, both from your library and the iTunes Store, leave your Genius turned on for a few weeks so it can get to know your musical taste.
