Change iTunes Artist Artwork to logo

Question

Level 1

8 points

Change iTunes Artist Artwork to logo

I've been doing quite a bit of research, so I'm not sure that this is even possible.

I've gathered artist logos for every artist in library and use them as the primary icon when browsing by Artist in another utility called Plex (i.e. Kodi/XBMC). Using the logos for bands and music artists makes it significantly easier to find the artist I'm looking for and continue on to play the music I had in mind.

I've uploaded a screenshot of my Plex interface with the artist logos here: https://imgur.com/a/VWBeWyn

I've uploaded a mockup screenshot of what iTunes interface with artist logos would look like here: https://imgur.com/a/bsWBMQt

I mean, it's drastically better than the current iTunes model where Artist images are typically a promo shot of the group. When scaled down for list views, these images are impossible to discern which artist is which without looking at the name, effectively making them useless.

With logos, since they are often colorized and each have a distinct "shape", so to speak, it is much easier to target an artist even when scaled down.

I'm wondering, how I might be able to manually change the Artist images from the promo shots to my logo files?

I think Apple only provides the option for Artists to manage their own icon, so it is up to them to determine what image is provided for everyone. I feel like I should be able to at least manage my own library, though. I'd think it's not too much to ask to at least provide an option to override the Artist image on our local library.

MacBook Pro Retina (2015 and later)

Posted on Feb 15, 2019 10:00 AM

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Answer 1

Mar 15, 2019 8:37 AM in response to Quantastical

Of all the times Apple has deleted a very helpful functionality over the years, this is one of the most aggravating. I've repeatedly looked around and found no workaround for the inability to change an Artist logo/photo in iTunes. I use iTunes streamed via my AppleTV when listening to music at home, and it's frustrating that when I search my (rather large) library by Artist, at least half of the Artists just have the generic microphone graphic. Granted, some of the artists I like are relatively obscure and don't have official artist pages from which the photo is apparently grabbed, but plenty are mainstream enough that there's no reason for there to be no photo (Alex Chilton? Buffalo Springfield? Captain Beefheart? Come on!) And for many artists, particularly bands, the group shot is too small to be meaningful, and as you say, a logo or album cover would be much more helpful. (And for artists who share a common name, the photo is often wrong; i.e. little-known power pop singer Chris Brown is treated to a photo of the abusive R&B singer.)

I don't get why Apple ignores the multiple demands on various community boards to allow user control over the Artist graphic. Seems very anti-customer to me.

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Answer 2

Quantastical Author

Level 1

8 points

Mar 16, 2019 8:07 AM in response to popkulcher

I feel ya. At one point, I think they used the first album in the artist's collection as the primary graphic.

I've been using Plex to listen to music on my TV. I find it easier to use and has a wider compatibility with other file formats. It's a shame, too, because I really admire Apple's attempt at providing a clean, ultra-high-quality user experience. Unfortunately, I feel like that attention to detail has been lost or misguided.

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