New iTunes - how do I play an entire album without having to go into "songs" and check all the boxes?

Mark Williams1900 wrote:

In Artists View, the Album Title row, if you hover over the title then some icons appear to the right of it. If you click on the Play button the album starts from Track 1.

But the songs will only continuously play if they have a checkmark.

Chris CA and kilima have solved this mystery with their advice to Command-click the checkbox adjacent to the top-most entry in the Songs view (NOT the checkbox adjacent to the 'Name' label in that column). This checks all songs in your library. Once all songs are checked, you can single-click and open the individual album in Album view and click the arrowhead next to the album title. On my Mac, the arrowhead is now functional where it was not previously. Why can't Apple have made this more obvious to the unwashed simpletons like me?

Go to album page in iTunes and click on file top left, click on new, creat new playlist. Name playlist on

upper right hand of album page and drag each song you want to include in the playlist from the album. Then to play the entire album, pay from playlist rather than albums on iPod or iPad or whatever you want. You can create

a new playlist for each album using album name and drag songs into that playlist for later play.

edward1939 wrote:

This question was already answered.

upper right hand of album page and drag each song you want to include in the playlist from the album. Then to play the entire album, pay from playlist rather than albums on iPod or iPad or whatever you want.

But songs must be checked to play.

You can create a new playlist for each album

Why?

Yes... the important point is that SONGS MUST BE CHECKED. My original problem was that I couldn't intuitively figure out how to check ALL of my songs. Chris CA had the answer (but doesn't restate it above... so I shall reproduce my original response here):

Chris CA and kilima have solved this mystery with their advice to Command-click the checkbox adjacent to the top-most entry in the Songs view (NOT the checkbox adjacent to the 'Name' label in that column). This checks all songs in your library [you can then uncheck any songs you will never want to play]. Once all songs are checked, you can single-click and open the individual album in Album view and click the arrowhead next to the album title. On my Mac, the arrowhead is now functional where it was not previously. Why can't Apple have made this more obvious to the unwashed simpletons like me?

Finally someone that knew the answer! So simple. Why did they get greyed out in the first place...... Thank you

Andy

Waiheke Andy,

I feel really thick, but I just can't seem to follow the instructions you've laid out and get everything checked. Is it possible to upload a screen shot of the place you mean as my mac just isn't working with these instructions. This is so frustrating and so UN-mac!!

Thanks!

Clare

Claire

Try this out:-

1. Select 'songs' view.

2. Press CMD A (select all songs) - OR navigate to edit menu->select all.

3. Then 2-finger click the highlighted cells to get the pop-up window.

4. Select 'check selection' to check all songs.

Now all songs can be played.

With the album view you have three icons next to the album title:-

A. The standard symbol for play.

B. The middle symbol is probably shuffle (random play the album tracks) but I never use it.

C. The right symbol (>) which pulls up a drop down menu of options.

You can double click on a track to play it OR by selecting the icon (>) to pull up the drop down menu for that track.

Regards

Mark

Claire,

I'm assuming you know what we mean by the 'Songs' view (menu bar along top of iTunes screen...Songs, Artists, Albums, Genres, etc). Read this carefully... it works.

Command-click the checkbox beside the top-most entry of the first column in the Songs view (I DO NOT MEAN the checkbox adjacent to the 'Name' label at the top of that column... I am referring to the first checkbox BELOW that). This will check every song you have on iTunes.

Now, click on any album itself in 'Albums' view to open the album and you can play the complete album just by a single click on the arrowhead next to the album name.

Hi Mark and 'Synch',

thank you so much - it is working now. I am so grateful for your fast responses! Feeling alone with a problem is sometimes as bad as having the problem in the first place, so you both helped. Fantastic!

All the best,

Clare

doctorzeus wrote:

However, creating a "playlist" is not the solution I was looking for. Don't mean to be ungrateful. Before Apple "improved" iTunes with its latest update, I could play an album WITHOUT creating a playlist.

and you still can.

Select Albums across the top, select the album you want and press Play.

I've dutifully read every post on this problem, including Chris's above,have done everything suggested to get albums to play - except for creating a new playlist (how unbelievably laborious!) - and iTunes continues to play only one song at a time. It's unbelievable. Call me old-fashioned, but I don't want a playlist: I'd like to hear an album the way the artist created the album, and it doesn't seem too much to ask of Apple to enable customers to do that. I'd still welcome a simple way to be able to do this. Life is to short to duplicate my large list of albums with an even longer list of 'playlists'. If anyone - or even Apple - can provide the solution, I'd welcome it.

Ther solution was provided.

Do all songs have a checkmark?

Just when I think we've disposed with this... up it pops again!

Jamie,

I feel your pain. I agree there's lots about iTunes that Apple have made/left opaque... I don't know why. Where we previously thought we had a degree of computer intuition, Apple comes along and renders us pre-schoolers again. But philosophical matters aside, the answer IS contained in the most recent advice provided in the thread above. With respect, I reckon you're not quite making sure that you're following the instructions given. Re-read and be totally/utterly/completely sure you understand EACH of the instructions.

It's REALLY simple... and no, you don't need to make playlists to play an entire album. All the best.