I have a powerbook which contains my music library. Generally, I listen to iTunes when I’m working. Since I dislike hearing the same songs played frequently, I tend to play the party shuffle
with a Not Recently Played
smart playlist set to exclude files that have been played in the last four weeks. The result is a kind of musical work balance.
The number of tracks which are in the playlist hovers around the 620 mark. When it trends below 600, I’m spending to much time at work. Conversely, when it trends above 650 I should be spending more time there. It’s an interesting subliminal channel for making sure that the bills get paid while making time for other things. Of course, there are some funny ripples in the number of available tracks. Variations created by track length, holidays, vacation, and variation in arrival or departure time from work all move the trend. Eventually, the magic
number around 620 always seems to return.
As a nice side benefit, the vast majority of my music collection has been listened to recently. I only have about 30 tracks that haven’t been played this year. I wonder what the RIAA would think about my listening habits. Would they feel that I should pay more because I am getting good use from money spent long ago on their products? After all, you don’t hear much Anthrax or Sigue Sigue Sputnik these days.
Tags: iTunes, Listening Habits, Metrics, RIAA
