First look: iTunes DJ

With the new iPod shuffle, comes iTunes 8.1. And with iTunes 8.1, you now get iTunes DJ. What’s iTunes DJ? You may remember it as Party Shuffle. It wasn’t a ground-breaking feature of iTunes then, and while it doesn’t take center stage now, it’s slowly getting there.

So, what’s changed other than the name? Well, the biggest new feature is its integration with the iPhone/iPod touch application, Remote. You remember that one? Used to control your iTunes through a local WiFi connection? Well, as long as you download the latest update to 1.2, then you’ll be able to connect to iTunes DJ and request and vote for songs. Let me put that into context; if you’re at a party where the DJ is using the iTunes DJ mode, using the local WiFi network, you’ll be able to connect to him, see his library, and request songs. Once you’ve made a request, it gives that song 1 vote. Other people can see this, and also vote for the song. It’s a great concept, but it needs a lot for it to work successfully at a party. A DJ using iTunes, people with iPhones and/or iPod touches, and a decent wireless network with no security, or that everyone can connect to using the password. If you’ve got all that, it’s great.

Other than that, and the name of course, there’s not too much else that’s new. As with the rest of iTunes 8.1, it responds a little quicker, and there are a few slight changes to the UI that you may notice. It’s still lacking a few features to become a fully fledged option for DJs, but it’s certainly on the way.