Last Spring, I took a writing seminar focused on music's history of stealing, sharing and expanding music collections and how devices have changed how we listen to music. I appreciated the class for opening my eyes to how this generation views and appreciates music in the context of a multitasking technological culture. I began to question the supposed benefits of some of the new listening devices from the past few years, including iTunes' Genius tool.
Genius is a feature of iTunes that searches a user's library and crafts playlists using an algorithm that uses ratings and other iTunes users' libraries to find songs that fit together. The feature offers genre-based, radio-channel-like mixes that draw from a user's library, such as "Classic Soul Mix," or "Dance Pop Mix." Genius also recommends iTunes purchases based on the user's library extra Apple advertising, how genius.
It is a great feature for when I need a playlist in a hurry or am too lazy to make one myself. Sometimes it's difficult to put songs together that fit or flow into one another, and Genius reminds me of certain songs that I may have forgotten about. I am all for recommendations when it comes to music. I love stumbling across music on the web or in record stores, but a little musical assistance from Apple led me to some great additions to my collection and new artists to explore.
With that said, it appears as if Genius is threatening to take away some of the fun of playlist-making. I delight in putting together playlists to accomodate my mood or what I am doing. Unlike Genius, which derives its playlist decisions from similarities, I can toy with contrast when making my own lists, intermixing smooth jazz, heavy metal and pop music from the 1990s. I love making playlists for other people and being able to inject my own personality and soul into any given mix.
To an extent, Genius does put my personality into the playlists it makes for me, since the songs it uses are drawn from my library. Nonetheless, I opt for the autonomy and creativity that I have in making my own mixes. It takes more work to make a playlist, but the extra effort is worth the home-grown product.
And if I am going to defer to someone else for music picks, I'd much prefer the suggestions from a friend rather than Apple.
My set of tastes do not fit into an algorithm I'd much sooner trust a movie recommendation from my brother or the restaurant suggestions of city locals over a mathematical appraisement offered by an iPhone app.
As much as I find Genius remarkable, I can't help but fear that it will further propel this generation into higher levels of dependence on technology, convenience and ease, losing some of the personal connection that listeners have with their music and each other in the process.
