4. Playing Music and Video
In this chapter, you learn how to use the Music and Video apps to play music and watch video. You also learn how to use iTunes Radio.
→ Using AirPlay to Play Music and Video on Other Devices
The iPad handles playing music as well as any iPod or iPhone ever has, plus it has a big screen for you to use to browse your collection. In Chapter 3, you learned how to sync music to your iPad from your computer. That’s one way to get music onto your iPad. You can also use the iTunes app to purchase music, or the iTunes Match service to sync all your music from iCloud.
No matter how you put music on your iPad, you play your music using the Music app.
Tap the Music icon, which is most likely along the bottom of your Home screen.
Tap Songs on the bottom, if it isn’t already selected.
Tap the name of a song to start it. You can also tap and drag up and down on the screen to scroll through the list, or use the letters on the right to jump to a position in the list.
Playing iTunes Match Music
If you are using iTunes Match, you will see all your music in the list, even songs not currently on your iPad. You can still tap the name of a song to start it. The song will download and play, assuming you are connected to the Internet. You can also tap the iTunes Match (cloud) icon for each song to simply download each song so it is ready to listen to later, even if you are not connected. You would want to do this for some songs if you are going to be away from your Internet connection and plan to listen to music.
Visit www.apple.com/itunes/itunes-match/ to find out more about Apple’s iTunes Match service.
At the top of the screen, the Play button changes to a Pause button. The red time progress bar to the right begins to move.
Use the volume slider at the top to adjust the volume, or use the physical volume controls on the side of your iPad.
Tap the Now Playing button at the top to view album artwork for the current song.
Tap the repeat button to choose whether to repeat this song over and over again, or repeat the playlist or album you are currently listening to.
Tap the Shuffle button to make your iPad play the songs in the album or playlist in a random order.
Tap the list button to view the album that contains the song you are currently listening to.
Tap the left-facing arrow button at the top left to return to the main Music app interface.
How Else Can I Listen to Music?
You can also listen to music using third-party apps. Some apps access your music collection on your iPad, but the most interesting ones play streaming music from over the Internet. We look at apps, such as Pandora, in Chapter 13. You can also use iTunes Radio to listen to streaming music. We look at that later in this chapter.
Tap any of the buttons at the bottom of the screen—Playlists, Songs, Artists, and Albums to sort the list of songs.
A list of album artwork is shown. Tap on any album to view the album and the songs in it. Tap a song name to play it.
Tap in the Search field at the top of the list to search your songs.
Siri: Playing Music
You can use Siri to play music. Here are some examples:
“Play The Beatles”
“Play Georgia On My Mind”
“Play some blues”
“Play my driving music” (plays the playlist named “driving music”)
“Shuffle all songs”
“Skip”
“Pause”
Building a Playlist
Playlists are a way to take the songs you have on your iPad and arrange them in ordered groups. For instance, you can create one to listen to while working, while working out, while trying to go to sleep, or make a party mix for your next get-together.
You can create playlists on your Mac or PC in iTunes, but you can also build actual playlists on your iPad.
Tap the Playlists button at the bottom of the main Music app screen.
A list of current playlists appears. Tap the New Playlist button.
Give the new playlist a name and tap Save.
Genius Playlists
If you turn on the Genius feature in your Mac or PC copy of iTunes, you can use the Genius playlist feature to create playlists. After you click the Atom icon, select a song to use as the start of the Genius playlist. iTunes selects other songs from your collection that are similar and creates a playlist using the name of that song.
In the expanded list of your music, tap the + buttons next to each song you want to add to the playlist.
Tap the Sort buttons at the bottom of the screen to sort through your music.
Use the Search field at the top to find songs faster.
Tap the Done button when you have selected all the songs you want to add to the playlist.
The playlist will remain on the screen. You can also return to it any time by tapping on the Playlists button at the bottom of the screen and selecting this playlist. If you want to edit the playlist, tap Edit.
On the playlist edit screen, remove songs from the playlist by tapping on the red buttons.
Tap and drag on the three-line buttons to rearrange the songs.
Tap the + button to add more songs to the playlist.
Tap Done to exit editing the playlist.
Making iTunes Purchases
You have lots of options when it comes to adding more music to your iPad. You can simply add more music to your iTunes collection on your computer and then sync those songs to your iPad. In that case, you can buy them from iTunes, from another online source, or import them from music CDs.
How Else Can I Get Music?
You can purchase music on your iPad only through the iTunes app. But you can sync music from your computer that you get from any source that doesn’t use special copy protection, like CDs you import into iTunes. You can buy online from places such as Amazon.com, eMusic.com, cdbaby.com, or even directly from the websites of some artists.
In addition to syncing music to your iPad from your computer, you can purchase music, movies, TV shows, and audio books directly on your iPad using the iTunes app and using the same account that you use in iTunes on your computer.
Tap the iTunes app icon on your Home screen to go to the iTunes store.
Use the buttons at the top of the screen to choose which genre of music to view.
Swipe left and right to browse more featured albums.
Drag the screen up to reveal more lists, such as top albums, top songs, and music videos.
Use the Search field at the top to search for an artist, album, or song by name.
Select a suggestion from the list, or tap the Search button on the keyboard to complete the search.
Syncing Devices
After you make an iTunes purchase, the music, TV show, or movie you downloaded should transfer to your computer the next time you sync your iPad. From your computer, you can sync your new purchase to any other device you use that uses your iTunes account.
You can also set iTunes on your computer and your other devices to automatically download new purchases. So when you buy on your iPad, you’ll get the new music everywhere. On your iPad, that setting is found in Settings, iTunes & App Stores, Automatic Downloads. In iTunes on your computer, it is found in the menu iTunes, Preferences, Store, Automatic Downloads.
Find a song or album you want to buy, and tap its artwork to view more information.
If you move down the page by swiping upward, you’ll also find ringtones, music videos, movies, and even books that match your search.
Tap a song name to listen to a sample of the song.
Tap outside of the album window to close it and return to the previous view.
To buy a song, album, or any item in the iTunes music store, tap the price of that item and then tap again on the Buy button.
How About My Home Videos?
If you shoot a home video with a video camera, or iPod touch or iPhone, you can bring that into iTunes on your Mac or PC and sync it to your iPad. They appear as Home Movies in the menu along the top of the Videos app.
What About My DVDs?
If you can import CD music content into iTunes, you’d think you’d be able to import video content from your DVDs. Well, technically it is possible (although not necessarily legal) by using programs like Handbrake (http://handbrake.fr/) for your Mac or PC to import DVD content and then drag the resulting file into iTunes. Then you can sync it with your iPad. These may also show up as Home Movies, since your iPad doesn’t recognize them as official movie content.
Downloading Podcasts
Podcasts are episodic shows, either audio or video, produced by major networks, small companies, and individuals. You’ll find news, information, tutorials, music, comedy, drama, talk shows, and more. There is something covering almost any topic you can think of.
To subscribe to and listen to or watch podcasts, you need to get the Podcasts app from Apple. You can find it in the App Store and add it to your iPad for free. See “Finding and Listening to Podcasts” in Chapter 13 for a step-by-step on how to get a new app.
Tap the Podcasts app icon on your Home screen.
Tap the Podcasts button to look at the podcasts you’ve already downloaded. If you start off by looking at your library, you’ll see an equivalent button labeled Store at the bottom left that takes you back to this screen.
Use the Search field to search for a podcast by name or keyword.
Tap a podcast to get more information about it. You can also swipe right to left to view more in the list.
Tap Reviews to see what others have to say.
Tap the Download button next to a single episode to download just that episode.
Tap Subscribe to subscribe to the podcast. This will download the latest episode and also automatically get new episodes as they become available.
Using the Library button from step 2, you can go to the list of podcasts and view them by icon or in a list. Tap the list button to see them as a list with each episode shown on the right.
Tap the episode to watch or listen to it.
Tap the info button to get more details about an episode and to mark it as played without listening. Swipe left to right across an episode to delete it.
Tap the settings button to set the sort order and auto-download preferences for the podcast. You would want a current events podcast to put the newest at the top, while a podcast that tells a story or is a learning series would be better suited for oldest on top.
Tap Edit to be able to delete podcast episodes from your library.
Tap the Edit button at the top left and then use the red buttons next to the podcast names to remove a podcast subscription.
Playing Video
After you have movies, TV shows, and Podcast videos on your iPad, you need to play them using the Videos app.
Tap the Videos app icon on your Home screen.
The Movies you have on your iPad display by default. Tap TV Shows, Music Videos, or Home Videos to switch lists. If you don’t have videos in one or more of these categories, then that button may not appear at all.
Tap a movie to view more information about it.
Any Video Alternatives to Apple?
You bet. There is a Netflix app for the iPad that Netflix subscribers can use to stream movies. Amazon also has an Amazon Instant Video app for subscribers to their service. Some companies, such as ABC, have also provided their own apps for viewing their shows on the iPad. You can also view video from any site that has video in standard MP4 formats. The site www.archive.org/details/movies has public domain movies and videos, often in MP4 format. The popular video site http://blip.tv also works well with the iPad.
Tap the Play button to start the movie.
After a movie is playing, tap in the middle of the screen to bring up the controls at the top and bottom of the screen.
Tap the Done button to exit the movie and return to the movie information screen.
Tap the Pause button to pause the movie and then again to resume.
Adjust the volume with the volume control.
Drag the dot along the line to move to a different section of the movie.
Use the Back and Forward buttons to jump between chapters.
Use the AirPlay button to send the video stream to another device, such as an Apple TV. See “Using AirPlay to Play Music and Video on Other Devices” later in this chapter.
Changing the Orientation
For most video content, you can rotate your iPad to view in a horizontal orientation and use the Zoom button at the upper right to crop the left and right sides of the video so that it fits vertically on the screen. This is similar to watching a movie on a standard TV.
What Happened to the YouTube App?
In iOS 5 and previous versions of iOS, there was a special YouTube app that enabled you to view YouTube videos. As of iOS 6 this was removed. But a new and improved app has since been released—it just doesn’t come preloaded on your iPad. So you can head over to the App Store, search for YouTube, and download the app. See Chapter 12 for more information about the YouTube app.
Using AirPlay to Play Music and Video on Other Devices
In iTunes, with the Video app and many other apps that play music or video, you have the option to send the audio or video stream from your iPad to another device that is connected to the same Wi-Fi network, such as an Apple TV.
You need to enable AirPlay on those devices first. For instance, using the Apple TV (2nd generation models or newer), you need to go into settings on the device and turn on AirPlay. You also need to make sure that the device is using the same Wi-Fi network as your iPad.
Look for the AirPlay button in the app you are using. Tap it to bring up a list of available devices.
Your iPad will show as the first device. Use this to switch back to playing the media on your iPad if you have switched to something else.
Next to each device, you will see either a screen icon or a speaker icon. This tells you whether you can stream video or just audio using that device.
Tap on another device, and the music or video currently playing will start to play over that device.
AirPlay Everything
You can also use AirPlay to mirror your iPad’s screen with an up-to-date Apple TV 2. In Control Center (see “Using Control Center” in Chapter 1), there is an AirPlay button. Use that to turn on mirroring and send your screen to the Apple TV. Some apps, however, specifically block this. If you simply want to play video from the Videos app or another app that shows video, use the app’s AirPlay button, not the Control Center one.
Home Sharing
If you are using iTunes on your Mac or PC, you can play this iTunes content on your iPad if it is on the same local network.
In iTunes on your Mac or PC, choose Turn On Home Sharing from the File menu. You are prompted to enter your Apple account ID and password.
In the Settings App, tap Music.
Enter the same Apple account ID and password used in step 1.
In the Music app, tap the More button at the bottom of the screen.
Tap Shared, and then choose the name of the library you want to access. The content in your Music app changes to reflect the content in the iTunes library on your Mac or PC. You can now play songs from your computer without having to transfer them to your iPad first.
What if My Library Doesn’t Appear?
Home Sharing is tricky. It requires that you use the same iTunes account IDs on both your iPad and on your Mac or PC. It also requires that you have the iPad on the same local network as your Mac or PC. In addition, network firewalls and other software may get in the way. It usually works effortlessly, but some users have reported trouble getting Home Sharing to work at all with their particular home network setup.
Listening to iTunes Radio
New in iOS 7 is iTunes Radio. It is very similar to existing services like Pandora and Last.fm. You choose a music genre, artist, or song, and then you hear a continuous stream of songs based on that starting point. That stream is saved as a “station,” and you can return to it at any time. Meanwhile, you can create other stations with other starting points and switch between them. The music comes from Apple’s servers and includes music you already own, as well as music you don’t.
Using iTunes Radio is very easy. You can choose from some sample stations or create your own.
Tap the Radio icon at the bottom of the Music app.
If this is your first time using iTunes Radio, tap the Start Listening button. Note that you must be signed in to your iCloud account to use iTunes Radio. You can sign in using the Settings app in the iTunes & App Stores section.
You can start listening to music right away by tapping one of the Featured Stations at the top.
Tap the New Station box to create a station of your own.
Type the name of an artist, genre, or song to search for iTunes content.
If you search for an artist, you usually get a “& more” station suggestion at the top. Select that to create a station based on that artist.
A song from that artist, or possibly from another artist that is similar, will start playing.
You’ll now see your station in the My Stations list. You can create more stations and then switch between them by tapping on the icons in this list.
Tap the information button for the song that is currently playing.
You can purchase the current song from iTunes.
You can create a new station from the current artist. You can also do this using the Create button at the top of the Music app while listening to a song you own. So while listening to your favorite playlist, you can tap the Create button and then tap New Station from Song to create an iTunes Radio station and jump to it.
You can share your station via text message, email, or other methods. This basically sends information to your friends that lets them create the same iTunes Radio station on their iOS device, or in iTunes on their computer.
Tap the Star button at the top.
You can tap Play More Like This to fine-tune your station. This song will be added to the information used to pick which song to play next.
Alternatively, you can tap Never Play This Song to stop the song and tell the app to avoid songs like that in the future. By using the Play More Like This and Never Play This Song buttons, you can highly customize your station.
Tap the skip button to skip the current song without adding it to the Never Play This Song list for the station.
What About Bandwidth?
iTunes Radio streams music from the Internet. This means it uses bandwidth. If you are using your iPad with a mobile network or have limited bandwidth at home, that is something to be aware of. However, audio streams do not use as much as video streams, so you may be surprised at how little bandwidth an hour or so of music uses compared to watching a few YouTube videos.
And Now a Message from Our Sponsor
iTunes Radio is free, but it also includes commercials. Every so often you’ll hear a sponsored message between songs. But if you have an iTunes Match account and are signed into it, as a bonus you get iTunes Radio commercial-free!