Chapter 20
iTunes on Your iPad
In this chapter, you will learn how to locate, buy, and download media using the iTunes app right on your iPad. With the iTunes app, you will be able to download music, movies, TV shows, podcasts, and audiobooks. You will also be able to download free educational content from leading universities with the iTunes U service. You will also learn how to redeem iTunes gift cards.
Some of us still remember going to the record store when that new single or album came out. It was an exciting feeling, browsing through all the vinyl albums (or later, through tapes and CDs), and looking at all the music we wanted.
Those days are pretty much gone with the iPad. All the music, movies, TV shows, and more are available right from the iPad itself.
iTunes is a music, video, TV, podcast, and more store—virtually every type of media you can consume on your iPad is available for purchase or rent (and often for free) right from the iTunes store.
Just released for iTunes is a new sort of music social networking aspect called Ping. You can use this service to follow artists, see what your friends are listening to, and more.
Getting Started with iTunes on the iPad
Earlier in this book, we showed you how to get your music from iTunes on your computer into your iPad (see Chapter 3: “Sync Your iPad with iTunes”). You will also learn more about using iTunes on your computer in Chapter 26: “New Media: Reading Newspapers, Magazines, and More.” One of the great things about iTunes is that it is very easy to buy or obtain music, videos, podcasts, and audiobooks, and then use them within minutes right on your iPad.
The iPad allows you to access the mobile version of iTunes right on your device. After you purchase or request free items, they will be downloaded to your iPad 's iPod app or Videos app. They will also be automatically transferred to your iTunes library on your computer the next time you perform a sync, so you can also enjoy the same content on your computer.
A Network Connection Is Required
You do need an active Internet connection (either Wi-Fi or 3G/cellular) in order to access the iTunes store. Check out Chapter 4: “Other Sync Methods” to learn more about network connectivity.
Starting iTunes
When you first received your iPad, iTunes was one of the icons on the first Home screen page. Touch the iTunes icon and you will be taken to the mobile iTunes Store.
NOTE: The iTunes app changes frequently. Since the iTunes app is really a web site, it is likely to change somewhat between the time we wrote this book and when you are looking at it on your iPad. Some of the screen images or buttons may look slightly different than the ones shown in this book.
Navigating iTunes
The iTunes app uses icons similar to other programs on the iPad, so getting around the app is quite easy. There are three buttons at the top and seven icons (soft keys) at the bottom to help you navigate the app. Look at Figure 20–1 to see the soft keys and features. Scrolling works just like scrolling in any other program; move your finger up or down to look at the selections available.
Figure 20–1. The iTunes layout
Finding Music with Featured, Top Charts, and Genius
Along the top of the iTunes music store screen are three buttons: Featured, Top Charts, and Genius. By default, you are shown the Featured selections when you start the iTunes app.
Top Charts—the Popular Stuff
If you like to see what is popular in a particular category, you will want to browse the Top Charts category. Tap Top Charts at the top, and then tap a category or genre to see what is popular for that category.
CAUTION: These songs or videos are selling well, but that doesn't mean that they will appeal to you. Always give an item a preview and check out the reviews before you pay for it.
Tap the Genre button in the upper-left corner to select a particular genre. For example, if you touch Singer Songwriter, you will see the top ten songs or albums in that category only.
The initial view shows you the Top Songs on the left and Top Albums on the right.
You simply scroll through the lists as you would in any other program on the iPad.
Genres—Types of Music
Touch the Genres button to browse music based on a genre. This is particularly helpful if you have a favorite type of music and would like to browse just that category.
There is an extensive list of genres to browse; again, just scroll down the list as you would in any other iPad program.
Go ahead and browse through the music until you see something that you would like to preview or buy.
Browsing for Videos (Movies)
Touch the Movies or TV Shows buttons on the bottom to browse all the video-related items (see Figure 20–2).
Figure 20–2. Browsing the Movies category in iTunes on your iPad
You can also use your finger to scroll all the way to the bottom of the page to check out the links there, including these links in particular:
- New to Rent or Own
- Highlights by Genre
- All HD Movies
Tap any movie or video to see more details or preview the selection. You have the option to rent or buy some movies and TV shows.
Rentals: Some movies are available for rent for a set number of days.
NOTE: The rental period in the US is 24 hours, while the rental period in Canada is 48 hours. Other countries may vary slightly; many have no rentals at all.
Buy: This option allows you to purchase and own the movie or TV show forever.
Finding TV Shows
When you're done checking out the movies, tap the TV Shows button at the bottom to see what is available for your favorite shows (see Figure 20–3).
When you tap a TV series, you will see the individual episodes available. Tap any episode to check out the 30-second preview. See Chapter 10: “Viewing Videos, TV Shows, and More” for more information on watching videos. When you're finished with the preview, tap the Done button.
Figure 20–3. Buying and browsing TV episodes or seasons
When you are ready to buy, you can choose to buy an individual episode or the entire TV series. Many, but not all TV Series, allow you to purchase individual episodes.
For example, maybe you want to get your fix of House and see the pilot episode that you missed. You can do this quickly and easily on your iPad.
NOTE: There is also a Free TV Episode category, where you can get samples and bonus content.
Audiobooks in iTunes
Audiobooks are a great way to enjoy books without having to read them. Some of the narrators are quite entertaining; it is almost like watching a movie. For example, the narrator of the Harry Potter series can do dozens of truly amazing voices. We recommend that you try out an audiobook on your iPad; audiobooks are especially great when you are on an airplane and want to escape from the rest of the passengers, but don't want to have the light on.
TIP: If you're a big audiobook listener, getting an Audible.com subscription can get you the same content at cheaper prices.
If you are an audiobook aficionado, be sure to check out the audiobooks in iTunes.
You can use the top three buttons to browse the audiobooks in iTunes:
- Featured
- Top Charts
- Categories
iTunes U—Great Educational Content
If you like educational content, then check out iTunes U. You will be able to browse whether your university, college, or school has its own section.
For example, we looked up Harvard University (see Figure 20–4). In just a few minutes of browsing, we discovered a campus-wide discussion of Harvard's most renowned faculty in a series called Harvard Thinks Big 2.
Figure 20–4. You can search for a particular university, then browse iTunes U by that university.
If you are in a location with a good wireless signal, you can tap the title of the audio or video item, and then listen to or watch it as a stream. If your signal gets interrupted, however, you will lose your place in the video. There are many advantages to actually downloading the file (if possible) for later viewing, not least of which is that you get more control of the video-watching experience.
Download for Offline Viewing
If you know you are going to be out of wireless coverage for a while, such as on an airplane or in the subway, you will want to download the content for later offline viewing or listening. Tap the Free button to change it to a Download button, and then tap it again. You can then monitor the download progress (some larger videos may take ten minutes or more to complete) by tapping the Downloads button at the bottom right of the screen. When the download is complete, the item will show up in the correct area in your iPad icon.
NOTE: Any file larger than 20MB cannot be downloaded over the 3G network; you must use Wi-Fi for larger files.
Searching iTunes
Sometimes you have a good idea of what you want, but you are unsure where it is located or perhaps you don't feel like browsing or navigating all the menus. The Search tool is for you.
In the top-right corner of the iTunes app, as in virtually every other iPad app, you have a Search window.
Touch Search, and the Search window and the on device keyboard will pop up. Once you start typing, the iPad will begin to try to match your entry with possibilities.
Type in the artist, song name, video name, podcast name, or album you are searching for, and the iPad will display detailed matches. Be as general or as specific as you like. If you are just looking to browse all particular songs by an artist, type the artist's name. If you want a specific song or album, enter the full name of the song or album.
When you locate the song or album name, simply touch it and you will be taken to the purchase page.
Purchasing or Renting Music, Videos, Podcasts, and More
Once you locate a song, video, TV show, or album, you can touch the Buy or (if you see it) Rent button. This will cause your media to start downloading. (If the content is free, then you will see Free button that you tap turn into a Download button.)
We suggest you view or listen to the preview, as well as check out the customer reviews first, unless you are absolutely sure you want to purchase the item.
Previewing Music
Touch either the title of the song or its track number to the left of the song title; the album cover will flip over and launch the Preview window.
You will hear a representative clip of 30 seconds of the song.
Touch the Stop button and the track number will be displayed again.
Check out Customer Reviews
Many items in iTunes offer customer reviews. The reviews range from a low of one star to a high of five stars.
CAUTION: You need to be aware that, while many reviews are clean, some can have explicit language. that may not be caught by the iTunes store right away.
Reading the reviews might give you a fairly good idea of whether you would like to buy the item.
Previewing a Video, TV Show, or Music Video
Pretty much everything on iTunes offers a preview. Sometimes you will see a Preview button, as with music videos and movies. TV shows are a little different; you tap the episode title to see the 30-second preview.
Most movies and TV shows also give you an HD or Standard Def. button. Remember that HD movies and episodes are usually a bit more expensive.
We highly recommend checking out the reviews, as well as trying the preview before purchasing items on iTunes.
Typical movie previews or trailers will be longer than 30 seconds—some are 2 minutes 30 seconds or longer.
Purchasing a Song, Video, or Other Item
Once you are sure you want to purchase a song, video, or other item, follow these steps to buy it:
- Touch the Price button of the song or the Buy button.
- The button will change and turn into a green Buy Now, Buy Song, Buy Single, or Buy Album button.
- Tap the Buy button.
- You will see an animated icon jump into the shopping cart. Type in your iTunes password and touch OK to complete the sale.
You can check the progress of the download by touching the Downloads button in the lower-right corner.
The song will then become part of your music library, and it will be synced with your computer the next time you connect your iPad to iTunes on your computer.
After the download is complete, you will see the new song, audiobook, podcast, or iTunes U podcast inside the correct category within your iPodapp.
NOTE: Purchased videos and iTunes U videos go into the Videos app, not the iPod app on your iPad.
Podcasts in iTunes
Podcasts are usually a series of audio segments; these may be updated frequently (such as hourly news reports from National Public Radio) or not updated at all (such as a recording of a one-time lecture on a particular topic).
You can use the top three buttons to browse the podcasts in iTunes:
- Featured
- Top Charts
- Categories
Downloading a Podcast
Podcasts are available in Video and Audio varieties. When you locate a podcast, just touch the title of the podcast (see Figure 20–5). Luckily, most podcasts are free. If it is free, you will see a Free button instead of the typical Buy button.
Figure 20–5. Downloading a podcast
When you touch the button, it turns into a green button that says Download. Touch Download and an animated icon jumps into your Downloads icon at the bottom bar of soft keys. A small number displayed in red reflects the number of files downloading.
The Downloads Icon—Stopping and Deleting Downloads
As you download items, they appear in your Downloads screen. This behavior is just like the behavior of iTunes on your computer.
You can touch the Downloads icon along the bottom row to see the progress of all your downloads.
Where the Downloads Go
All of your downloads will be visible in either your iPod app or your Videos app, organized by category. In other words, if you download a podcast, you will need to go into your iPod app and touch the Podcasts icon on the sidebar to see the downloaded podcast.
NOTE: If you don't finish a download on your iPad, and you can't find it in the download queue, you can try going to a desktop iTunes app and hitting Check for Available Downloads.
Sometimes, you may decide that you do not want the all downloads you selected. If you want to stop a download and delete it, swipe your finger over the download to bring up the Delete button, and then tap Delete (see Figure 20–6).
Figure 20–6. Deleting a file while downloading it
Redeeming an iTunes Gift Card
One of the cool things about iTunes on your iPad is that, just as with iTunes on your computer, you can redeem a gift card and receive credit in your iTunes account for your purchases.
At the bottom of the iTunes screen, you should see the Redeem button (see Figure 20–7).
Tap the Redeem button to start the process of entering your Gift Card Number for an iTunes store credit.
Figure 20–7. Redeem an iTunes gift card
You will then be prompted to enter your iTunes gift card info or gift certificate info in the box. Once you do this, you will have credit for downloads in the iTunes store—it is that easy!
NOTE: If you have more than one iTunes account, you can log in or out right in the iTunes app, as well.
Ping: Apple's Music Social Networking App
Recently, Apple introduced the Ping service as part of iTunes 10. You can read more about the desktop version in Chapter 30: “Your iTunes User Guide.” Ping is also built into the iTunes app on the iPad.
Ping gives you the opportunity to follow your favorite music artists and view videos, pictures, or content the artist might choose to post. Ping also allows you to follow friends, see what they are listening to, and make comments to their posts.
CAUTION: If your Ping account is public, everyone who follows you will see what you buy. If you also have Twitter set up, it can spam your timeline if you buy a lot of music.
Using Ping on the iPad
Ping is located along the bottom soft keys of the iTunes app. If you set up Ping from your desktop iTunes app (see Chapter 30 for more information), then you will find that it is already set up on your iPad (or any other iOS device you have).
NOTE: If Ping doesn't show up on your iPad after you've enabled it on a desktop version of iTunes, you might need to sync your iPad once before it appears on the iTunes app.
You will notice three soft keys across the top: Activity, People, and My Profile. When Ping launches, it displays the Activity screen, which shows the artists and friends you are following, as well as their recent activity.
Touching the People soft key at the top will show you the people you are following, as well as those who are following you.
Touch the My Profile soft key, and you can also see who you are following and add comments to be seen by those who are following you.
Touch the My Info button at the bottom, and you can see your picture and the music that you like, which you chose when you set up your Ping account in iTunes 10.
Ping is in its infancy now, but it promises to become a more full-featured social networking site devoted exclusively to music in the not-too-distant future.