Can I add the currently playing song to my iPod On-The-Go-List?

January 17, 2005 7:54 AM

iPodFilter: Why can't you easily add the currently playing song to the On-The-Go list? From the Now Playing screen it should be possible to add the currently playing song directly to the On-The-Go playlist. It seems that I can only add songs to the On-The-Go list by surfing out to the songname in the current playlist and then holding Select on the songname to add it to the list. I would like to put my iPod on song shuffle and add songs as they randomly play. Impossible? [MI]

Minor disclaimer: I have a 3G iPod. This inability might've been addressed in the 4G models. Also, I'm quite sure the answer here will be a chorus of "No" -- but this seems like such a handy feature that the lack of it stuns me. If it can't be done, has anyone found a way to use the rating system to accomplish a similar on-the-fly playlist?

posted by grabbingsand to Technology (5 answers total)

Well, the concept is basically that you add a song to the on-the-go list rather than listening to it right that instant. So the playlist functions work on the song browsing list and not on the currently playing track. It's kind of the whole point and raison d'etre of the on-the-go playlist--it helps you pick what to listen to *next*.

If you bring it up on Apple's Discussion Forums maybe there'll be a groundswell of user support and Apple will add something like this in a future firmware update.

You could, as you suggested, make a smart playlist in iTunes that resides on your iPod that includes all, say, songs rated with one star. Then you could change a song's rating to one star on the fly and build a playlist that way.
posted by bcwinters at 8:23 AM on January 17, 2005

On the 4G, you just press and hold the center button to add a song to the On-the-Go playlist. I do not know if that is the case with yours.
posted by dame at 8:25 AM on January 17, 2005

I think (but cannot seem to find confirmation) that the 3G and 4G models use exactly the same software -- only the hardware interface is different. So anything you can do with a 4G, you should be able to do with a 3G.
posted by jjg at 9:07 AM on January 17, 2005

Dame: From the "Now Playing" screen?

I just tried it on a 3G and a 4G, and it didn't work on either from the Now Playing screen; you have to Menu back to the track list and do it from there. It would be a handy feature; hopefully they'll add it. Until then, bcwinters' suggestion seems to be a good workaround.
posted by boomchicka at 10:10 AM on January 17, 2005

Is there a way to diable the On-the-Go feature? I don't use it and I just end up creating a bunch of playlists by accident.
posted by falconred at 11:28 AM on January 17, 2005