iPod On–The–Go playlist

February 17, 2005 / Filed under: Technology, Music

I’m really liking the "On–The–Go" playlist feature on iPods.

With this feature you can create custom playlists (songs or albums you choose), simply by selecting the song or album you’d like to add – all from your iPod interface.

You can change or delete the playlist at any time.

How and where?

On your iPod, navigate to Playlists > On–The–Go. If you don’t already have songs within, there will be an instructional message, telling you how to add songs or albums to the playlist, from your iPod.

It’s pretty simple. When you have a song or album selected, just press and hold the center circle button, on the iPod. When you see the song or album blink, that means it has been added to your "On–The–Go" playlist.

Notice I said "song or album." If you select just a single song, just that song will be added. However, if you select an album, that entire album will be added.

iTunes playlists vs. "On–The–Go" playlist

Obviously, within iTunes, you can create custom playlists, smart playlists, or just listen to the pre–made playlists that Apple includes with the software (such as Purchased Music, Top Rated, and Top 25 Most Played).

The difference between the "On–The–Go" playlist, and the playlists you create within iTunes, is that the "On–The–Go" playlist is the only playlist you can manipulate from your iPod interface.

And, in reality, the bulk of your playlists are better managed from iTunes, anyway. The "On–The–Go" playlist is just a quick and easy way to add selected songs – while you are "on the go."

Queue up songs

The best part about the "On–The–Go" playlist is that you can "queue up" songs, as you are listening to your iPod.

So... instead of listening to an entire song, and THEN finding the next song to listen to – you can keep adding songs to your "On–The–Go" playlist, while the current song is playing.

What I try to do as I am leaving work each day, is take a minute to select about 10 to 15 songs to listen to on the ride home. I quickly add them to my "On–The–Go" playlist, and I’m set.

If I want to add more songs, I can easily do it from the car, as I am listening to the music.

Comments/Mentions

# Kevin D at 6/21/2006 12:51 pm cst

I listen to my IPOD at the gym, usually on "shuffle" mode.

I find that a lot of times I’ll a song that I think would be great on a certain type of compilation (playlist).

What I’d like to do is be able to save a song that I’m listening to, while I’m listening to it (without having to go back in the menu to select it.

Is this possible with the ’on-the-go’?

# Matthom at 6/21/2006 2:10 pm cst

Kevin, I believe you have to hit "Menu" once, to go back to the "list of songs," and then press and hold the middle button on whatever song you want to save in your on-the-go playlist.

I don’t think you can do it from the main screen of a song playing.. if that makes sense.

# Ronald at 11/10/2006 7:15 pm cst

I want to know if there is a way that i can shuffle the songs of an specific playlist, because i really like to listen song by the way i fell or by diferent gendres, i i woudnt like to shuffle all the songs in the ipod.

Is there a way i can do that?

# Matthom at 11/11/2006 4:18 am cst

Ronald, I'm not sure of a way to shuffle only a specific playlist, on the iPod. I'm aware only of the shuffle feature on the main iPod menu, which shuffles all songs. If anyone knows a better way, please share.

# Velloni at 12/4/2006 1:30 pm cst

Hi Ronald,

If you want to shuffle the songs from a specific playlist, just go to the playlist and play whatever song in it. Make sure you enabled shuffle songs. To do this, go to settings/shuffle and put it on songs

et voila... hope this helps

# Tony at 6/25/2007 12:57 pm cst

Can a song be saved to an already saved on the go playlist?

# Jim at 9/8/2007 11:06 pm cst

This is the killer fault of the ipod.

The very FIRST thing I want to do is queue up songs, but it is so difficult to do that almost all ipod users have no idea how to do it.

now where exactly did apple get this reputation for great user interfaces??????

# ThangD at 10/16/2008 8:30 am cst

I do not agree with you totally on the easy part. If you have used Sansa for example, íts more logic the way they program the software or say the way we browse around. I have an iPod Touch and still strucgle to find the way to add the song I'm listening to the same on-the-go list. I know how to add it but everytime I add, it create a new on-the-goX (X is an increament number), and I cannot add that song to the on-the-go list I built before. Suck! (sorry for the language).

I will be very happy if anyone found the way.

Thanks ThangD

# florin at 10/24/2008 7:33 am cst

Hi, I hope you reply to this feedback. I have an ipod shuffle, and what I want to do is to put few playlists on my ipod, and to select just one of them at a time. is like I have 150 songs in 3 playlists. (50 songs on each playlist). and i wanna listen just 50, or just on playlist. Is there a way so i can do that?