Why is iTMS Multi-Track Crippled?

Why can't I select multiple sample tracks in iTunes Music Store and play them all, one after another? I filed a bug on this a while back and it was immediately closed as a duplicate.

I've been using iTunes Music Store Player to do this in a somewhat clunky fashion. It's not optimal, but it does work.

I just don't understand the thought processes behind this being intentionally broken? Sure I listen to a heck of lot more samples now, increasing Apple's bandwidth costs, but I also buy a heck of a lot more music.

Now I can point at an artist I've never heard of, kick off iTunesMSP, and keep working. Typically I'll hear one or two songs that catch my attention. Diamonds in the rough. Without the ability to do that, I would have given up after the fifth track I didn't like. It's not like I have time to double click each and every sample iTMS offers...

Update: Michael E. Cohen writes with an idea I hadn't thought of:

If you want to hear a bunch of samples, drag them into a playlist. The iTunes Music Store will download the 30-second samples to your computer, where you can play them. When you're done, simply toss the samples away.

Note that the song samples come complete with a "Buy" button, so you can buy the songs that strike your fancy right from the playlist.

Update: John Vink writes:

Hey, I can't get that thing where you drag all the samples to a playlist to work. When I do this, it will play the sample I selected, but when it's done that sample, it doesn't move on to the next. How did you get this working? (did you?)

Serves me right. I posted the Michael's tip without verifying it. Sure enough, it doesn't seem to work under iTunes 4.7.1/Mac. Well, iTunesMSP still works.

Saturday, March 26, 2005
12:00 AM