The Apple Core: The iPod’s missing feature: gapless playback

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Date: Tuesday, November 1st, 2005, 23:00
Category: The Apple Core

gap-teeth.jpgGapless playback is simply the ability to playback several tracks with no pause between them. It’s very useful when listening to certain types of music especially classical, classic rock, jam bands and electronic music. Any album where each track naturally blends into the next is simply ruined by the gap inserted by iTunes and the iPod.
Read the rest of the story on my ZDNet Blog: The Apple Core.


gap-teeth.jpgGapless playback is simply the ability to playback several tracks with no pause between them. It’s very useful when listening to certain types of music especially classical, classic rock, jam bands and electronic music. Any album where each track naturally blends into the next is simply ruined by the gap inserted by iTunes and the iPod.
Read the rest of the story on my ZDNet Blog: The Apple Core.

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  • Ben

    32 MB of memory is surely enough to read tunes effectively for gapless playback. I expect the same would be true for including the crossfade effect on iPods, too.

  • charlesn

    Thanks for posting this, Jason. Since I buy a lot of electronica and mix CDs, the gapless playback issue is a hugely annoying problem for me in using iTunes/iPod. What I can’t figure out is WHY Apple doesn’t address what should be a simple fix. Obviously, iTunes/iPod CAN rip and playback CDs gaplessly, using the method that you described–I do it all the time. But why do I have to lose track names and the ability to scan track to track in the process? It makes no sense. And why do I have to use the “Join Tracks” command at all? Why can’t iTunes just rip the CD exactly as it is?
    By the way: I can’t believe you live with the gap insertion just to preserve track titles and easy scanning. The best part of a mix CD is the mix, and the gaps just destroy that.