Come on the amazing journey / And learn all you should know.
(Peter Townshend, The Who, Tommy).

The following tips and techniques were culled from various books I wrote, including iPod and iTunes For Dummies and iLife For Dummies — and learned while working as a producer and musician. I also developed Tony's Tips for iPhone Users Manual as an app in the App Store.

-- Tony Bove

Tips on Using iPod and iPhone Models

Learn all about synchronizing with iTunes, taking pictures with the Camera app, enabling an iPod as a hard drive, creating playlists directly on your iPod or iPhone, using utilities to copy stuff, maintaining the life of your battery, and more.

Tips on Using iTunes

Learn about navigating and browsing your iTunes library, shopping at the iTunes Store, managing multiple iTunes libraries, removing gaps between audio tracks, and more.

Tips on Importing and Managing Media Content

Learn the details of importing records, tapes, photos and videos into iTunes, organizing photos, transferring large media files to others, converting DVDs and videos for your iPad, iPod, iPhone, or Apple TV, and more.

Tips on Managing Contacts and Calendars

Find out how to use iCal and Address Book on a Mac to set up appointments, custom calendars, and contacts, and how to use Microsoft Outlook on Windows for appointments and contacts, before syncing them to your iPad, iPod, or iPhone.

iPod and iTunes For Dummies Bonus Chapters

Whether or not you purchased my book iPod and iTunes For Dummies, you can still take advantage of these bonus chapters in PDFs (portable document files), which contain advanced tips on topics such as consolidating your iTunes library, choosing audio encoding formats and quality settings for importing music, and preparing photo libraries, videos, address books, and calendars for your iPad, iPod, or iPhone.

• Bonus Chapter 1: Earlier iPod and iPhone Models and Connections
  • Comparing earlier iPod classic, iPod touch, and iPhone models
  • Comparing earlier iPod nano and iPod shuffle models
  • Using USB and FireWire connections

• Bonus Chapter 2: Managing Your Content
  • Minimizing audio quality trade-offs when using import encoders
  • Understanding how MP3, AAC, and Lossless encoders use compression
  • Choosing the appropriate encoder and changing import settings
  • Converting songs to a different encoding format in iTunes
  • Organizing photos on your computer
  • Renting movies from the iTunes Store and managing your iTunes Store account
  • Exporting and converting video files for the iPad, iPod, and iPhone

• Bonus Chapter 3: Advanced iTunes Techniques
  • Playing streaming radio stations
  • Adding Audible audio books
  • Assigning iTunes equalizer presets to songs and using them on your iPad, iPod, or iPhone
  • Modifying content in iTunes, including setting start and end points
  • Consolidating and managing multiple iTunes libraries on separate hard drives ** Printing song and album information
  • Sharing iTunes content in a network

• Bonus Chapter 4: Advanced iPad, iPod, and iPhone Techniques
  • Connecting your iPad, iPod, or iPhone to a home stereo or television
  • Using home accessories
  • Recording your voice with an iPad, iPod, or iPhone
  • Playing "click-wheel" games on an iPod classic or fifth-generation iPod nano
  • Playing your iPad, iPod, or iPhone through iTunes on any computer
  • Enabling your iPod classic, iPod nano, or iPod shuffle to work as a hard drive
  • Copying notes, text files, and news feeds to an iPod classic

• Bonus Chapter 5: Ten Web Sources for More Information
  • Finding iPad, iPod, and iPhone products and accessories
  • Purchasing music and audio books online
  • Finding podcasts online
  • Getting support, tips, and troubleshooting information

MusicMatch Jukebox for Older iPods

This is a PDF (portable document file) of Bonus Chapter 3 from the 5th Edition of my book, iPod and iTunes for Dummies. This bonus chapter explains everything you need to know about using MusicMatch Jukebox on Windows to organize playlists and synchronize early-model iPods (third- and fourth-generation).

Kick Out the Jams-GarageBand Overview

GarageBand turns your Mac into a portable recording studio with built-in instruments, special effects, thousands of pre-recorded loops, and the wisdom of at least one or two recording engineers. You can use royalty-free loops in your songs, play the synthesized instruments supplied with GarageBand (and add more from extra instrument packs), and even plug in a real guitar and use GarageBand's built-in amplifier simulators. You can also use its vocal features to quickly assemble podcasts.

Changing Windows Media Player Settings To Use Other Players

Learn how to disassociate media file types from Windows Media Player (WMP), thereby liberating them to be used with other players. WMP automatically takes over all media on your PC, installs Microsoft's rights management, and spies on your music and video folders. It looks for new things to stuff into its library without your knowledge — unless you intervene by changing its options during the setup process or right after installing it. Here's how.

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Support for Tony's Tips for iPhone Users

Register first, and then leave support questions and comments about Tony's Tips for iPhone Users (available for $2.99 from the App Store). I respond to questions and comments on a regular basis — check here for your answers.