MacThemes Forum / How to add new iTunes genre cover images

ludwigschubert · Sep 9, 2008 7:59 pm

Love it or hate it, iTunes 8 brought you "Genre Covers".
I'll give you a quick outline how easy it is to make your own or customize existing ones.

Your cover should be 256x256 pixels and saved as a .jpg.

Right-Click on iTunes and select "Show Package Contents".
Navigate to Contents>Resources.
Here you'll find the Apple-provided Genre Covers. Drag your own cover here and give it a descriptive name like "genre-hymn.jpg".
Now open genres.plist. When you have the developer tools installed the file will open in the .plist editor, but Text Edit will do, too.
The end of the file will look like this:

Code:

</dict>
    </array>
</dict>
</plist>

After that first </dict> you'll want to insert your own genre:

Code:

<dict>
            <key>matchString</key>
            <string>hymn</string>
            <key>resourceFile</key>
            <string>genre-hymn.jpg</string>
        </dict>

Now when you restart iTunes your songs which have their genre set to "Hymn" show up with your custom cover. (matchString is case-insensitive, it seems)

Have fun creating artwork for your favourite genre Apple forgot,
ludwigschubert

PS: I haven't actually created a Hymn-genre artwork myself, so if someone wants to do a cheesy patriotic cover with a flying flag on it, feel free to do so, and make sure to let me know about it

Last edited by ludwigschubert (Sep 9, 2008 8:02 pm)

Pandemoniun87 · Sep 9, 2008 8:13 pm

ohh!! thanks i will try this

Last edited by Pandemoniun87 (Sep 9, 2008 8:13 pm)

polycat33 · Sep 9, 2008 9:45 pm

That's cool, I should have read this before I went and reassigned all of my music genres to ones that have included artwork, haha. But I was thinking it was probably possible to do this and thought it could create a whole new icon type request: "can someone make me a 'Punk' genre cover image?" and the like... or maybe icon designers might start making genre cover packages, ooh...

kiwidesign · Sep 10, 2008 3:39 am

thanks mate, when I'll have time to reorder my library I'll surely add some custom genres

Jonas · Sep 10, 2008 5:24 am

Custom Genres = fun!

http://dznr.org/mm18

iAndrew · Sep 10, 2008 5:42 am

Jonas wrote:
Custom Genres = fun!

http://dznr.org/mm18

Jonas, could you give me Metal? it's beautiful

kiwidesign · Sep 10, 2008 6:33 am

haven't yet installed v8, wich ones in Jonas screenshot are modded?
I can recognize the Funk artwork from this guy' portfolio

Super J · Sep 10, 2008 7:12 am

Jonas wrote:
Custom Genres = fun!

http://dznr.org/mm18

Interesting avatar / custom text...

NOW RELEASE THOSE CUSTOM GENRES COVERS!

iAndrew · Sep 10, 2008 7:15 am

Disco, pop Rock and Metal i think

toffeenut · Sep 10, 2008 7:23 am

Jonas wrote:
Custom Genres = fun!

http://dznr.org/mm18

All but 1 have genres. Fix my iTunes library!

iAndrew · Sep 10, 2008 7:25 am

me too...is there an app?

msfletch04 · Sep 10, 2008 7:49 am

Any plan of release of these Jonas?

Tobbz · Sep 10, 2008 7:58 am

Thanks alot for the tip.

I just re-genre'd my lib. and added custom cover images.. Sweet!

Last edited by Tobbz (Sep 10, 2008 7:59 am)

darrinsden · Sep 10, 2008 10:29 am

is there a script or program that will go through your library and update/replace any info from the itunes store?

my genres are all over the place

thanks
D

toffeenut · Sep 10, 2008 10:32 am

darrinsden wrote:
is there a script or program that will go through your library and update/replace any info from the itunes store?

my genres are all over the place

thanks
D

Because I Jonas, I ran MPFreaker (to fix just the genres, don't let it touch artwork-ever!). Not the best solution because it doesn't get all correct (I still tweaked a number after), but it's okay enough.

darrinsden · Sep 10, 2008 10:44 am

thanks! will give that a try.. my album artwork is set, and I would never let a program touch that

iAndrew · Sep 10, 2008 10:49 am

thanks 4 sw

dylan · Sep 10, 2008 11:52 am

MPFreaker is just what I was looking for today! Thanks toffeenut!

Lokheed · Sep 10, 2008 5:31 pm

Totally cool... Made two covers so far:

Last edited by Lokheed (Mar 10, 2010 12:42 pm)

Keir · Sep 10, 2008 6:23 pm

Hi,

A couple of requests if possible

(MUSIC) Soul
(MUSIC) Seasonal and/or Holiday
(MOVIE) Trailers
(MOVIE) Crime
(MOVIE) Clips / Video Clips

Thanks!

nyckid · Sep 10, 2008 6:37 pm

awesome guys! maybe we should dedicate this thread for genre art! can we make some requests here as well?

Jonas, very nice custom icons you got for some of your genres, care to share?

I would like to request the following genres

Progressive Trance, Asian, Italo Disco, New Wave, Eurodance, Freestyle, Break Beats, 80's, Easy Listening

carterartist · Sep 10, 2008 7:42 pm

I wrote up a blog on this yesterday. http://id8tion.com/cmykthoughts/2008/09 … o-can-you/

caseypearson · Sep 10, 2008 9:02 pm

I'm also interested in Jona's great work! Anyway to share a few of those??? Thanks!!

grimmet · Sep 11, 2008 2:43 am

edit on copyright-note

sadly...

Last edited by grimmet (Sep 11, 2008 4:07 am)

Mucx · Sep 11, 2008 3:30 am

Be careful what you distribute...some of these comes from some illustrators portfolios I have browsed in the past so...you know, permission and respect as always.

Anyway, can someone give me a link to the MP3Freaker app page or download?...I have done a search for it but my Google skills clearly arent up to much. There goes my dream of working for the CIA

Edit: I found it!...awsome, now I can go work with Jack and do that whole save the world in 24 hours thing: http://www.lairware.com/mpfreaker/

Last edited by Mucx (Sep 11, 2008 3:34 am)

#1 Sep 9, 2008 7:59 pm

How to add new iTunes genre cover images

Code:

Code:

#2 Sep 9, 2008 8:13 pm

Re: How to add new iTunes genre cover images

#3 Sep 9, 2008 9:45 pm

Re: How to add new iTunes genre cover images

#4 Sep 10, 2008 3:39 am

Re: How to add new iTunes genre cover images

#5 Sep 10, 2008 5:24 am

Re: How to add new iTunes genre cover images

#6 Sep 10, 2008 5:42 am

Re: How to add new iTunes genre cover images

Jonas wrote:

#7 Sep 10, 2008 6:33 am

Re: How to add new iTunes genre cover images

#8 Sep 10, 2008 7:12 am

Re: How to add new iTunes genre cover images

Jonas wrote:

#9 Sep 10, 2008 7:15 am

Re: How to add new iTunes genre cover images

#10 Sep 10, 2008 7:23 am

Re: How to add new iTunes genre cover images

Jonas wrote:

#11 Sep 10, 2008 7:25 am

Re: How to add new iTunes genre cover images

#12 Sep 10, 2008 7:49 am

Re: How to add new iTunes genre cover images

#13 Sep 10, 2008 7:58 am

Re: How to add new iTunes genre cover images

#14 Sep 10, 2008 10:29 am

Re: How to add new iTunes genre cover images

#15 Sep 10, 2008 10:32 am

Re: How to add new iTunes genre cover images

darrinsden wrote:

#16 Sep 10, 2008 10:44 am

Re: How to add new iTunes genre cover images

#17 Sep 10, 2008 10:49 am

Re: How to add new iTunes genre cover images

#18 Sep 10, 2008 11:52 am

Re: How to add new iTunes genre cover images

#19 Sep 10, 2008 5:31 pm

Re: How to add new iTunes genre cover images

#20 Sep 10, 2008 6:23 pm

Re: How to add new iTunes genre cover images

#21 Sep 10, 2008 6:37 pm

Re: How to add new iTunes genre cover images

#22 Sep 10, 2008 7:42 pm

Re: How to add new iTunes genre cover images

#23 Sep 10, 2008 9:02 pm

Re: How to add new iTunes genre cover images

#24 Sep 11, 2008 2:43 am

Re: How to add new iTunes genre cover images

#25 Sep 11, 2008 3:30 am

Re: How to add new iTunes genre cover images

Board footer