Hi Christina,
On Sep 11, 2009, Christina wrote:
>
> Is there a way in itunes to here podcasts faster? I've searched and
> have not found a way to speed them up.
iTunes doesn't support playing podcasts at different speeds, but
QuickTime Player, which iTunes uses through its own interface, does
let your speed up or slow down playback. It's not used directly
because it doesn't support playing DRM files, which was required by
all the music retailers before iTunes was originally allowed to sell
music tracks and audiobooks through the iTunes Store.
Since it's most convenient to access podcasts from iTunes, and also to
use the iTunes feature of keeping track of the last played position
(which QuickTime by itself doesn't support), I use an AppleScript to
switch from playing a podcast in iTunes to playing the same podcast in
QuickTime, but at a faster speed and starting where the podcast was
playing in iTunes. A second AppleScript switches play back to iTunes
at regular speed and transfers the last playback position from
QuickTime to the iTunes data base. That way, if I sync my podcast to
an iPod, or if I start listening to it again in iTunes, the track
resumes at the correct location.
If you followed the discussion with Donna about using an AppleScript
(one that would start playing any iTunes track from the start point
you specify in a dialog window) for her ring tone creation, you'll
know that AppleScripts behave like regular menu items for apps when
they are added to a Scripts folder for that application. In iTunes,
you'll need to create a Scripts folder under the Library/iTunes folder
for your account the first time you use AppleScripts in iTunes.
In Finder, press Command-Shift-G ("Go to Folder") and paste the
following location into the dialog window:
~/Library/iTunes
press return, and you should be in your account's Library/iTunes
folder. Use Command-Shift-N to create a new folder, and name it
"Scripts" (with a capital "S").
You're going to have to open your Script Editor, paste in the two
AppleScripts I'll append, and then save them to the ~/Library/iTunes/
Scripts folder. Since I don't know how the structure of Snow Leopard
has changed, open up the Script Editor by typing the application name,
"Script Editor", into SpotLight and pressing return.
Then, copy each AppleScript (Command-C) and paste it into a Script
Editor window (Command-V). Interact with the toolbar of the Script
Editor (VO-Shift Down Arrow) and VO-Right arrow to the "Compile"
button. Press the "Compile" button with VO-Space and, if you don't
get any dialog window error messages, you can save the AppleScript to
the Scripts folder. You can open a new Script window with Command-N,
and switch between windows with Command-(grave) accent where "`" is
the key below the escape key and above the tab key at the left side of
an English input keyboard. Use Command-Shift-S to "save as", and in
the dialog window use Command-Shift-G to set the folder to:
~/Library/iTunes/Scripts
(This can be pasted in). Then you can type in the name of the script
file; you don't have to use the same names I used.
Here is the first AppleScript, which I saved as "Play this song at
1.5x":
(* Play this song at 1.5x
Source: http://www.macosxhints.com/article.php?story=20060103000452805
Jan 6, '06 Mac OS X Hints by merlyn
*)
tell application "iTunes"
pause
set my_track to location of current track
set my_seconds to player position
end tell
tell application "QuickTime Player"
open my_track
set my_movie to first document
set ts to time scale of my_movie
set current time of my_movie to my_seconds * ts
set rate of my_movie to 1.33 -- starts playing
end tell
Here is the second AppleScript, which I saved as "Play this song at
1.0x in iTunes again"
(* Resume normal speed in iTunes after using
Play this song at 1.5x
*)
tell application "iTunes"
set my_track to location of current track
end tell
tell application "QuickTime Player"
set my_movie to first document
set ts to time scale of my_movie
set my_seconds to (current time of my_movie) / ts
close my_movie
end tell
tell application "iTunes"
set player position to my_seconds
play
end tell
After saving each script, you can close the Script Editor windows
(Command-W) and quit the application (Command-Q). Also, I changed the
rate from 1.5 to 1.33, because some voices don't speed up well. You
can set this value to anything you choose.
To use the scripts, select your podcast or other track in iTunes and
start playing by pressing return. Then navigate to the AppleScripts
menu on the iTunes menu bar. It will be the silent spot to the left
of the Help menu and to the right of the Window menu (unless this has
changed in Snow Leopard). VO-M, then arrow left twice to the
AppleScript menu and arrow down to "Play this song at 1.5x". Your
track will start playing in QuickTime at the faster speed, although
your focus will still be in iTunes. (You can check this using Command-
Tab to switch among active applications; QuickTime will now be
playing). When you want to stop listening, navigate back to the
AppleScript menu and select "Play this song at 1.0x in iTunes again"
and you will hear the track playing at normal speed in iTunes. When
you pause or stop the track, your last played position will be
recorded by iTunes.
HTH
Cheers,
Esther
--~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~
You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups
"MacVisionaries" group.
To post to this group, send email to [email protected]
To unsubscribe from this group, send email to
[email protected]
For more options, visit this group at
http://groups.google.com/group/macvisionaries?hl=en
-~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---
