iTuner 1.2.3769 Beta 3c

* Automated library maintenance and optimization
o Remove "dead tracks" - tracks in library without corresponding data files
o Remove duplicates - multi-level intelligent processing to identify and archive duplicate tracks
o Remove empty directories - delete empty hard-drive directories left over by iTunes' organize
o Automatically import media files not yet in iTunes Library - now available in Beta 3!
* Synchronize one or more playlists directly to a selected USB MP3 player
* Easy playlist export
o Export an album, an iTunes playlist, or all tracks by an artist with just a couple of clicks
o Convert the iTunes tracks to any supported music format, AAC, AIFF, M4A, MP3, or WAV
o Copy these tracks to any location, disk, USB, along with a playlist index file such as M3U, PLS, WPL, and ZPL
* Global hot key control of iTunes playback with customizations
* Automatic lyric discovery using multiple online providers
* Quick access to view lyrics of current track
* System Tray icon showing the current player state: play or pause
* Notify popup showing current track information, title, artist, album
* Detailed track information with quick link to storage folder on disk
* Indication of source location, standard music library, movies, TV shows, podcasts, radio
* Basic playback controls including, next/prev track, play/pause, volume, position, rating, and shuffle
* Basic track information editor to customize title, artist, and album

I welcome feature suggestions and promise to address defects in a timely manner.

Why?
While iTunes is a very intuitive and feature-rich application, as a developer I normally have many windows open at the same time and screen real-estate is at a premium. Bringing iTunes to the foreground is often intrusive and overly cumbersome for clicking a single button or reading a quick track title. Running in Mini Player mode or minimizing iTunes to the Windows taskbar as a small toolbar are both great and provide handy playback controls. But neither is perfect. After using iTunes for a little while, I started realizing what I really wanted... iTuner is small, light-weight, intuitive, and its automated features make it more powerful than any iTunes add-on available.

Some Future Possibilities

* Download and display album artwork in track change popup
* Startup with iTunes, as an iTunes plug-in
* Scheduled iPod/iPhone synchronization
* Integration with Windows Messenger to show current song
* Import playlist file to create new iTunes playlist