Kenwood Managing Playlists with Music Keg: A User Guide

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Section III: Creating and Managing Playlists

This section of the instruction manual serves to introduce the core features of the PhatNoise Music Manager software. To explore all the features of the software, press F1 while the Music Manager is running.

MP3 Files and ID3 Tags

The PhatNoise Music Manager software allows you to organize, play, and create digital music files. These music files come in many different formats, but the most popular is the MP3 format.

MP3s are to your computer as Audio CDs are to your home/car stereo. Put simply, an MP3 is an compressed audio file that can be listened to on the computer. An MP3 file is made of two parts, the audio data and the ID3 tag. The ID3 tag is very important because it enables the PhatNoise Music Manager to organize music files for easy referencing.

The system is analogous to a library book and it’s jacket. A book jacket contains the author's name, the book title, and a short summary. An ID3 tag contains information about the Artist, Song Title, Album Title, Genre, Year, and a Comment. MP3 files possessing an incorrect ID3 tag will be improperly filed (much like a book with the wrong book jacket would be misplaced in a library).

Static vs. Dynamic Playlists

Once you have added a few music files to the computer, you can begin to create playlists. The PhatNoise Music Manager software has the technology to create a dynamic playlist. A dynamic playlist is a playlist that is defined by criteria. A static playlist is defined by a list of files. The difference is that when you create or download a new MP3, a dynamic playlist will be automatically updated if the new file matches the playlist criteria. A static playlist will not be updated automatically because there is no criterion that defines whether or not an MP3 belongs in the playlist.

Let’s return to the ID3 tag/book jacket analogy above. A static playlist is equivalent to a bookshelf of books: the books may be related or have similarities, but when a new book is obtained, the bookshelf does not know if this new book belongs on the bookshelf. A dynamic playlist is equivalent to a bookshelf with a librarian. The librarian understands which books and types of books belong to each bookshelf; thus when a new book is added the librarian will place the

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Kenwood Excelon Music Keg User Manual

Copyright 2001 Kenwood USA Corporation & PhatNoise Inc.

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Contents Page Table of Contents Copyright 2001 Kenwood USA Corporation & PhatNoise Inc Getting Started Four steps to a quick start System Components Software CD-ROM Music Keg Overview DMS Cartridge Overview Copyright 2001 Kenwood USA Corporation & PhatNoise Inc Safety and Handling Precautions Before mounting the Music Keg Section I Installation GuideMounting Clearance Connecting the Music Keg to your head unitWiring a Music Keg to Kenwood Head Units Making the Final Connection Is something wrong? No lights come on at all Section II Setting up at Home Copyright 2001 Kenwood USA Corporation & PhatNoise Inc Copyright 2001 Kenwood USA Corporation & PhatNoise Inc Copyright 2001 Kenwood USA Corporation & PhatNoise Inc Copyright 2001 Kenwood USA Corporation & PhatNoise Inc Copyright 2001 Kenwood USA Corporation & PhatNoise Inc Static vs. Dynamic Playlists Section III Creating and Managing PlaylistsMP3 Files and ID3 Tags Navigating the Program Launching the Music ManagerConverting an Audio CD to MP3, WMA, WAV or OGG Files Copyright 2001 Kenwood USA Corporation & PhatNoise Inc Creating and Managing Playlists Creating a new playlist Type a search query in the Search box Adding songs to a dynamic playlist Copyright 2001 Kenwood USA Corporation & PhatNoise Inc Transferring MP3s and playlists to the DMS cartridge Adding a playlist to an existing disc on the DMS cartridge Adding individual songs to a disc on the DMS cartridge Additional DMS FeaturesSyncing Music Example Playlists Copyright 2001 Kenwood USA Corporation & PhatNoise Inc Navigating the songs in a playlist Setting the audio modeSpecial Notes Navigating the playlists in the Music KegDisplaying information about your music Appendix a Updating the Firmware in your Music Keg Copyright 2001 Kenwood USA Corporation & PhatNoise Inc Copyright 2001 Kenwood USA Corporation & PhatNoise Inc Copyright 2001 Kenwood USA Corporation & PhatNoise Inc Copyright 2001 Kenwood USA Corporation & PhatNoise Inc Copyright 2001 Kenwood USA Corporation & PhatNoise Inc Problem Cause/Solution Appendix B TroubleshootingImportant Safety and Handling Instructions Appendix C Warranty and Liability PolicyDigital Media Storage Cartridge Precautions Installation PrecautionsMusic Keg Player and USB Cradle Precautions Emailinquiry@kenwoodusa.com Appendix D Contacting Kenwood SupportNew Kenwood Music Keg software info Units in column 2 have not yet been shipped Select the Options button at the top of the Music Manager Page Manually upgrading the Music Keg firmware Music KegWarranty