Crossfade Your Music in ITunes

You've heard the phrase: "There's an app for that." Yes, yes, there usually is. But sometimes you don't even need a special app; the feature just might already be available in a program you use and are familiar with.

Today I'm sharing the VERY simple steps to add a crossfade to your iTunes playlist. 

"Crossfade" definition: fading one song out while fading another song in. This eliminates any gaps between music. 

In the group fitness world, using a crossfade on your playlists helps keep the energy up and create a seamless class. And a lot of people don't know that they can add a crossfade to any playlist just in iTunes. Keep in mind that this option creates the same crossfade for every transition. You might need to try another program or research apps (I'll try to share more later) that offer more options. But for basic needs, iTunes does the job.

Here's what you do. 

Step 1: Open iTunes

Step 2: Click "iTunes" in your menu bar and select "Preferences"

Step 3: Select "Playback" in the popup box

Step 4: Click the "Crossfade" box

Step 5: Place the cursor where you'd like it on the glider. For a more gradual crossfade, move the cursor towards the 12 second range. 

Step 6: Choose a playlist to test the crossfade. Jump to the end of the song, so you can see how the crossfade sounds. Go back to Step 5 and adjust as necessary. 

That's it! Pretty simple, right? This is great for parties or background music too! In the choreographed group fitness world, you'll want to make sure the crossfade doesn't affect music cues at the beginning and end of songs. 

Did you also know you can change when a song begins and ends? I'll share that next week!