Status Display

When iTunes is playing a song selection from a CD, from the iTunes Library, or from a playlist, the Status display (at the top of the iTunes window) shows three lines of information: music identification, music track time, and an audio track bar.

The music identification (the top line) in the Status display automatically scrolls through song name, album name, and artist name. Click on the top line to manually cycle through these three bits of song information.

The time duration of a song is shown in the middle line. Click on it to toggle between "Remaining Time," "Total Time," and "Elapsed Time."

The audio track bar on the bottom line indicates the current location of playback in relation to the entire song. To move to any point in a song, drag the playhead (the small black diamond) left or right. Or just click anywhere along the length of the audio track bar to position the playhead.

When iTunes is playing the Radio Tuner, the Status display is similar.

Click the top line to manually toggle between the URL (Internet address) of the radio station and its station name or call letters. The middle line shows the Elapsed Time of the audio stream. The bottom line is a blank audio track bar. You can't drag ahead or back in Radio streaming files.

No matter what you're listening to, you can turn the Status display into a mini graphic equalizer: Click the small triangle button on the left side of the window. This feature doesn't offer control of any kind, but it's fun. Click the button again to return to the normal display of status information.

iTunes also includes a controllable equalizer; see pages 118-119

The SnapBack button

The curved arrow on the right side of the Status display is a SnapBack button.The SnapBack button returns you to the song that's currently playing. For example, you play a song from a CD, then you switch to the Library, and then to the iTunes Music Store, and then to a shared playlist. You may not remember where the song that's playing is coming from, but when you click the SnapBack button, iTunes instantly shows the CD's contents and highlights the song that's playing.