SkiniTunes: A Mini Player for iTunes with Skins, Hotkeys, and Lyrics Importer
(Windows only)
If there is a music player I use daily, whether I’m typing up an extensive article at work, or at home fraggin’ the newbies in Counterstrike, the music player of choice would be iTunes. I love it for its clean interface, flashy cover designs, and easy navigation. The program is so easy that my eight year old nephew syncs his iPod without any help from the grown-ups. With all these features readily available, I asked myself – what other features do I need that could enhance already advanced software? Enter the realm of SkiniTunes.
SkiniTunes is a low system resource plug-in that was developed to make your life with iTunes a lot more enjoyable and more efficient. If you’re a current iTunes user, you’ve dealt with the same problem that millions of other iTunes users face: a boring interface. With SkiniTunes, you no longer have to worry as you’re now in complete control of how it looks.
After installing the program, you can choose from two different players:
MiniPlayer:
The MiniPlayer can be placed anywhere on your screen, and houses your track information, the standard player controls, and album art. In front of the album art is a star rating system which you can click and rate songs on the fly.
SkiniPlayer:
Still running your mom’s 15” CRT monitor? Gosh I hope not! But if you are, or if you just want the most monitor space you can possibly get, you will fall in love with the SkiniPlayer. Height-wise, SkiniPlayer is shorter than your window bar but large enough to show your basic music controls and track information.
Skinning iTunes:
Once you select the type of player, you’re a few clicks away from changing the look. Getting excited? You should be as this has never been done before in the world of iTunes!
Downloading and installing skins are easy. First, go to the Skin site, download a skin you like, click run (no need to save it), and it should install automatically.*
*Upon installation of the plug-in, the .skini file type has been associated to open automatically with SkiniTunes.
Switching back to previous or other skins is simple. Right click on either player, click Settings > Skins > then choose a skin from the list.
The amount of skins at SkiniTunes website is plenty to find a design that suites your current mood. But for you picky users out there, you can become a developer and design one for yourself and share it with others to enjoy!
Automatic Lyrics Importer:
Another neat feature is the Automatic Lyrics Importer. Right click your player then choose Track Lyrics, and SkiniTunes will automatically download and display the correct lyrics in a pretty slick interface. From there you can: view the lyrics file, copy the lyrics to the clipboard, show track information, or perform an Internet search about the current song.
Windows Live Messenger icon:
Another awesome feature is the integration of the current song’s album art into your Live Messenger profile icon. You can totally show off your music to your MSN buddies with this feature when Messenger’s Show Song Information in Profile is enabled.
To display show song information on Messenger, go to Options, Personal and click Show song information from Windows Media Player as personal message.
Global Hotkeys:
Another feature worth mentioning is Global Hotkeys. Hotkeys are a great way to maximize your efficiency by controlling your music without having to reach for the mouse. Whether if I’m in the zone at work or in a middle of my intense Bejeweled internet game, I really found this feature very useful with keeping my focus on track.
To enable Hotkeys, go to Settings, choose the Hotkeys icon on the left side, and click Enable Global Hotkeys. You can accept the default hotkeys or configure it to your liking. If you have a multimedia keyboard, make sure to enable it from here, too.
Conclusion:
Having a miniplayer is great. Having a skinnable miniplayer is even better. Partnering these features with great usability makes the SkiniPlayer magnificent! It solved my problem of wanting a different look without having to go to a less advanced music player. The Lyrics Importer is great for users who love to sing along with their music. With the correct lyrics shown, you no longer have to fumble for the right words or make up pieces of the song with your own! If you’re looking to be more efficient and have more fun with your iTunes experience, downloading SkiniTunes now is a MUST.
Visit http://www.skinitunes.com to download the latest version.
