Software > Mac OS X Packages > iTunes CD Barcode

iTunes CD Barcode

What is this?

iTunes CD Barcode is a small application that allows you to scan the barcode of a CD and have iTunes play the tracks of the CD stored in the iTunes library.

I have all my CDs imported into iTunes, but the CD cases/covers are still around. When guests or I myself want to listen to a CD while browsing the CD cases, they just have to hold the barcode to the scanner and the music starts to play.

Since there is no central Internet database of CD barcodes, so you need to assign the barcodes to your music first before you can use it. The program has a Learn and a Search mode.

Requirements

• Obviously, you need a barcode scanner. I use the USB version of the Kanescan CCD scanner from Kanecal, it costs about US$ 80.-.
• You need to configure your barcode scanner so it sends some extra keystrokes before the actual barcode. This is vendor-dependent and usually done by scanning special programming-barcodes. For the Kanescan scanner, I made a PDF programming sheet with the codes you have to scan: Kanescan_Scanner_Config.pdf
• You need the utility LaunchBar. The application uses this to force a switch to the barcode scanner application. If you can ensure that the application is always frontmost, you could work without LaunchBar, but you'd need to make sure that the barcode scanner config is changed accordingly (see next item).
• You need to teach LaunchBar to assign the shortcut cd to this application because that is what the scanner sends if you configure according to the sheet above.
• You need to configure LaunchBar so that it uses Cmd-Space to activate

Generally speaking, you need to make sure that the input of the barcode scanner gets into the text field of the application somehow. The USB scanners act as if a user types the barcode numbers on the keyboard. Most scanners can be programmed to send a sequence of other keystrokes before the actual code. This setup takes advantage of this and sends some commands to pull the application to the front (with LaunchBar, but other setups would be possible). This way, the scan process works even if the application is in the background.

A lot of this can be changed, but you'll need to understand how to program your barcode scanner accordingly.

Installation

1. Download the application package and install the application into the system Application directory.
2. Make sure LaunchBar rescans the Application folder and knows about the application. An easy way to do this is to restart the machine. Then make sure that cd is assigned to the application.
3. Make sure the application always starts when you login. You can do this with the Login Items control panel in the System Preferences. The application must be running all the time.

Learning

You have to work through your CD collection first and teach the programs all the barcodes. Set the program to Learn mode.

1. For each CD, make sure a track from the CD is playing in iTunes. It does not matter if it's playing from the Library (i.e. the imported material, MP3 or AAC) or directly from CD.
2. Scan the barcode with your scanner. If you did set up the scanner correctly, it will send keystrokes to activate LaunchBar, switch to the the program, enter the barcode and hit return. The program will ask you for confirmation for the barcode-to-album association as shown in the screenshot above.
3. Repeat this procedure for every CD.

Regular (Search) operation

Switch the program to Search mode. Now you should be able to scan barcodes of your CDs. Again, if you set up the scanner correctly, it will activate LaunchBar, switch to the program and enter the barcode there.

The program will look in its association list for the album name and, if found, tell iTunes to create a new playlist called CD-Barcode Playlist with all tracks whose album name matches the one which was found for the barcode for. Then it will instruct iTunes to play that playlist.