Q: I have a question regarding sorting files in my iPod. In iTunes, I can sort all files by clicking the column header to by that field. How can I do this in my iPod? I sometimes would like to sort alphabetically ascending or descending?
– Jason
A: While the iPod can sort via any field in an ascending sense (via the built-in “Music” sub-menus), you really can’t get descending sorts at all. For specially-sorted listings of “Songs,” you could do the following:
- Create a Smart Playlist with “Size” “is greater than” “0 MB”. This will always include your entire library, no matter what you change.
- Sort it how you’d like. For example, simply sort by Songs, Alphabetically Ascending. Name this playlist “Songs: ABC”.
- Then, create a second smart playlist equivalent to the first, only sort it in a descending manner and name it “Songs: ZYX”
Since playlist sorting is maintained upon synchronization to the iPod, this method will work fine. You’re welcome to try additional playlists that sort by Artist or Album as well, but remember that the iPod’s playlist browsing interface will only show you the track title, making such a browse difficult. Here, you’re probably out of luck.
