Is it possible to launch and use Itunes with the command line on windows?
Solution 1:
While iTunes might not be controlled directly from within the Windows command line directly, using either VBScripts or PowerShell scripts it might get tamed though.
The following list of PowerShell code was compiled from the above mentioned links to also showcase how playlists can be selected and songs rated.
# Inspired by
# - https://gist.github.com/rkumar/503162
# - http://samsoft.org.uk/iTunes/scripts.asp
# Search for iTunes COM object
Get-CimInstance Win32_COMSetting | Select-Object ProgId, Caption | Where-Object Caption -ILike "*itunes*"
# Initializing itunes
$itunes = New-Object -ComObject iTunes.Application
# list methods and properties
$itunes | Get-Member
$itunes.CurrentPlaylist | Get-Member
$itunes.LibraryPlaylist | Get-Member
$itunes.CurrentTrack | Get-Member
# commands
$itunes.Play()
$itunes.NextTrack()
$itunes.PreviousTrack()
$itunes.PlayPause()
$itunes.Resume()
$itunes.Stop()
# changing properties
$itunes.SoundVolume = 50 # sound volume to 50%
$itunes.Mute = 0 # mute
$itunes.Mute = 1 # unmute
$itunes.CurrentPlaylist.Shuffle = 0 # shuffle off
$itunes.CurrentPlaylist.Shuffle = 1 # shuffle on
$itunes.CurrentPlaylist.SongRepeat = 0 # repeat none
$itunes.CurrentPlaylist.SongRepeat = 1 # repeat one
$itunes.CurrentPlaylist.SongRepeat = 2 # repeat all
$itunes.CurrentTrack.Rating = 80 # 100 = 5 stars, 80 = 4 stars, 60 = 3 stars, 40 = 2 stars, 20 = 1 star
$itunes.CurrentTrack.AlbumRating = 80
# Retrieve values
$itunes.CurrentPlaylist.Name
$itunes.CurrentPlaylist.Index
# List available playlists
$itunes.Sources.Item(1).Playlists
# Select playlist and start playing
$playlists = $itunes.Sources.Item(1).Playlists
$selPlaylist = $playlists.ItemByName("Name of your playlist")
If ($selPlaylist -ne $null) { $selPlaylist.Reveal(); $selPlaylist.PlayFirstTrack() }
These options allow to bind certain functions to macros to control iTunes i.e. from within VoiceAttack or mouse/keyboard macros.
How to just add song to library? Or even sync iphone?
In PowerShell if you'd enter the following commands
Get-CimInstance Win32_COMSetting | Select-Object ProgId, Caption | Where-Object Caption -ILike "*itunes*"
$itunes = New-Object -ComObject iTunes.Application
$itunes | Get-Member
you should see an output similar to this:
TypeName: System.__ComObject#{9dd6680b-3edc-40db-a771-e6fe4832e34a}
Name MemberType Definition
---- ---------- ----------
Authorize Method void Authorize (int, Variant, string)
BackTrack Method void BackTrack ()
CheckVersion Method bool CheckVersion (int, int)
ConvertFile Method IITOperationStatus ConvertFile (string)
ConvertFile2 Method IITConvertOperationStatus ConvertFile2 (string)
ConvertFiles Method IITOperationStatus ConvertFiles (Variant)
ConvertFiles2 Method IITConvertOperationStatus ConvertFiles2 (Variant)
ConvertTrack Method IITOperationStatus ConvertTrack (Variant)
ConvertTrack2 Method IITConvertOperationStatus ConvertTrack2 (Variant)
ConvertTracks Method IITOperationStatus ConvertTracks (Variant)
ConvertTracks2 Method IITConvertOperationStatus ConvertTracks2 (Variant)
CreateEQPreset Method IITEQPreset CreateEQPreset (string)
CreateFolder Method IITPlaylist CreateFolder (string)
CreateFolderInSource Method IITPlaylist CreateFolderInSource (string, Variant)
CreatePlaylist Method IITPlaylist CreatePlaylist (string)
CreatePlaylistInSource Method IITPlaylist CreatePlaylistInSource (string, Variant)
FastForward Method void FastForward ()
GetITObjectByID Method IITObject GetITObjectByID (int, int, int, int)
GetITObjectPersistentIDs Method void GetITObjectPersistentIDs (Variant, int, int)
GetPlayerButtonsState Method void GetPlayerButtonsState (bool, ITPlayButtonState, bool)
GotoMusicStoreHomePage Method void GotoMusicStoreHomePage ()
NextTrack Method void NextTrack ()
OpenURL Method void OpenURL (string)
Pause Method void Pause ()
Play Method void Play ()
PlayerButtonClicked Method void PlayerButtonClicked (ITPlayerButton, int)
PlayFile Method void PlayFile (string)
PlayPause Method void PlayPause ()
PreviousTrack Method void PreviousTrack ()
Quit Method void Quit ()
Resume Method void Resume ()
Rewind Method void Rewind ()
SetOptions Method void SetOptions (int)
Stop Method void Stop ()
SubscribeToPodcast Method void SubscribeToPodcast (string)
UpdateIPod Method void UpdateIPod ()
UpdatePodcastFeeds Method void UpdatePodcastFeeds ()
CanSetShuffle ParameterizedProperty bool CanSetShuffle (Variant) {get}
CanSetSongRepeat ParameterizedProperty bool CanSetSongRepeat (Variant) {get}
ITObjectPersistentIDHigh ParameterizedProperty int ITObjectPersistentIDHigh (Variant) {get}
ITObjectPersistentIDLow ParameterizedProperty int ITObjectPersistentIDLow (Variant) {get}
AppCommandMessageProcessingEnabled Property bool AppCommandMessageProcessingEnabled () {get} {set}
BrowserWindow Property IITBrowserWindow BrowserWindow () {get}
ConvertOperationStatus Property IITConvertOperationStatus ConvertOperationStatus () {get}
CurrentEncoder Property IITEncoder CurrentEncoder () {get} {set}
CurrentEQPreset Property IITEQPreset CurrentEQPreset () {get} {set}
CurrentPlaylist Property IITPlaylist CurrentPlaylist () {get}
CurrentStreamTitle Property string CurrentStreamTitle () {get}
CurrentStreamURL Property string CurrentStreamURL () {get}
CurrentTrack Property IITTrack CurrentTrack () {get}
CurrentVisual Property IITVisual CurrentVisual () {get} {set}
Encoders Property IITEncoderCollection Encoders () {get}
EQEnabled Property bool EQEnabled () {get} {set}
EQPresets Property IITEQPresetCollection EQPresets () {get}
EQWindow Property IITWindow EQWindow () {get}
ForceToForegroundOnDialog Property bool ForceToForegroundOnDialog () {get} {set}
FullScreenVisuals Property bool FullScreenVisuals () {get} {set}
LibraryPlaylist Property IITLibraryPlaylist LibraryPlaylist () {get}
LibrarySource Property IITSource LibrarySource () {get}
LibraryXMLPath Property string LibraryXMLPath () {get}
Mute Property bool Mute () {get} {set}
PlayerPosition Property int PlayerPosition () {get} {set}
PlayerPositionMS Property int PlayerPositionMS () {get} {set}
PlayerState Property ITPlayerState PlayerState () {get}
SelectedTracks Property IITTrackCollection SelectedTracks () {get}
SoundVolume Property int SoundVolume () {get} {set}
SoundVolumeControlEnabled Property bool SoundVolumeControlEnabled () {get}
Sources Property IITSourceCollection Sources () {get}
Version Property string Version () {get}
Visuals Property IITVisualCollection Visuals () {get}
VisualsEnabled Property bool VisualsEnabled () {get} {set}
VisualSize Property ITVisualSize VisualSize () {get} {set}
Windows Property IITWindowCollection Windows () {get}
Here, you could i.e. retrieve the current playlist like this:
$itunes.CurrentPlaylist()
Name : Lukas Graham
Index : 25
sourceID : 71
playlistID : 13135
trackID : 0
TrackDatabaseID : 0
Kind : 2
Source : System.__ComObject
Duration : 7050
Shuffle : True
Size : 253446516
SongRepeat : 0
Time : 1:57:30
Visible : True
Tracks : System.__ComObject
Shared : False
Smart : False
SpecialKind : 0
Parent :
You can further check what members this object supports on appending | Get-Member:
$itunes.CurrentPlaylist() | Get-Member
TypeName: System.__ComObject#{0a504ded-a0b5-465a-8a94-50e20d7df692}
Name MemberType Definition
---- ---------- ----------
AddFile Method IITOperationStatus AddFile (string)
AddFiles Method IITOperationStatus AddFiles (Variant)
AddTrack Method IITTrack AddTrack (Variant)
AddURL Method IITURLTrack AddURL (string)
CreateFolder Method IITPlaylist CreateFolder (string)
CreatePlaylist Method IITPlaylist CreatePlaylist (string)
Delete Method void Delete ()
GetITObjectIDs Method void GetITObjectIDs (int, int, int, int)
PlayFirstTrack Method void PlayFirstTrack ()
Print Method void Print (bool, ITPlaylistPrintKind, string)
Reveal Method void Reveal ()
Search Method IITTrackCollection Search (string, ITPlaylistSearchField)
Duration Property int Duration () {get}
Index Property int Index () {get}
Kind Property ITPlaylistKind Kind () {get}
Name Property string Name () {get} {set}
Parent Property IITUserPlaylist Parent () {get} {set}
playlistID Property int playlistID () {get}
Shared Property bool Shared () {get} {set}
Shuffle Property bool Shuffle () {get} {set}
Size Property double Size () {get}
Smart Property bool Smart () {get}
SongRepeat Property ITPlaylistRepeatMode SongRepeat () {get} {set}
Source Property IITSource Source () {get}
sourceID Property int sourceID () {get}
SpecialKind Property ITUserPlaylistSpecialKind SpecialKind () {get}
Time Property string Time () {get}
TrackDatabaseID Property int TrackDatabaseID () {get}
trackID Property int trackID () {get}
Tracks Property IITTrackCollection Tracks () {get}
Visible Property bool Visible () {get}
So adding a file to the playlist can be achived by simply invoking the AddFile(string) operation on the CurrentPlaylist() oject, i.e. like this:
$itunes.CurrentPlaylist().AddFile("D:\Music\iTunes\iTunes Media\Music\Jason Mraz\Mr. A–Z\03 Geek in the pink.mp3")
InProgress Tracks
---------- ------
False System.__ComObject
In regards to synchronization, I haven't used my IPod in a while so haven't used synchronization this way myself yet. I've now dig up my IPod and checked the API really quickly for it and have found my IPod this way:
$itunes.Sources.Item(4)
Name : Roman's IPod Shuffle
Index : 4
sourceID : 14036
playlistID : 0
trackID : 0
TrackDatabaseID : 0
Kind : 2
Capacity : 2017361920
FreeSpace : 1128808448
Playlists : System.__ComObject
SoftwareVersion : 1.0.1
A lookup of the respective members lists the following methods and properties for my IPod Shuffle:
$itunes.Sources.Item(4) | Get-Member
TypeName: System.__ComObject#{cf4d8ace-1720-4fb9-b0ae-9877249e89b0}
Name MemberType Definition
---- ---------- ----------
EjectIPod Method void EjectIPod ()
GetITObjectIDs Method void GetITObjectIDs (int, int, int, int)
UpdateIPod Method void UpdateIPod ()
Capacity Property double Capacity () {get}
FreeSpace Property double FreeSpace () {get}
Index Property int Index () {get}
Kind Property ITSourceKind Kind () {get}
Name Property string Name () {get} {set}
playlistID Property int playlistID () {get}
Playlists Property IITPlaylistCollection Playlists () {get}
SoftwareVersion Property string SoftwareVersion () {get}
sourceID Property int sourceID () {get}
TrackDatabaseID Property int TrackDatabaseID () {get}
trackID Property int trackID () {get}
The UpdateIPod() method here might be what you are looking for, though I haven't tested is yet.