Installing and Using iTunes Watcher

Please note: iTunes Watcher is no longer supported or updated. I will not respond to support requests. Use at your own risk.

1. The first thing you need to do is download the iTunes Watcher package. The package contains all the scripts needed for your Mac and server. The minimum requirements for iTunes Watcher are:

• Mac OS X 10.2 or higher.
• iTunes 4 or higher.
• MySQL and PHP on your server.

2. After you download the package, you will need to edit a configuration file. Open the configuration.php file in /itunes/inc/ in a text editor, and edit it with the appropriate information. Directions are included in the file. Please note: in order for album art to be added in your song listings, you will need an Amazon.com Web API Token.

3. iTunes Watcher uses an AppleScript that stays running in the background to communicate with iTunes and the server. Since each persons setup is different and to ensure security, you need to edit the AppleScript and save it as an application. Instructions are included in the script. Click “Save as…”, and a dialog box will appear.

Don’t forget the icon! To make iTunes Watcher more appealing, Jon Hicks has designed an icon to use exclusively with iTunes Watcher. When you’re done compiling the AppleScript, just copy and paste the icon from the folder provided to the AppleScript!

4. Finally, you need to upload all the files in the /music/ folder to your server and run the installer. At this time, it would be a good idea to re-check the configuration files (see step 2). To run the installer, point your browser to the _installer.php file, and follow the instructions. If the installer returns errors (in red), re-check the configuration files, and re-upload them. For security purposes, you should delete the installer when you are done.

Now that you are all setup, you are now ready to use iTunes Watcher. It is recommended that you place the iTunes Watcher AppleScript next to iTunes in your dock. To monitor the activity of iTunes and post the songs you play to your web site, just launch the compiled AppleScript, and it’ll do the rest for you. To stop monitoring iTunes, just quit the AppleScript. It is recommended that you quit the AppleScript before iTunes since the script will automatically launch iTunes again if left open.

Enjoy!