Keyboard shortcuts
You can use your keyboard to quickly accomplish many tasks in iTunes. To find the shortcuts for common commands, look in the menus (or see the list at the bottom of this page). Many items in iTunes (for example, songs and column headings) also have contextual menus. To see a contextual menu, Control-click or right-click the item.
To turn on full keyboard navigation, choose Edit > Preferences, click General, and select “Enable full keyboard navigation.”
Some screen readers override keyboard combinations built into iTunes; check the screen reader documentation for instructions on customizing key combinations.
To do an action, press the shortcut keys indicated below.
Action Shortcut
Playback shortcuts
Play the selected song immediately
Enter
Move forward or backward within a song
Control-Alt-Arrow
Listen to the next or previous album in a list
Alt-Right Arrow or Left Arrow (or Alt-click the Skip Forward or Skip Backward controls in the upper-left corner of the iTunes window)
Go to the next or previous song in a list
Left Arrow or Right Arrow (or click the Skip Forward or Skip Backward controls in the upper-left corner of the iTunes window)
Library and playlist shortcuts
Select or deselect all the songs in a list
Control-click the checkbox next to a song
Create a playlist from a selection of songs
Shift-click the Add (+) button (Or drag the songs to the white area of the source pane)
Create a new Smart Playlist
Shift-click the Add (+) button
Reshuffle the current playlist
Alt-click the Shuffle button
Refresh the Radio or iTunes DJ list (when selected, below Library)
F5
iTunes Store shortcuts
Go to the next page in the iTunes Store
Control-Right bracket ( ] )
Go to the previous page in the iTunes Store
Control-Left bracket ( [ )
Check for new podcast episodes (when Podcasts is selected, below Library)
F5
Initiate a search in the iTunes Store (from anywhere in iTunes)
Type in Search field and press Shift-Return.
Open the Store menu
Alt-S
File and window shortcuts
Expand or collapse all the triangles in the Radio's Stream list
Control-click a triangle
Shrink the iTunes window to show only the playback controls
Control-M
In the Get Info window, see the info for the next or previous song in the list
Alt-N or Alt-P
Select the search field
Control-Alt-F
See more options when a visual effect is showing
Press ?, then press the indicated key to use an option (not all visual effects support this)
Choose artwork for the selected video
While the video is playing, press the Control key, click the movie, and then choose Set Poster Frame
iPod shortcuts
Prevent iPod from automatically updating when you connect it to your computer
Shift-Control as you connect the iPod to your computer (hold the keys down until the iPod appears in the iTunes window)
iPhone shortcuts
Prevent iPhone from automatically updating when you connect it to your computer
Shift-Control as you connect the iPhone to your computer (hold the keys down until the iPod appears in the iTunes window)
Spoken word shortcuts
Go to the next or last chapter (if available)
Control-Shift-Right Arrow or Left Arrow
File menu shortcuts
Create a new playlist
Control-N
Create a new folder
Shift-Control-N
Add a file to your music library
Control-O
Close the iTunes window
Control-W
Import a song, playlist, or library file
Shift-Control-O
Open the song or CD Info window for the selected song or CD
Control-I
Show where a song file is located
Control-R
Show the currently playing song in the list
Control-L
Edit menu shortcuts
Open iTunes preferences
Control-comma
Undo your last typing change while still in edit mode
Control-Z
Cut the selected song's information or artwork
Control-X
Copy the selected song's information or artwork
Control-C
Paste the selected song's information or artwork
Control-V
Select all the songs in the list
Control-A
Deselect all the songs in the list
Shift-Control-A
Controls menu shortcuts
Stop or start playing the selected song
Space Bar
When a song is playing, play the next song in a list
Right Arrow
When a song is playing, play the previous song in a list
Left Arrow
Increase the volume
Control-Up Arrow
Decrease the volume
Control-Down Arrow
Mute the sound (song keeps playing)
Control-Alt-Down Arrow
Eject a CD
Control-E
Window menu shortcuts
Eject a CD
Control-E
View menu shortcuts
Hide or show the Browser (Artist and Album columns)
Control-B
Hide or show song artwork
Control-G
Turn the visualizer on or off
Control-T
Switch between visual effects taking up the entire screen or appearing in the iTunes window (when visualizer is on)
Control-F
Open the View Options window for the selected source
Control-J
Advanced menu shortcuts
Stream audio file at a specific URL to iTunes
Control-U
Help menu shortcuts
Open iTunes Help
Control-?
General shortcuts
Open iTunes in "safe mode" (without external plug-ins)
Control-Shift (while opening iTunes)
Edit the name of the currently selected item
F2
Refresh source list
F5
Interrupt the current process (burning a CD, syncing, converting a file, and so on)
Control-Break
With full keyboard navigation enabled
Tab
Select the next control
Click the currently selected control
Enter
Open or close the selected item's disclosure triangle
Left Arrow or Right Arrow, or + and - on the numeric keybad