Steve may want us to stop thinking about CDs when we think about music, and while that makes sense, the new iTunes icon isn't to everyone's liking.
Swapping out icons is nothing new. Mac users have been doing it for years. This will be a quick refresher for some of you. For the new Mac users out there, this is a fun way to customize your Mac.
First you find an icon you like. Iconfactory has a great selection of icons. For us we're going to replace the iTunes 10 icon with the icon from iTunes 9. Some of us like the old icon. Call us sentimental.
If you updated to iTunes 10 before saving the iTunes 9 icon, you're in luck. We have a zip file with the icon attached to a folder. Go ahead and download it.
First, we're going to backup our iTunes 10 icon. Just in case we change our minds later.
1. Select the iTunes 10 application in the Applications folder.
2. You'll want to Get Info. You can do that by selecting Command-I or navigating to the Menu Bar File>Get Info.
3. The Info window will pop up. Select the icon at the top on the window and copy it. You can copy with Command-C or Edit>Copy.
4. Create a new folder in the Finder. Call it "iTunes 10 icon backup". Get Info on the folder and paste (Command-P or Edit>Paste) the iTunes 10 icon over the default folder icon. Store that folder somewhere.
5. Select the iTunes 10 app Get Info window. You'll need to change the access privileges in order to change the application's icon. Click on the lock in the lower right hand corner. You'll be prompted for your password.
6. Change the Access for everyone to Read & Write. Remember to change this back to Read only when you're done.
7. Now grab the folder you downloaded earlier with the iTunes 9 icon. Now repeat the copy and paste we described in steps 3 and 4 to change the iTune 10 app icon to the iTunes 9 icon.
8. Change the everyone access back to Read Only. Close the all the Get Info windows.
9. iTunes 10 should be sporting the old-school icon now. To change the icon in the Dock. Shut down iTunes. Remove the icon from the Dock. Relaunch iTunes. The icon should now be the old iTunes icon.
10. To keep the icon in the Dock. Right-click the dock icon, select options, select Keep in Dock.
That's it. Now if only we could figure out a way to bring colors back to the Source bar in iTunes 10.
Follow this article's author, Roberto Baldwin, on Twitter.
Scion of Tytehran
September 08, 2010 at 3:24am
In step 4 you say to Command-P to paste? That will bring up the Print dialog. Command-V is the shortcut for Paste unless I've missed something.
all10s
September 07, 2010 at 7:08am
Can you post a link to download icons from older iTunes? I would like to have the icons from iTunes 1,2,3,4 as well.
idbardin79
September 06, 2010 at 4:45pm
Roberto, if you're lamenting the loss of colors in the iTunes 10 source bar, here's the link for you: step by step instructions for bringing back the colors. I did it and it works: http://www.ismashphone.com/2010/09/how-to-get-color-back-into-itunes-10.html
purplemaizenjm
September 03, 2010 at 2:41pm
it is a shame I can't use it on my computer, it is not compatible.
cpalmer17
September 03, 2010 at 7:11am
Do you have similar instructions for changing the icon on a Windows 7 machine?
matthew12
September 02, 2010 at 7:46pm
someone put information on how to change it back here; only works in small view, he says: http://www.drien.com/projects.php
