How to Crossfade Songs in iTunes

Remove those silent gaps between songs

By
Mark Harris
Mark Harris
Writer
  • University of Wolverhampton
Mark Harris is a former writer for Lifewire who wrote about the digital music scene and streaming music services in an easy to understand, no-nonsense manner.
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Updated on October 30, 2021
Reviewed by
Jerrick Leger
Jerrick Leger headshot
Reviewed by Jerrick Leger
Jerrick Leger is a CompTIA-certified IT Specialist with more than 10 years' experience in technical support and IT fields. He is also a systems administrator for an IT firm in Texas serving small businesses.
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What to Know

  • To enable crossfading, open iTunes and select iTunes from the menu bar, select Preferences, and then select Playback from the menu.
  • Select the Crossfade Songs check box, then move the slider bar to adjust the crossfade duration (default is six seconds). Select OK.
  • With crossfading, as the first track fades out and the next one fades in, listeners enjoy a smooth, gapless transition between songs.

This article explains how to use a little-known iTunes feature called crossfading, which is the perfect solution for anyone who's ever been annoyed by gaps between songs.

How to Set Up Crossfading

Follow these steps to set up crossfading.

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  1. Open iTunes and select iTunes from the menu bar.

  2. Select Preferences.

    If you're on a Windows device this option will be found under the Edit menu.

    Screenshot of iTunes Preferences menu item in the iTunes menu

  3. Select the Playback icon from the top menu bar.

  4. Select the Crossfade Songs check box. Now move the slider bar to adjust the duration of the crossfade between songs. The default length is six seconds.

    Screenshot of Playback preferences window in iTunes for Mac, highlighting Crossfade Songs checkbox and OK button

  5. When finished, select OK to exit the preferences menu.

What Is Crossfading?

Crossfading refers to the overlapping of the end of one track with the beginning of the next one. As the first track fades out and the next one fades in, listeners enjoy a smooth, gapless transition between songs. If you like listening to continuous, nonstop music—maybe during exercise or intense concentration—then crossfading is a good way to keep you in the zone. It only takes a few seconds to configure.

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