Although there are many tools out there that can display iTunes song info in a floating window, I created the floating info box at right on my own, using freely available tools:
- LanOSD -- make sure you have the latest version. LanOSD is an app to show bezels of information in your favorite location on the screen -- and on any computer on the network also running LanOSD, which has a nice side effect if you use my method on a LAN (it'll show on all computers)
- AppleScript -- AppleScript is used to get the title of the current track and sending it to lanosd.
- Cronnix -- Cronnix is used to make the AppleScript run every minute.
First off, install LanOSD and launch it. I'd recommend adding it to your login items as well. Secondly, write a nice script, or use mine:
tell application "System Events" to set doit to (exists process "iTunes")
tell application "iTunes" to set doit to doit and not (minimized of first EQ window)
tell application "iTunes" to set doit to doit and (player state is playing)
if doit then
tell application "iTunes"
set trk_arts to the artist of the current track
set trk_name to the name of the current track
set trk_albm to the album of the current track
end tell
tell application "LanOSD"
message kind "itunes-song" text trk_arts fade delay 65 over 1 quadrant 8 icon "music"
message kind "itunes-song" text trk_name fade delay 65 over 2
message kind "itunes-song" text "From \"" & trk_albm & "\"" fade delay 65 over 3
end tell
end if
The script isn't all that fancy. I wanted to keep it simple. Be free to modify, optimize or bloat it all you want.
Notice the second line in the script? If you grow bored of that bezel and want to get rid of it temporarily, you can just open the equalizer in iTunes, press the small green button to zoom it, and boom, no more bezel. You can even close the equalizer after that, the script will know that the equalizer is zoomed. Save the script in a convenient location as just a script file (that is, a file with the ".scpt" ending). Then, install Cronnix and launch it. Press the "New" button. Check all the check boxes under "Any." Click the "Browse..." button and navigate to the script. A path should appear in the field above. Prepend that path with '/usr/bin/osascript ' (no quotes; note the space at the end). The result should look something like this, but with your own path, of course:
/usr/bin/osascript "/Volumes/OrinKirei/nevyn/Projects/AS/iTunesBezel.scpt"
Click "Apply" and then "Save." The script will execute once a minute. If iTunes is launched, and the equalizer isn't minimized, and iTunes is playing something, the bezel will appear. You're done. If you want that fancy iTunes icon on your bezel, take a screenshot of the iTunes icon in the Finder (set the view to icon), then make it a .PNG file and put it in your ~/Library -> Application Support -> LanOSD -> icons folder.
Please note that because we're using cron, the script is executed once every minute. This means that any changes will lag at most one minute. This includes both song changes and disabling the bezel with the equalizer trick. After applying the eqalizer trick, you can remove the bezel instantly using the "Close all" item from the LanOSD menu item. Enjoy!

