iPod nano (5th generation): Order of songs in Cover Flow may be incorrect when there’s no Album Artist

Symptoms

In Cover Flow, the order of songs may be incorrect when the songs have no Album Artist entry. For example, the songs by Various Artists may not be sorted by their song title when there’s no Album Artist entry.

Products Affected

iPod nano (5th generation)

Resolution

Complete the Album Artist field in iTunes for affected songs.

For Mac OS X:

1. Highlight the song in iTunes.
2. Click on File > Get Info (or Command-I) > Info tab.
3. Enter the artist’s name in the Album Artist field.
4. Click OK.

For Windows:

1. Highlight the song in iTunes.
2. Click on File > Get Info (or Ctrl-I) > Info tab.
3. Enter the artist’s name in the Album Artist field.
4. Click OK.

This document will be updated as more information becomes available.

Related posts:

1. iPhone, iPod touch, iPod classic 160GB (Late 2009), iPod nano (5th generation): Understanding Genius Mixes
2. Feature comparison: iPod nano 4th and 5th generation
3. iTunes: How to set the play order of songs on an MP3 CD
4. iPod classic or iPod nano (3rd generation) randomly resetting or freezing when displaying album artwork
5. Why aren’t songs with the same album art grouped together?