Here’s what makes the iTunes rating system an untapped resource: a track’s rating is one of the few attributes that can be edited directly in iTunes or on your iPod/iPhone, then synched seamlessly between both. This allows you to categorize songs at home or on the go.

What I like to do is use the 5-star system for purposes other than rating the relative quality of a track. Though my system is no less subjective, it’s become an essential tool to help keep my library organized and make my playlists better. Let me break it down for you star-by-star:

 
5 STARS
 
This rating is reserved for my favorite tracks. I can listen to 5-star classics very frequently and — in general — they will appeal to a broad audience of listeners. There are hundreds of tracks in my library with a 5-star rating.

 
4 STARS
 
4-star tracks are songs I really love, but I gotta be in the right mood. The masses may not know a 4-star track, but often ask. “What is this?” There are hundreds of tracks in my library with a 4-star rating.
 

 
3 STARS
 
The 3-star rating is where my methodology starts getting creative. I give 3-stars to tracks I am really into at this moment in time. All 3-star tracks are included in a permanent “smart” playlist. Tracks rated with 3 stars may be something new, or perhaps a 5- or 4-star classic that I’m digging and have temporarily re-rated for easier access. Songs rarely maintain a 3-star rating for more than a week or two.
 

 
2 STARS
 
2 stars is a bit of a grab bag, but I’ve settled upon a useful purpose. Whenever there’s a track that’s of poor recording quality, mislabeled, or that I’d like to add to one of my manual playlists, I give it a rating of 2 stars. Every so often, I’ll go through my smart playlist of all 2-star tracks and reacquire, relabel, or reassign each track.

 
1 STAR
 
In my rating system, tracks with 1 star hold special significance. These indicate songs that I want to remove from my library. When I synch my iPod to my computer, I can then easily delete them (by sorting on rating) from my iPod, iTunes library, and my local hard drive. Trust me on this one: it’s indispensable for maintaining the quality of your library.

Utilizing ratings in smart playlists can reap vital organizational benefits. Group all 4- and 5-star tracks by genre and you’ve got an evolving “best of” collection. If your iTunes library has more tracks than can fit on your iPhone, keep all your rated tracks on your device at all times and select a random number of unrated tracks (using smart playlists) to keep your overall track selection fresh, but packed with hits.

I hope others will find this rating system useful. I’m pretty sure it could stand some refinement, so let’s hear your ideas for getting the most out of this under-utilized feature.