iTunes question

[Daradon]

Hey there,

Easy question that's stumping me a little. I recently tried to put some of my MP3's on a cheapo no name type MP3 player, but found it couldn't read them because I use iTunes and many of them are ripped as MP4a's.

So I read up a little and see there is a way to import them as actual standard MP3's but that does little to help me now.

So my question is, does iTunes have a way to convert these files to MP3 in the program? Or am I going to have to delete the files and re-import them as MP3's?

And if it does not, is there freeware or shareware I can get that does this for me?

Thanks.

[KTrain]

I'm on a Mac so this might not be exactly the same but it should be close.

Go into Preferences. Under Import Settings switch to "Import using MP3 Encoder". Click OK and go back to your library. Now right click on a song (or highlight a bunch) and you should be able to Create MP3 Version.

[sclitheroe]

Keep in mind that re-encoding audio files already stored in a lossy format like MP4 will result in lower quality. You're essentially creating a "rip of a rip", and just like making copies of tapes back in the day, it degrades quality.

So don't get rid of those MP4's right away, if you have devices that will play them (and if you have iTunes, you probably do...) they will sound better than your second generation MP3 files.

[Daradon]

Success! Thanks man! I had the first part, but was going through preferences to find the answer to the second part which was just the right click menu.

Now I just gotta sort my doubles. Any easy way to do that? It didn't put them in a sub directory or even UNDERNEATH the originals. It has em all 1,1,2,2,3,3 etc. Making a highlight job impossible.

In fact, I have another problem now as I look in the actual folder. It has both files or the same name listed as MP3 files now, though one is bigger than the other. Anyway to figure this out without actually having to go through each file?

[Daradon]

Originally Posted by sclitheroe

Keep in mind that re-encoding audio files already stored in a lossy format like MP4 will result in lower quality. You're essentially creating a "rip of a rip", and just like making copies of tapes back in the day, it degrades quality.

So don't get rid of those MP4's right away, if you have devices that will play them (and if you have iTunes, you probably do...) they will sound better than your second generation MP3 files.

Yup good call. I knew that, but good to remember for others reading. I just need to make MP3's for a different player. I'll probably delete them when I'm done the job.

[KTrain]

I'm not sure of an easy way to distinguish between the two files. I probably should have mentioned that you shouldn't do too many files this way.

[flip]

As far as keeping track try doing it this way.

Highlight all the songs you want to convert, right click then convert, when done as long as you don't click anything all of the original files will remain highlighted. Then just hit DEL or right click and delete.

If that doesn't work go to View then View Options, this allows you to adjust the sort columns. Using this you should be able to tell the old files from new by using the Date Added and Date Modified buttons. Also helpful might be the file type column, just look at the file types to delete.

[Daradon]

Originally Posted by KTrain

I'm not sure of an easy way to distinguish between the two files. I probably should have mentioned that you shouldn't do too many files this way.

Heheh, I tried one CD so it's not too bad. I've got an easy way to distinguish them now, but I'm going to have to pick them out to sort them unfortunately. Looking at a long job.

But I'm confused as why they are both MP3 files now and not an MP3 and MP4a file.

The only thing I can think of is maybe I hit the command twice? Gonna tray another cd here.

[Daradon]

Originally Posted by flip

As far as keeping track try doing it this way.

Highlight all the songs you want to convert, right click then convert, when done as long as you don't click anything all of the original files will remain highlighted. Then just hit DEL or right click and delete.

If that doesn't work go to View then View Options, this allows you to adjust the sort columns. Using this you should be able to tell the old files from new by using the Date Added and Date Modified buttons. Also helpful might be the file type column, just look at the file types to delete.

Only problem is I don't want to delete the originals. I just wanna move the new ones. (And probably delete them when I am done with them.) But the thinking is on the right track, now just need to reverse it somehow.

[flip]

nm

[Daradon]

Ahhh, figured it out. It's all good now.

Thanks to everyone for their help! Will still have to sort but it shouldn't be too bad.

[Barnes]

There's a find duplicates function in iTunes in one of the menus.

[Titan]

Originally Posted by Barnes

There's a find duplicates function in iTunes in one of the menus.

But when you find duplicates can you erase all that are found? I think it finds the duplicate and the original and then you have to control select every other file to delete them. Does that sound right?

[starseed]

Whenever I restore my music files to my computer and re-install iTunes, I always have duplicates of each song (only one works, however). Hopefully this function in the menu will work for me...

[awildermode]

Originally Posted by Titan

But when you find duplicates can you erase all that are found? I think it finds the duplicate and the original and then you have to control select every other file to delete them. Does that sound right?

yes, you have to control select the ones you want to delete.

also, it finds "duplicates" based on song title. if you have more than one song of the same exact name, both will pop up as a duplicate.

for example, if you have a lot of soundtracks...the song "End Credits" will pop up for each soundtrack.

[flambers]

Another question, for what ever reason itunes loses high amount of data (music) and sorted play lists. This happened twice now. Is there a bug that causes this? Is there a fix?

Music is still on the computer but Itunes does not see it.

[awildermode]

Originally Posted by flambers

Another question, for what ever reason itunes loses high amount of data (music) and sorted play lists. This happened twice now. Is there a bug that causes this? Is there a fix?

Music is still on the computer but Itunes does not see it.

in your iTunes is there a (!) next to the track? this means song is either deleted or movie to another location, in which case you will have to 'find' that song.

Make sure that all your tracks are in the same place. it should be in a default folder that iTunes has created (unless you create one yourself, like on an external hard drive).

right click song>get info>summary tab, under Where, should look like this (for PC):

C:\Documents and Settings\USERNAME\My Documents\iTunes Music\ARTIST\ALBUM\TRACK.mp3

hope that helps

[Titan]

Not sure it is related or not but be careful because the default on itunes is to copy the music to its own folder. This doubles the space needed. You can just deselect this option. Don't know where that is but poke around and it is easy enough to find.

[Bill Bumface]

If you're looking to kill duplicates iDupe works great. Way more sophisticated at finding them than iTunes and also automatically highlights them all for deletion.

[ShaolinFlame]

Itunes has a huge selection of columns, all of which can be sorted.

You could have just activated the 'Filetype' column, sorted in, and boom; all your m4as in a row, then all of your mp3s in a row. If your last sort was artist, then that should still be intact as well (past the filetype sorting).

I love itunes for it's accessibility, sortability, and good indexing. But it is god awful when it comes to destroying my system resources.