ipod questions

[CaliGuy]

I just bought an ipod today and I must say I am VERY impressed with this thing.

Anyway, my question is: what the hell does itunes do when it's "converting" the music and how the hell does it get complete album info and genre info from on my random MP3s??

I know these are probably lame questions, but I'm new to the ipod....

[Mikey6p]

Its converting them from mp3 to AAC format. Everything on the Ipod is in AAC. Most mp3 files will have the album info and such already embedded in the file, even if its not in the title.

[wing_gundam]

Yeah it does that ^^ but it also keeps both copies on your computer. Thats good or bad..

It gets your info because its linked to the net and matches it to the name of the file (or if it has a signature). I used to get the same thing in WMP (win media player not winamp) even for bootleg cds!

[Yodums]

All the album name, track number, artist, etc. are generally included in your MP3 files. If you use the iTunes application and play an MP3, you'll notice they'll have information (when possible) under each heading - artist, track number, etc.

[Cr8tive_leo]

Itunes gives you the option of converting all your music to aac or keeping your music in the native format. (all music on the ipod is not in aac format)

When transfering music to your Ipod it will keep in MP3 format, unless you specify it to transcode it into the acc format. (when it transfers it to the ipod it renames your tune, cnverts album art and other info to seperate info files links them to your music file on your ipod in a ariety of folders)

Itunes does a search (again you can change this) for the song on the internet to fill in missing information, it uses the imbedded tag informaton within the mp3 file (or as much as it can) and gies you the album image, title, artist, etc. etc.etc.

Converting to aac is a good thing , you can usually squeeze a few extra songs onto yoru ipod without too much of a quality loss.

If you do choose to convert, make sure you create two playlists, one for mp3s, and th eother aac, eep your acc files seperate from your mp3s (itunes default for ac is within the the itunes directory (if I remember correctly)

You can access your saved music on your ipod and see what format it's in if you want, and the directory structure is bizzare , as is the naming convention. You won't see your tune name.mp3 or .aac.

Hook up your ipod , exit itunes, open your ipod though 'my computer' , make sure you have 'show hidden folders and files' selected in your folders options.
Now you can navigate your ipod and see what is stored where and how the ipod files everything, and how it names all your files and sticks them into hundreds of little folders with names like ff gg gh th yy as we wq etc, weird, *grins*

Hope it helps, Cr8tive.

Ipods kick ass!

[Cookstar]

I've started taking my iPod to work with me to play in the Operating Room during surgery. Most of the surgeons like to have music playing while they are operating. It makes my day go by faster when I'm enjoying some good tunes.

[Cr8tive_leo]

So you're the one who amputaed my left big toe, instead of the right one that had gangerine.

[Cookstar]

Originally Posted by Cr8tive_leo

So you're the one who amputaed my left big toe, instead of the right one that had gangerine.

[Civic4u]

Not every mp3 player could read information of every mp3 musics or songs. Bestly some foreign musics and bootleg musics....

[[IVI]]

Originally Posted by Cr8tive_leo

Itunes gives you the option of converting all your music to acc or keeping your music in the native format. (all music on the ipod is not in acc format)

When transfering music to your Ipod it will keep in MP3 format, unless you specify it to transcode it into the acc format. (when it transfers it to the ipod it renames your tune, cnverts album art and other info to seperate info files links them to your music file on your ipod in a ariety of folders)

Itunes does a search (again you can change this) for the song on the internet to fill in missing information, it uses the imbedded tag informaton within the mp3 file (or as much as it can) and gies you the album image, title, artist, etc. etc.etc.

Converting to acc is a good thing , you can usually squeeze a few extra songs onto yoru ipod without too much of a quality loss.

If you do choose to convert, make sure you create two playlists, one for mp3s, and th eother acc, eep your acc files seperate from your mp3s (itunes default for ac is within the the itunes directory (if I remember correctly)

You can access your saved music on your ipod and see what format it's in if you want, and the directory structure is bizzare , as is the naming convention. You won't see your tune name.mp3 or .acc.

Hook up your ipod , exit itunes, open your ipod though 'my computer' , make sure you have 'show hidden folders and files' selected in your folders options.
Now you can navigate your ipod and see what is stored where and how the ipod files everything, and how it names all your files and sticks them into hundreds of little folders with names like ff gg gh th yy as we wq etc, weird, *grins*

Hope it helps, Cr8tive.

Ipods kick ass!

That was a nice write up, but it's AAC, not acc.

Just trying to avoid confusing the noobie iPod user.


BTW, if you have other iPod related questions, you might want to visit the forums at www.ilounge.com. I've learned so much about my 30GB Fifth Gen iPod there.

[Cr8tive_leo]

D'oh, see, I just woke up... acc - air canada centre... la la la... fixed it

[CaliGuy]

Thanks a lot guys! People here kick ass...as usual!

+Rep for everyone!

You must spread some Reputation around before giving it to wing_gundam again. and [IVI], Cookstar, Wing Gundam

ONe more question: I have a Desktop and laptop. I have about 30 cd's ripped into the laptop. Last night I had itunes covert all the cd's on my laptop, which took all night. I already had a library from my desktop on the ipod. I go to sync with the ipod this moring and it said I can either erase the existing library and put in the new one (laptop one), but can't have both. I obviously want both. What is the best course of action here? Transfer all my ripped cd's to the desktop and create a new library? or is there an easier way??? Thanks all!!

I'll check this thread tommorow as I'm going out of town right now and won't have any internetz access...

[wing_gundam]

Originally Posted by [IVI]

That was a nice write up, but it's AAC, not acc.

Just trying to avoid confusing the noobie iPod user.


BTW, if you have other iPod related questions, you might want to visit the forums at www.ilounge.com. I've learned so much about my 30GB Fifth Gen iPod there.

Lol! Just couldn't resist dropping the shoe eh?




Actually you can chose the setting on the ipod to "udate" automatically, or upload manually. I would chose to manually upload. In terms of switching, I believe when that menu comes up you just click no. You might be able to right click on the ipod and change it too. I just genearlly chose the manual settings these days so as not to lose songs I don't want on itunes/my computer.

In terms of getting them from one computer to the other, turn the ipod into drive mode (there are some instructions like blinking your left eye while taking off your right boot and saying "there's no place like home 3x" on Apple's site or at ilounge (that's actually a great site that I guess I didn't think about). Drive mode lets you use the ipod as both a disc drive (accessible from my computer) and musically from itunes. However, songs you add to the pod that way can't be played (i dont think) so just transfer it, then go to the pod thru my comp and delete them on the ipod after.

ilounge also had a free trial version of a program called anapod or copypod that allowed you to upload and download from the ipod. However, drive mode works great too, and itunes really is, the better program as a music database.

[Cr8tive_leo]

Originally Posted by CaliGuy

Thanks a lot guys! ... Transfer all my ripped cd's to the desktop and create a new library? or is there an easier way??? Thanks all!!

I'll check this thread tommorow as I'm going out of town right now and won't have any internetz access...

Share the music directory on your network.My wife has her laptop music, and I hae mine on my laptop, the xbox has it's music dir and the 360 has it's , they are all on the network (wireless and hardwired) shared directory, and Itunes reads them all and we can dump what we want on our ipods. That's the easiest way to do it.

When I bought my wife her Ipod, she wanted her tunes, then soem of mine, she tried the same thing, this was the solution that worked. *grins*

~Cr8tive

[dentrecords]

Originally Posted by Cr8tive_leo

Share the music directory on your network.My wife has her laptop music, and I hae mine on my laptop, the xbox has it's music dir and the 360 has it's , they are all on the network (wireless and hardwired) shared directory, and Itunes reads them all and we can dump what we want on our ipods. That's the easiest way to do it.

When I bought my wife her Ipod, she wanted her tunes, then soem of mine, she tried the same thing, this was the solution that worked. *grins*

~Cr8tive

A share is definitely the way to go on this. Nothing simplifies file management more than using a master copy.

[[IVI]]

Originally Posted by wing_gundam

Lol! Just couldn't resist dropping the shoe eh?

OK, so I'm a little proud of my BRAND NEW 5.5 GEN 30 GB VIDEO IN BLACK!!!

Originally Posted by wing_gundam

ilounge also had a free trial version of a program called anapod or copypod that allowed you to upload and download from the ipod. However, drive mode works great too, and itunes really is, the better program as a music database.

I'd stay away from anapod. Way to many troubles for a new iPod user (or an experienced one for that matter).

[ethlar]

I dont know if using the itunes share will let you move music, in previous versions i tried copying music and it let me copy links but not the actual music itself.

just use the ipod in manual mode for music and enable disk access so that you can use it as a external drive when you need the extra space too. In manual mode you can go to each computer that has music you want and copy just the stuff you want onto the ipod.

I used to use AAC and apple lossless till i realized that i was using a lot more space than necessary and the ipod despite all of its apple hotness is slightly lacking in sound quality, my iRiver T30 has better sound quality than the ipod.

[wing_gundam]

Originally Posted by ethlar

my iRiver T30 has better sound quality than the ipod.

Oh you did not just say that! lol jk

And yeah, the share music library option does not let you add those songs to your ipod, just play on your comp, and only if both are on...

[Cr8tive_leo]

Share , as in go to the folders properties (the folder containing the music you wish to use *that you own the cd for* on each machine that is on your network), files sharing, on, browse through itunes to the network shared drive, and voila, you can add these files to your playlist and transfer them to your ipod without any problems.



~Cr8tive

[Bootsie]

Originally Posted by [IVI]

That was a nice write up, but it's AAC, not acc.

Just trying to avoid confusing the noobie iPod user.


BTW, if you have other iPod related questions, you might want to visit the forums at www.ilounge.com. I've learned so much about my 30GB Fifth Gen iPod there.

iLounge is great!