iPod Importing Cd's and naming the tracks

CDDB

If you have a web connection, iTunes should automatically connect to CDDB (CD Database) and retrieve the album name and track names for a CD you've inserted. If it's not doing so, you may need to modify a preferences setting to allow it to do so.

Are you online when you are importing CDs? iTunes should just go off and download the appropriate track/album info. If not, you can highlight the songs and under the Advanced menu item, tell it to get the CD track names. It will get any that you've imported into iTunes.

If you want to edit them yourself, just click and hold the mouse button on the name of the track (or where the name should start). It will automatically change to an input bar so you can enter info.

If it's a whole album that you want to enter, highlight the tracks and click on Get Info under the File Menu, that will allow you to enter the same artist/album info for all the songs you've highlighted.

If it's glitching and not contacting the database automatically ( Never heard of that, but), you can get track names manually by going to 'Advanced>Get Track Names' before you rip the disk.

skeet said:

when i go to advanced and get track names manually, it says that it is not available for these tracks? I know this is a burned mixed cd, but these are not obscure titles... when i change the name manually do i just hold the mouse pointer over the name or do i hold down a click on the name to get it to change to an input bar?

Click to expand...

The CDDB works by looking at your CD and comparing its number of tracks and the individual track times to it's dBase of CD's. If you are inserting a mixtape, er, mixcd and expecting iTunes to name the tracks, you will be disappointed, I think.

skeet said:

When importing a cd does iTunes automatically convert the music to an mp3 format? Or do I have to do this manually in the advanced menu (ie convert to AAC?)

Click to expand...

I think that the default setting is to convert to AAC, but I can't remember off hand. You can change it to any number of other options easily, under the Advanced tab.

In your preferences- you set what kind of file you import songs as (AAC, Mp3, etc) , and what file quality.

The 'convert to AAC' feature is for ripped tracks already in your library.

skeet said:

when i go to advanced and get track names manually, it says that it is not available for these tracks? I know this is a burned mixed cd, but these are not obscure titles... when i change the name manually do i just hold the mouse pointer over the name or do i hold down a click on the name to get it to change to an input bar?

Click to expand...

It won't get the titles for a mixed CD.

The way I imperfectly understand it is: Gracenote CDDB works by taking the length of the whole album, the number & lengths of tracks and the 'spaces' between to give you a match. It gets this from the TOC (Table Of Contents) of the CD. Make your own CD and it won't find a match... occasionally when accessing CDDB about a CD you do get a couple of options of disks when the TOCs are identical.

Select a name and key 'Apple-I' to view and edit the info on a track or album.

skeet said:

I am putting in a mixed CD. That is it.

Click to expand...

Happy to help.
Funny, I have some fairly obscure musical tastes, and have ripped well over 300 CD's, but I have yet to come across a CD that the CDDB does not already contain. It is quite impressive.

decksnap said:

In your preferences- you set what kind of file you import songs as (AAC, Mp3, etc) , and what file quality.

The 'convert to AAC' feature is for ripped tracks already in your library.

Click to expand...

File conversion options are whatever you have currently set in your Preferences as the importing option.

Currently, I can convert MP3s to Apple Lossless ( ) by contol-clicking on the track only because I have Lossless as my current importing method.

skeet said:

I am new to apple, that is why i have so many questions. I really appreciate everyone's help. Can anyone tell me basic differences between all the formats listed in preferences. What is apple lossless, and AAC encoder, and AIFF? I do know what wav and mp3 formats are...

Click to expand...

Apple Lossless: compresses the file size of the original CD track to about 50-75% of original size. Lossless because it doesn't throw data away like MP3 – sounds superb – just like the CD, not widely supported in the general PC or audio industry. Apparently hard on an iPods battery...

AAC: think of it as a 'super' MP3 although not the same kind of file. Lossy but sounds better (to many people) than MP3s. Also not widely supported at the moment...

Both kinds of files will play on an iPod, but the Lossless will not play on a Shuffle.

Apart from Audio CDs, MP3 CDs are the only kind of CDs that will play on many CD/DVD players and PCs.

AIFF I know nothing about except to read here.

powermac666 said:

Happy to help.
Funny, I have some fairly obscure musical tastes, and have ripped well over 300 CD's, but I have yet to come across a CD that the CDDB does not already contain. It is quite impressive.

Click to expand...

And if you do come across one that's not in the CDDB you can upload the track names yourself. Happened to me a couple of times.

Can't even find 'proper' CD's

OK so I've downloaded itunes, installed and bunged a CD in the drive.

itunes fires up and connects to gracenote but can't find the CD data.

Imported the CD and tried using advanced/get CD track names but always get an error message (CDDB information not availanle).

Tried all the various options but still no joy.

Any suggestions?

PS: Using WinXP SP1