Apple Updates iTunes to 7.4.2

[un1ty]

I have to say that the rollout on the ringtones feature was pretty messy and somewhat annoying. They really need to allow the ringtone editor to work on any music in your library.

 

[briand05]

You ought to put that mind reading ability to work in business. Could make a fortune.

People can think what they want to think...but remember...these are HACKS. Built in nooks and crannies of software that are less than guarunteed to survive if no one's looking out for them. Half the time they WILL survive...half the time they won't.

They'll survive as long as you refuse to update.

 

[~J~]

I'll pass on this one. "License Enforcement Update" couldn't be more apt.

I find it amusing that Apple is taking more time in enforcing ringtone protection than releasing an actual firmware update for the phone. Let's see, they slash the price by 33%, release ringtones for another $.99, then concentrate more on iTunes updates to keep the RIAA happy by enforcing "pay for ringtone" service, but neglect updating the phone for people that have serious issues; such as Safari crashing, scrolling issues, inability to manual manage iPhone, not to mention iChat, landscape mode for keyboard in SMS, MMS, etc. etc. Wondering a bit about Apple's priorities as of late...

Couldnt agree more

 

[ditdot]

"Unauthorized" Ringtones

WOW!! Even the folder under my itunes music library for ringtones has disappeared. HMMMMMMM.....

I tried to readd them after they disappeared by changing the .m4a to .m4r. It didn't work.

 

[shadowfax]

I did my ringtones by hand. They disappeared. After some indignation, I figured it out. You have to use that ID3 mod (Atomic Parsley), but use .m4r extensions. Once you change the STIK field to 14 using atomic parsley and change the extension from .m4a to .m4r, you can drag ringtones into your library again by hand. I am happy.

Here is how I make ringtones:

1. Make sure that /usr/local/bin is in your path:
   Open Terminal, type

   pico ~/.profile

   and then add this line if it isn't there:
   

   export PATH=$PATH:/usr/local/bin

   Save the file and exit using Ctrl-O, <return> and then Ctrl-X.
2. Download Atomic Parsley, put the executable in "/usr/local/bin":
   Use the finder to navigate to /usr/local/bin using the cmd-shift-g.
   Open Terminal, type

   chmod a+x AtomicParsley

3. Go into "/usr/local/bin" and make a new script called "makeringtone":
   Open Terminal, type

   pico makeringtone

   and then put this text in the file:
   

   #!/bin/sh
   AtomicParsley "$PWD/$1" --stik value=14

   Save the file and exit using Ctrl-O, <return> and then Ctrl-X. Now, make it executable by typing

   chmod a+x makeringtone

4. Change to the directory where the file you want to turn into a ringtone is, and type

   makeringtone filename.m4a

   then rename the output and put it in your library.
   For example, I would type:
   

   cd ~/Desktop; \ 
   makeringtone AlarmClock.m4a

   Then delete AlarmClock.m4a (if you want) and rename the temporary file that the output indicates to "AlarmClock.m4r" (or whatever you want).
   Finally, just drag that onto your iTunes Library.

Sorry if that was too technical, but I hope it helps anyone that is interested. Once you make the script file, it's pretty straightforward to open a Terminal window and perform the last step to make a ringtone. It would be annoying if you did it once a day, but I only want 2 ringtones, so it's nice for me.

 

[Peace]

It's becoming painfully obvious that Apple is NOT going to allow people making custom ringtones the way people have been doing it here in the forums so I have an idea.

Why don't you guys just stop trying so Apple can get some real updates out eh?

Nothing personal mind you and I'm not taking sides.I just want to see some real updates as it appears Apple is playing cat and mouse here.

 

[shamino]

Ok, can someone tell me how it's "positive" when Apples updates the version of iTunes just to make it harder to make your own ringtone?

There is no official meaning to a positive or negative rating. I've asked on the MR forums and have had that confirmed.

While some people (yourself too, it seems) treat it as "this is good news" and "this is bad news", a lot of others (including me) treat it as "you should read this" and "don't bother reading this".

 

[billchase2]

forget it, not downloading...

 

[shadowfax]

It's becoming painfully obvious that Apple is NOT going to allow people making custom ringtones the way people have been doing it here in the forums so I have an idea.

Why don't you guys just stop trying so Apple can get some real updates out eh?

Nothing personal mind you and I'm not taking sides.I just want to see some real updates as it appears Apple is playing cat and mouse here.

The hacks still work, they just have to be fine-tuned. I don't think they are trying to squash custom ringtones. I think they just don't care and they are trying to make a reasonable policy. They started out with making you change the extension in 7.4.0, and then they changed it so that you DIDN'T have to in 7.4.1, but you could just use the hack where you change the metadata (set the STIK field to 14). Now you just have to do both--set the extension to .m4r and change the metadata. That's easy enough, isn't it? I think so.

 

[SLAPSHOTW]

In a day or less there will already be a new route for getting free ringtones. Eventually Apple will realize that they aren't going to win the war against people who want free ringtones.

I'm pretty sure that they're required by the labels to address problems, just like they were with FairPlay. I have a feeling that if the labels allowed them to give ringtones away for free, they would, just like offering DRM-free music.

 

[spetykowski]

Just Updated...

I just updated the itunes with a non-hacked iPhone using iPhoneRingToneMaker for the pc.. and it still works with out any issues... you still have to manuelly go into iPhoneRingToneMaker and do there restore!!!

 

[SAMTATSICPRO]

Apple is not going to win, as soon as I get home Ill figure it out!

 

[offwidafairies]

*another* update

 

[shadowfax]

Apple is not going to win, as soon as I get home Ill figure it out!

They started out with making you change the extension in 7.4.0, and then they changed it so that you DIDN'T have to in 7.4.1, but you could just use the hack where you change the metadata (set the STIK field to 14). Now you just have to do both--set the extension to .m4r and change the metadata.

....

 

[twoodcc]

i wonder if this has anything to do with tomorrow?

 

[harper101]

The capacity bar for my iPhone in iTunes is no longer specifying the media types. It just says "Other."

Update: Actually it looks like my music is no longer showing up on the iPhone, even though it's still taking up disk space. When trying to sync, iTunes says the phone is linked to another copy of iTunes. I told it to erase and re-sync, but it's refusing the delete the music now identified as "Other" and tells me there's not enough space to to sync my music library.

Wow, I thought it was just me. I've been getting the same message about being linked to another copy of iTunes.

 

[Black Belt]

The 7.4.1 update repeatedly crashed and failed. I had to do it all manually, which was absurd. Instead of trying to force compliance with a dubious ringtone scheme, they should get their software to actually work.

 

[Peace]

The 7.4.1 update repeatedly crashed and failed. I had to do it all manually, which was absurd. Instead of trying to force compliance with a dubious ringtone scheme, they should get their software to actually work.

The new update is 7.4.2

 

[Kenn Marks]

Lost all non purchased ringtones

No matter how I created my custom ringtones if they were not purchased they disappeared from my iPhone. I was really beginning to like knowing who was calling without pulling my iPhone from it's holster. Now all that is for naught until I use one of the programs still working that will reinstall them. Maybe we need a program that changes all the meta data of the file so that the iTunes software will not kill it unless it compares the ringtones list against your purchased list.

So if I make something in Garageband why can't I keep it as a ringtone?

 

[moki]

No matter how I created my custom ringtones if they were not purchased they disappeared from my iPhone. I was really beginning to like knowing who was calling without pulling my iPhone from it's holster. Now all that is for naught until I use one of the programs still working that will reinstall them. Maybe we need a program that changes all the meta data of the file so that the iTunes software will not kill it unless it compares the ringtones list against your purchased list.

So if I make something in Garageband why can't I keep it as a ringtone?

If you use iToner 1.0.1, your ringtones would continue to work just fine through the iTunes 7.4.2 update.

 

[BulkHedd]

On my MacBook it removed the ringtones from my iPhone and from iTunes but the Ringtones folder is still there and the files are still inside.
However, before I had SEVERAL songs that were ringtone-able but now I have none.

 

[gusapple]

i wonder if this has anything to do with tomorrow?

Now today! But, if Apple does, for some reason, announce a new 3G 16 gig iPhone, I am gonna return mine and get the new one. And I thought I was being smart, buying it when the price dropped!

 

[harper101]

No matter how I created my custom ringtones if they were not purchased they disappeared from my iPhone. I was really beginning to like knowing who was calling without pulling my iPhone from it's holster. Now all that is for naught until I use one of the programs still working that will reinstall them. Maybe we need a program that changes all the meta data of the file so that the iTunes software will not kill it unless it compares the ringtones list against your purchased list.

So if I make something in Garageband why can't I keep it as a ringtone?

You know what Apple needs to really do is....let anyone with an iPhone and Apple BT to hear who is calling through the earpiece. That way....no annoying ringtones AND they won't have to pull out their iPhone from their holster just to see who's calling....

 

[shadowfax]

On my MacBook it removed the ringtones from my iPhone and from iTunes but the Ringtones folder is still there and the files are still inside.
However, before I had SEVERAL songs that were ringtone-able but now I have none.

Try setting the metadata using atomic parsley, as described by this post (AtomicParsley ringtone.m4a --stik value=14) and then setting the extension on the output file to .m4r. it works, which is why I have been posting about it...

 

[cgray24]

I find it amusing that Apple is taking more time in enforcing ringtone protection than releasing an actual firmware update for the phone. Let's see, they slash the price by 33%, release ringtones for another $.99, then concentrate more on iTunes updates to keep the RIAA happy by enforcing "pay for ringtone" service, but neglect updating the phone for people that have serious issues; such as Safari crashing, scrolling issues, inability to manual manage iPhone, not to mention iChat, landscape mode for keyboard in SMS, MMS, etc. etc. Wondering a bit about Apple's priorities as of late...

Your assumption that apple is one big group just going from one project to the other is unfortunately misplaced. It would be a reasonable statement to say no iphone OS X development was delayed during any of this Itunes releases as they are more than likely two different teams with their own separate Iterative and incremental development cycles. Have no fear, your update is coming.

At least we have phones that do get updated