Am I stupid? I just don't get iTunes

[theLemur]

I've a pretty tech savvy person, but I still can't quite figure out iTunes. It frustrates me. I keep all my music in one folder, with subfolders for each artist. I have about 100GB of audio, and I am very protective of it

iTunes always wants to add things to its library. When it does this, is it moving files? Is it copying files into its own folder? I don't really understand what takes place when it does this. For example, right now I have my large music archive, but I also have about 5GB of music in an itunes folder. I don't know how it got there, but why on earth is it there?

The reason for this post is that I plan to buy an iPhone 4, and I want to use it as an mp3/music player in my car. The only thing holding me back at this point is my attitude towards iTunes. I'm afraid that in order to put music on the phone I'll have to import all my audio tracks into iTunes and they will end up in some random subfolder.

Am I totally out in left field here? Please help me change my mindset. I'm 30 years old and grew up on WinAmp where you just select the files you want to play and it plays.

Thanks

 

[GGJstudios]

iTunes > Preferences > Advanced:

If you don't want iTunes to copy files or manage your music files, but simply add them to your library from where they are, just uncheck the boxes.

 

[GimmeSlack12]

You have to turn off the "iTunes categorize" preference in the iTunes prefs. If you don't then iTunes will copy any music put into it in its own folder under you home/music folder. iTunes doesn't do a bad job of organizing music and, in my opinion, saves the headache of having to prune your music folder manually.

 

[theLemur]

Great info! I will try this and give it a 2nd chance. iPhone here i come!

 

[gandamoca]

Help needed in understanding itunes

hi.
I myself have some trouble understanding iTunes.
I understand that my music files lay quietly and itunes just creates libraries out of them, because I have the appropriate check boxes unchecked.
But what is the case with music I bought through the itunes store? where does it go? Like, it is on itunes but what does that mean? it is exactly where?
And
how can I diferentiate in itunes the music files that are on folders in the computer that i put the to, from the music files that i guess exist in some subfolder belonging to itunes organization scheme.
also
i dont understand that when deleting music on itunes, some files it just deletes them, and others it ask if i want to delete them from some place yadayada i dont understand!

 

[GGJstudios]

I understand that my music files lay quietly and itunes just creates libraries out of them, because I have the appropriate check boxes unchecked.
But what is the case with music I bought through the itunes store? where does it go? Like, it is on itunes but what does that mean? it is exactly where?

iTunes will add such music to the iTunes Media folder, in the location you specify in Preferences. Refer to the image in my earlier post to see where that folder path can be found.

how can I diferentiate in itunes the music files that are on folders in the computer that i put the to, from the music files that i guess exist in some subfolder belonging to itunes organization scheme.

For any song in your library, you can right-click on the song and Get Info (or use Command-I) to see the folder path, or simply right-click and "Show in Finder" to go to where that file is stored.

i dont understand that when deleting music on itunes, some files it just deletes them, and others it ask if i want to delete them from some place yadayada i dont understand!

If the song you're deleting is in a folder managed by iTunes, iTunes will ask if you want to delete the underlying file, as well as deleting the item from the iTunes library. If the file exists in a folder not managed by iTunes, when you delete the song from the library, iTunes will not ask to delete the file. You have to do that manually if you wish.