This is WEEKS on research on it.... And here it goes... Everything you should now about recordings / voice memos...
The names and all info of the iPhone Voice Memos names are kept in the "recordings.db" file in iPhone.
To access raw files in iPhone Voice Memos, use iFunBox software. Voice memos are stored in /var/mobile/Media/Recordings
Each voice memo is a .m4a file named YYYYMMDD HHMMSS
Recordings.db is a sqlite database file, so the only way to edit it is to use a sqlite client
If so, and if you know SQL syntax, you can find that the table containing memos information is ZRECORDING. This
table contains different fields :
- primary key (1 for you first recording, 2 for the second, and so on)
- an integer value (always 1 on my phone)
- another integer value (always 2 on my phone)
- a third integer value (always empty on my phone)
- a float number, seems to be the duration in seconds (example : 103.681147992611 for a 1 minute and 43 seconds recording)
- another float number, representing the time in seconds since the 2001/01/01 00:00:00 (example : 330859454.77401 for a memo recorded on 2011/06/27 11:24)
- name that shows up in iPhone
- a string: full path and name of the recording (example : /var/mobile/Media/Recordings/20110627 112414.m4a)
From these informations I guess you can add new recordings by adding the files to /var/mobile/Media/Recordings directory and then inserting new matching recordings in ZRECORDING using SQL.
This database also comprises two other tables, Z_PRIMARYKEY and Z_METADATA. Z_PRIMARYKEY is easy to understand : it records the last primary key of the table ZRECORDING. For instance, if the last primary key of your recordings is 65 then this value is stored in Z_PRIMARYKEY (so that the voice memo app knows it can use 65 + 1 = 66 for the next memo you're going to record).
When we write the name of the Voice Memo down in the iPhone, the first time it syncs with iTunes, the title of the Voice Memo becomes it.
But when we copy external files to iTunes, if they have a title, when they are stored as Voice Memos, the filename assumes "now (today)" as the date/time for the filename.
If there is no title, the file name remains the same as original (if original file is already YYYYMMDD HHMMSS).
If the title begins with YYYYMMDD HHMMSS, it will assume this date time.
If you delete a voice memo on iPhone, it isn't deleted from the Voice Memos playlist in iTunes.
However, if you delete a voice memo from iTunes, it is deleted from iPhone the next time you sync with iTunes.
Modus Operandi to insert all voice memos in iPhone from external files
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
0. Delete all content from Voice Memo folder in iPhone using iFunBox (if you want to place all and only the external files)
1. Add voice memo files to iTunes music.
2. Rename and make sure the title begins with YYYYMMDD HHMMSS (like the file name) - this will set the date time the voice memo was recorded. Or guarantee that they have NO TITLE at all (if the file name is ok).
3. Copy files from iTunes to Disk. File names will now be like the new title. Remove songs from iTunes and import them again from the new location.
3. "Get Info" on all Voice Memos set all the songs as part of "Voice Memos" album and "Voice Memo" kind of media (Try to make only a "Voice Memos" playlist and add songs to see what happens).
4. Sync media and the Voice Memos will appear on iPhone.
5. Do not sync any more until you get all the right names on the iPhone.
6. Because sometimes they will not be changed in iTunes by simply syncing. Remove all Voice memos from iTunes and magic will happen: They will all be removed from the iPhone but new copies will appear in the iTunes (with the new names). Sync again, and they will appear on the iPhone again.
Sometimes, by simply changing the names in iTunes, changes will reflect on iPhone. But I have to get this right.
The names and all info of the iPhone Voice Memos names are kept in the "recordings.db" file in iPhone.
To access raw files in iPhone Voice Memos, use iFunBox software. Voice memos are stored in /var/mobile/Media/Recordings
Each voice memo is a .m4a file named YYYYMMDD HHMMSS
Recordings.db is a sqlite database file, so the only way to edit it is to use a sqlite client
If so, and if you know SQL syntax, you can find that the table containing memos information is ZRECORDING. This
table contains different fields :
- primary key (1 for you first recording, 2 for the second, and so on)
- an integer value (always 1 on my phone)
- another integer value (always 2 on my phone)
- a third integer value (always empty on my phone)
- a float number, seems to be the duration in seconds (example : 103.681147992611 for a 1 minute and 43 seconds recording)
- another float number, representing the time in seconds since the 2001/01/01 00:00:00 (example : 330859454.77401 for a memo recorded on 2011/06/27 11:24)
- name that shows up in iPhone
- a string: full path and name of the recording (example : /var/mobile/Media/Recordings/20110627 112414.m4a)
From these informations I guess you can add new recordings by adding the files to /var/mobile/Media/Recordings directory and then inserting new matching recordings in ZRECORDING using SQL.
This database also comprises two other tables, Z_PRIMARYKEY and Z_METADATA. Z_PRIMARYKEY is easy to understand : it records the last primary key of the table ZRECORDING. For instance, if the last primary key of your recordings is 65 then this value is stored in Z_PRIMARYKEY (so that the voice memo app knows it can use 65 + 1 = 66 for the next memo you're going to record).
When we write the name of the Voice Memo down in the iPhone, the first time it syncs with iTunes, the title of the Voice Memo becomes it.
But when we copy external files to iTunes, if they have a title, when they are stored as Voice Memos, the filename assumes "now (today)" as the date/time for the filename.
If there is no title, the file name remains the same as original (if original file is already YYYYMMDD HHMMSS).
If the title begins with YYYYMMDD HHMMSS, it will assume this date time.
If you delete a voice memo on iPhone, it isn't deleted from the Voice Memos playlist in iTunes.
However, if you delete a voice memo from iTunes, it is deleted from iPhone the next time you sync with iTunes.
Modus Operandi to insert all voice memos in iPhone from external files
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
0. Delete all content from Voice Memo folder in iPhone using iFunBox (if you want to place all and only the external files)
1. Add voice memo files to iTunes music.
2. Rename and make sure the title begins with YYYYMMDD HHMMSS (like the file name) - this will set the date time the voice memo was recorded. Or guarantee that they have NO TITLE at all (if the file name is ok).
3. Copy files from iTunes to Disk. File names will now be like the new title. Remove songs from iTunes and import them again from the new location.
3. "Get Info" on all Voice Memos set all the songs as part of "Voice Memos" album and "Voice Memo" kind of media (Try to make only a "Voice Memos" playlist and add songs to see what happens).
4. Sync media and the Voice Memos will appear on iPhone.
5. Do not sync any more until you get all the right names on the iPhone.
6. Because sometimes they will not be changed in iTunes by simply syncing. Remove all Voice memos from iTunes and magic will happen: They will all be removed from the iPhone but new copies will appear in the iTunes (with the new names). Sync again, and they will appear on the iPhone again.
Sometimes, by simply changing the names in iTunes, changes will reflect on iPhone. But I have to get this right.