How to sneak-replace songs into my iTunes library while preserving meta-data..?

[nightfly13]

So here's my conundrum: I use the play/skip count as variables in several smart playlists, and I've been closely monitoring it for around 4 years. I just got the new Beatles remixed albums, and I want to insert them into my iTunes but keep the meta data of the old versions of the song - make sense?

 

[springyfox]

All of the meta-data is contained within the iTunes XML file in your library folder.

There probably is an easier way of doing it, BUT, I would just edit (carefully) the XML, after importing the new tracks, to replace the info stored in the old ones?

Tom

 

[sammich]

I'm pretty sure you can do this, I can't remember what exactly happens but I think it's what you want it to do:

Find the song you want to replace. Delete it (ie: empty the trash). Then try to play the song in iTunes. It'll ask to find the missing song, so find the one you want to replace it with, then open it.

 

[sammich]

All of the meta-data is contained within the iTunes XML file in your library folder.

There probably is an easier way of doing it, BUT, I would just edit (carefully) the XML, after importing the new tracks, to replace the info stored in the old ones?

Tom

The XML file is for 3rd party apps. iTunes doesn't read any of the data inside the XML file but instead stores all of it inside the iTunes Library (Database).

 

[Consultant]

Possible. Sort of semi manual process though.

I do it when I buy CDs to replace the mp3s. Not tested with iTunes 9.

BACKUP before you do this, or test in another account with a few songs first.

2 ways.

A) Find songs / albums you want to replace.

Insert cd into itunes. Either change the cd track, album, artist to EXACTLY what you have in your library, then import. That should override the existing files.


B) Rip and encode with another app. Find the folders where the music sits, quit itunes. Rename and replace the files. Empty trash. When iTunes open you should have new files.

 

[nightfly13]

Hmm thanks for the input guys - but I want to do this for the entires Beatles Catalog - careful, perfect, accurate replacement for that many songs doesn't seem worth it for a minute quality improvement (it is audible, but it's not like I didn't listen to the Beatles before for lack of sound quality - started on Vinyl....)

Sounds like there's no automated way to do this so .... I'll probably not do it.. maybe for 2-3 songs I'm really eager to listen to in 'higher fi'.

Again, thanks for the thoughts and input.

 

[jw2002]

You can do this via the UNIX command line in the terminal. Just copy the new Beatles song on top of the old one using the ``cp'' command.