I need help! All lossless music has been converted by itunes

[kristoffer4]

Hey. The first problem I had with itunes 12.2 was that I could only see my itunes music and not all my imported cds! I fixed that by rebuilding the library, but to my horror I find out that all songs are now 256 kbps! All my lossless files are gone. What the hell!?

I don't use itunes match or Apple Music.

 

[kristoffer4]

The plot thickens because I tried to import some AIFF files and suddenly some of my library was lossless again! This version of itunes is a mess! Damn.

 

[Julien]

...I fixed that by rebuilding the library...

What does "rebuilding the library" mean?

For iTunes to convert your lossless files to lossy codec you would have to have that selected as your default import and then you would have to select the files and then select File: Create New Version: Create xxx Version. Even then it would only make a copy and you would still have the original. So you would have to then delete the original. Depending on the size of your Library and the speed of your Mac this would take some amount of time (maybe hours). Not something that can 'just happen'.

 

[navaira]

I believe I read here that iCloud replaces your files with 256kbps versions with DRM, but if iCloud is disabled, then no clue...

 

[Julien]

I believe I read here that iCloud replaces your files with 256kbps versions with DRM, but if iCloud is disabled, then no clue...

This is incorrect and FUD. AM/iCML does not replace your original files at all. You would have to delete your original files for them to be replaced.

 

[navaira]

Well, I have friends who lost half of their library just by enabling iCloud, which proceeded to replace their live/remix/demo files with album versions complete with DRM. It didn't happen to me because I couldn't enable iCloud.

 

[Julien]

Well, I have friends who lost half of their library just by enabling iCloud, which proceeded to replace their live/remix/demo files with album versions complete with DRM. It didn't happen to me because I couldn't enable iCloud.

Again iCML did not delete and replace their iTunes original files. They are probably saying when they play the track on their iPhone it is 'replaced' by a different track (miss matched). However the original is still in iTunes unless they deleted it.

 

[navaira]

http://www.mcelhearn.com/the-real-difference-between-itunes-match-and-icloud-music-library-drm/

"This means that if you’ve matched your library with Apple Music and iCloud Music Library, you need to keep backups of your original files. If not, you’ll end up with files that you can’t play without an Apple Music subscription."

I'm going to ask my friend whether he meant files on his iPhone or his computer. As I mentioned, I didn't have the problem myself.

 

[Julien]

http://www.mcelhearn.com/the-real-difference-between-itunes-match-and-icloud-music-library-drm/

"This means that if you’ve matched your library with Apple Music and iCloud Music Library, you need to keep backups of your original files. If not, you’ll end up with files that you can’t play without an Apple Music subscription."

I'm going to ask my friend whether he meant files on his iPhone or his computer. As I mentioned, I didn't have the problem myself.

That article applies to people who have Match and DON'T keep their original files. With Match you can delete your files and just download them anytime. Some people were getting DRMed or mismatched files when they downloaded.

It has nothing to do with original files in iTunes that have never been Matched and locally deleted to be redownloaded.

Also the replaced Match files with DRM files bug was corrected since that article with 12.2.1. However mismatched can still happen. Anyone who doesn't have backups of everything (not just iTunes) will be burned sooner or later.

 

[kristoffer4]

What does "rebuilding the library" mean?

For iTunes to convert your lossless files to lossy codec you would have to have that selected as your default import and then you would have to select the files and then select File: Create New Version: Create xxx Version. Even then it would only make a copy and you would still have the original. So you would have to then delete the original. Depending on the size of your Library and the speed of your Mac this would take some amount of time (maybe hours). Not something that can 'just happen'.

This. https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT201561

 

[kristoffer4]

Luckily all my lossless music is also on my NAS, but still an annoyance.
I really do not know what happened, I never used match nor Apple Music.
Almost all of my files have now returned to Apple Lossless and AIFF, but not all. For example I imported three cds in AIFF yesterday and they are now all AAC 256.

 

[Julien]

...For example I imported three cds in AIFF yesterday and they are now all AAC 256.

What software are you using to import? iTunes, if so check to be sure the encoder setting we're changed. The default is AAC and if you reinstalled iTuns this could be.

Also why not save some space and use ALAC?

 

[kristoffer4]

Because AIFF sounds best on my Squeezebox Touch dac combi.
I did set it before importing. It was AIFF yesterday.

 

[yg17]

Because AIFF sounds best on my Squeezebox Touch dac combi.
I did set it before importing. It was AIFF yesterday.

ALAC is lossless. It sounds the exact same as AIFF.

 

[navaira]

I checked with my friend and the response was:
"I have my library on my iPod cause I haven't synced it to the cloud, and managed to get some of it back on my laptop, but on my phone it's all cloud ****"
Then I asked about his iTunes library and he responded:
"Well my iTunes ****ed itself up. The files are still on my drive but I can't have them in iTunes while cloud music is on. I think. But everything's on my iPod so I'm not too worried"

He's using Windows in case it matters.