mp3's from CD's via iTunes?

[gvdv]

Hi,
I don't have an iPod, but am considering getting one because I have exceeded the 20GB capacity of my current MP3 player.

Although I do multitrack recording on my Mac Pro, I know very little about the iPod, and would appreciate some help with the following questions:
1. How would I make (if it's possible) MP3's from my CD's so that I can then load the MP3's on to the iPod.

Is it possible to put a CD in my Mac, and make the MP3's via iTunes, or does one have to buy (and download) the MP3's from the iTunes store?

2. Is it possible to download MP3's from my PC (yes, I have both) on to the iPod, and if so, can I use the iPod with both my PC and my Mac?

3. Would using a third party program such as Floola be helfpul with any of this?

4. I seem to recall reading that if one wants to delete an MP3 from either iTunes or an iPod, one has to connect and synchronize the iPod with the Mac that has the MP3 on it (in iTunes) and then delete the MP3, i.e., you can't delete the file from the iPod without deleting it from same computer from which it was downloaded through iTunes. Is this correct?

Any help with this would be much appreciated.

Thanks,
GVDV

 

[Cave Man]

Hi,
I don't have an iPod, but am considering getting one because I have exceeded the 20GB capacity of my current MP3 player.

Although I do multitrack recording on my Mac Pro, I know very little about the iPod, and would appreciate some help with the following questions:
1. How would I make (if it's possible) MP3's from my CD's so that I can then load the MP3's on to the iPod.

Is it possible to put a CD in my Mac, and make the MP3's via iTunes, or does one have to buy (and download) the MP3's from the iTunes store?

You can import from CDs using iTunes. Make sure you use AAC encoding and not MP3 (unless you have a compelling reason) since AAC is more efficient. MP3 files will still work with iPods if you still need them.

2. Is it possible to download MP3's from my PC (yes, I have both) on to the iPod, and if so, can I use the iPod with both my PC and my Mac?

You have to move the MP3 files to your Mac's iTunes, then let iTunes manage your iPod. Only one computer can sync an iPod.

3. Would using a third party program such as Floola be helfpul with any of this?

I have no idea.

4. I seem to recall reading that if one wants to delete an MP3 from either iTunes or an iPod, one has to connect and synchronize the iPod with the Mac that has the MP3 on it (in iTunes) and then delete the MP3, i.e., you can't delete the file from the iPod without deleting it from same computer from which it was downloaded through iTunes. Is this correct?

If I understand your question correctly, then "yes" it is correct.

 

[Ivan P]

If I understand your question correctly, then "yes" it is correct.

Incorrect.

iTunes has two options for syncing: automatic sync or manual sync.

By default, the iPod will automatically sync. This means that your iPod will copy EVERYTHING in your iTunes library, and if you delete a song from your computer, it will delete from the iPod. If you add a song to your computer, it will be added to the iPod next time you sync.
When you connect the iPod to your computer each time, a screen appears showing stats about your iPod (for example, the software that's installed, and how much free space is left). There are a number of checkboxes in the middle of the screen, one of which says "Manually manage music and videos".
If you select this check box and hit "Apply", the iPod is now set to manually sync. This means you can browse the music on your iPod and delete whatever songs you wish without having to delete the track from iTunes; it also means that you can keep songs on the iPod that have been deleted from iTunes. To add songs, you drag-and-drop them from your iTunes library onto the iPod.

 

[gvdv]

Hi Cave Man and Ivan P,
Many thanks for your replies. Very helpful.

I was hoping to find a way to avoid keeping the mp3's on the computer (can always re-rip if I need to, and want to avoid using the space), so I'll investigate ways of doing that.

I think that third party software such as Floola might be the answer to this one.

Thanks, once again,
GVDV

 

[Consultant]

1. itunes, but you should encode into mp4 (AAC) files, since at the same file size, quality wise,
Mp4 > Mp3

2. Yes. You can transfer the files, but you should have a main iTunes library to for the iPod.

4. To "delete" a file from iPod, you can delete it from your library or uncheck it in your library and don't sync unchecked files. You can also do manual sync.

Harddrive space is cheap. Not worth the effort. You are saying you can't afford $50 for an external harddrive to keep your hundreds of dollars if not thousands of dollars of music?

 

[miles01110]

I use Floola. The interface is not great, but the functionality is excellent. A distant second to Rockbox, but the best available for the newer iPods.

 

[gvdv]

1. itunes, but you should encode into mp4 (AAC) files, since at the same file size, quality wise,
Mp4 > Mp3

2. Yes. You can transfer the files, but you should have a main iTunes library to for the iPod.

4. To "delete" a file from iPod, you can delete it from your library or uncheck it in your library and don't sync unchecked files. You can also do manual sync.

Harddrive space is cheap. Not worth the effort. You are saying you can't afford $50 for an external harddrive to keep your hundreds of dollars if not thousands of dollars of music?

Hi Consultant,
Thanks for the information in your reply.

Regarding hard drive space and costs - please note that, *as I said in my post above*, I'd rather re-rip than use extra hard drive space. Also, it's not for you to judge anything about my financial situation - how I use my money or whether I can afford something (you're making a whole set of assumptions there, that aren't relevant to this discussion, and, quite frankly that are not your business).

Also, I have about 50 GB's of MP3's right now, which is a not inconsiderable amount, and - on top of all the other hard drive space I use (and I have about a Terabyte at the moment), I don't want replaceable files cluttering things up. They're just not my priority.

Thanks, once again,
GVDV

 

[gvdv]

I use Floola. The interface is not great, but the functionality is excellent. A distant second to Rockbox, but the best available for the newer iPods.

I use Floola. The interface is not great, but the functionality is excellent. A distant second to Rockbox, but the best available for the newer iPods.

Hi Miles 01110,
Thanks for the response.

Good to know that you use Floola and that it works.

Could you just answer some questions for me about Floola?

My understanding is that one downloads Floola on to the iPod, and that it then provides the interface to upload and download files to and from the iPod, and that in doing this it in effect replaces iTunes. Is that right?

Also, would Floola enable me to plug my iPod into both my Mac and PC in order to upload/download files?

Thanks,
GVDV.

 

[miles01110]

Hi Miles 01110,
My understanding is that one downloads Floola on to the iPod...

No, Floola is an app that runs on your Mac.

and that it then provides the interface to upload and download files to and from the iPod, and that in doing this it in effect replaces iTunes. Is that right?

Those are the essentials, yes.

Also, would Floola enable me to plug my iPod into both my Mac and PC in order to upload/download files?

Admittedly I've never tried it with a PC, but Floola's website advertises that it will work with windows if you have GTK installed. I'd also imagine you'd have to have the iPod formatted as NTFS, so you might have to do a Restore on our iPod before you can use Floola. I'm just an average user, if you have really specific questions I'd imagine the website is a lot more helpful than I am. I can tell you that it works very nicely with OS X.

 

[Consultant]

I carry a $500 bus powered RAID for my music files. FYI, 50gb is tiny and would fit easily.

OSX is not windows. It's really difficult to "cluttuer things up" in OSX as OSX has no registry.
If you want to waste your time, do it. However there are better ways when you are working with OSX.

Having 1 copy of your files and no backup means trouble. Re-ripping takes a lot more time than getting a new drive.

 

[teleromeo]

Also, I have about 50 GB's of MP3's right now, which is a not inconsiderable amount, and - on top of all the other hard drive space I use (and I have about a Terabyte at the moment), I don't want replaceable files cluttering things up. They're just not my priority.

Everybody has his opinion about that. As for me I would not like to see my 43 GB of mp3's ans AAC's disappear from my computer. I think it would be a hell of a job to re-rip them, put missing metadata in manually and scan missing album art. I don't know how your collection of CD's is but I have a lot of CD's from local artist that don't exist in the iTunes store or that were not found in the song database. Restoring all this info would take at least a couple of months. I even have not yet scanned all the album art of the CD's that I ripped before apple introduced coverflow and iPods with colour displays.

 

[gvdv]

No, Floola is an app that runs on your Mac.



Those are the essentials, yes.



Admittedly I've never tried it with a PC, but Floola's website advertises that it will work with windows if you have GTK installed. I'd also imagine you'd have to have the iPod formatted as NTFS, so you might have to do a Restore on our iPod before you can use Floola. I'm just an average user, if you have really specific questions I'd imagine the website is a lot more helpful than I am. I can tell you that it works very nicely with OS X.

Thanks, Miles.

I appreciate your input.

GVDV.

 

[gvdv]

I carry a $500 bus powered RAID for my music files. FYI, 50gb is tiny and would fit easily.

OSX is not windows. It's really difficult to "cluttuer things up" in OSX as OSX has no registry.
If you want to waste your time, do it. However there are better ways when you are working with OSX.

Having 1 copy of your files and no backup means trouble. Re-ripping takes a lot more time than getting a new drive.

I think you're missing the main point: everybody goes about things differently, and those are the choices I make; you make the choices you make for the reasons that you do. Anyone can justify anything. End of discussion.

 

[gvdv]

Everybody has his opinion about that. As for me I would not like to see my 43 GB of mp3's ans AAC's disappear from my computer. I think it would be a hell of a job to re-rip them, put missing metadata in manually and scan missing album art. I don't know how your collection of CD's is but I have a lot of CD's from local artist that don't exist in the iTunes store or that were not found in the song database. Restoring all this info would take at least a couple of months. I even have not yet scanned all the album art of the CD's that I ripped before apple introduced coverflow and iPods with colour displays.

Hi Teleromeo,
Thanks for your message.

You're right; everybody does seem to have an opinion

The emphasis of my collection is quite a bit different from yours, so I probably would not have as much of a problem replacing the mp3's (partly because I can also get them from other sources), so the time factor would not be a big consideration for me.

Another consideration is that when I originally started ripping, I did so at 'mid'-bitrates, and in many ways would welcome the option to re-rip at higher bitrates.....so, all in all, it wouldn't be a disaster for me, and would allow me to re-vamp things somewhat.

And I have no need for album art or scans, unless I create them myself, which I rarely do.

Thanks for the dialogue, though.

GVDV.