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Coupla questions about iTunes

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#1
Ron

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Since we have an abundance of Apple users on the forum, I thought perhaps one (or more) of you might be able to answer a couple of questions I have about iTunes.

 

Now, I'm using the program on a Windows 10 (Creators Update) computer but I think the metrics are the same.

 

The first has to do with an option in the file menu to update ID3 tags. My question is, how is this implemented? Does it update all the files in the iTunes library or can it be used on individual files? Is there any reason to bump everything up to the latest ID3 tag specification? I have some older MP3 files with ID3 version 1 tags.

 

The second question concerns an option in the same menu hierarchy to create AAC duplicates. Same questions... how does this work and is it worth the trouble? Also, does it do the conversion en mass or on a file by file basis?

 

Be gentle. My last exposure to iTunes was version 2.0.4 on Mac OS 9.1.

 

Thanks,

 

--Ron   



#2
ScottinPollock

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There's no reason to update the tags unless you need to (i.e. you have a player say in your vehicle that only supports the newer tag format - and you want to see that data on the screen).

As for converting/duplicating to AAC, no need for mp3s as what's been lost already is lost. But if your ripping new CDs, you'd want to use AAC over mp3 as it is a less lossy compression.

In either case, these operations are done on the currently selected file(s); one or many.

#3
Ron

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Thanks Scott.

 

You actually hit on one of the reason's I'm asking this stuff. My car doesn't have a CD player but it does have a USB port. And, I recently came across a mess of CD's with old mp3 files on them, some of which I'd like to copy to a flash drive and use in the car. Thus, the question about the ID3 tags. Also, Apple's help wasn't much when I tried to look this up in their iTunes support area.

 

The AAC question was more of a puzzle type of thing. I understand that once a song (or whatever) is ripped, it's quality is baked in by the perimeters you set beforehand. So, what good is converting to AAC unless they take up less space or have some other redeeming quality over leaving your files as mp3's? Do iPhone's, for example, only play AAC files?  

 

Interesting (or perhaps not) side note...  while checking to see what ID3 tag versions the files in my library had I noticed that none of them showed as being authored by iTunes although quite a few of them were authored using iTunes. In fact, the only authoring program listed at all was SoundJam which was the program that eventually became iTunes. Everything else... which was a lot because I experimented with a number of programs back then, was listed as "unknown". Weird.

 

Anyway, thanks. I do appreciate it.

 

--Ron 



#4
ScottinPollock

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Do iPhone's, for example, only play AAC files?


It's been a long time since I have had an iPhone, but they should be able to play anything in iTunes.
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#5
Malice

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The iPhone can play MP3 and AAC and probably most if not all other formats that iTunes can create.

 

As has been mentioned, AAC is regarded as doing a better job at compressing music than the mp3-algorithms.

 

Personally, I've started with MP3 and I just stuck with it. The difference in quality or file-size don't concern me. I have neither a high-end stereo in my living room nor high-end headphones for my iPod(s).


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#6
Ron

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Thanks again... I appreciate it.

 

--Ron