Double Library Trouble

January 27, 2007 4:44 PM

Can anyobdy help with automatically converting MP3's to AAC's in iTunes WITHOUT duplicating the file?

I'm currently running two iTunes libraries using Libra and have been dragging MP3's across to the newest one that are already stored on my hardrive. As this is for a nano however, I have been encoding them to AAC. But to do so at the moment involves a long process of dragging the originals, one album at a time, converting to AAC and deleting these new 'originals' otherwise I end up with 2 copys of the same song in iTunes. I'm keeping the libraries separate as the main iTunes is still going to be for MP3's.
Any help is really appreciated. I apologise if this is ridiculously confusing.

posted by mjlondon to technology (21 comments total)

My iPod plays mp3s. Your nano should, too. Why do you need the AACs?
posted by mds35 at 5:00 PM on January 27, 2007

If you hold option while iTunes starts you can keep separate libraries for them. But like mds35 said, you can play MP3s on the Nano.
posted by floam at 5:13 PM on January 27, 2007

Also, I don't believe it is possible to encode without making copies of them. But you can save time by encodng all of your mp3s at once. Then when you want to delete the AACs from your library, create a smart playlist where the "kind" contains "AAC" and delete every track in the playlist with a combination keystroke.
posted by mds35 at 5:17 PM on January 27, 2007

I doubt there is any audio encoder that deletes the source file after encoding. That'd be pretty stupid, as if the file didn't encode properly, you'd be SOL.

FYI, You are losing quality converting from MP3->AAC, but I suppose if you wanted a lower bit rate, AAC would be a good choice.
posted by mphuie at 5:42 PM on January 27, 2007

yeah, you shouldn't do this. i know you didn't ask that, but that's the answer. :) there's really no reason to transcode.
posted by Señor Pantalones at 7:04 PM on January 27, 2007

I know nothing about AAC, but one of the best sites for pursuing audio compression issues is hydrogenaudio.org. Several of their subforums specifically cover “lossy” compression codecs, utilities, and related issues. I’d check there.

If you do want to encode, there would be no real harm in deleting each succesive source file immediately after encoding if you’d properly backed up your source before encoding. I wouldn’t run an encoder in the first place if I hadn’t already made a proper backup.
posted by Dave 9 at 7:50 PM on January 27, 2007

i use anapod explorer to manage my ipod. it will transcode stuff on the fly for you when you send it to your ipod. all my mp3s are 256kbps on my computer but i knock 'em down to 160kbps vbr's for my ipod to save space and it works like a charm.

i've never thought about trying to use it with itunes, but if itunes still keeps everything in logical folders (unlike the hidden mess of folders on the ipod) you should be able to transfer stuff fine to your nano with anapod.
posted by noloveforned at 8:00 PM on January 27, 2007

I don't know how to convert without duplicating, but since you asked for "any help" I'll offer a tactic.

1. Dump 50 of your MP3 files into iTunes.
2. Convert them to AAC. Now you've got 100 files.
3. Type "MPEG" into the search box. This isolates your 50 MP3s.
4. Delete them. You're left with 50 AAC files in your iTunes library.

This works for any type of conversion. You can identify what to type into the search box by selecting "Kind" from the "View --> View Options" menu. This will display the relevant column in your library.

Hope this helps. Good luck.
posted by cribcage at 8:19 PM on January 27, 2007

Why do you want to convert these? I wouldn't bother, honestly, unless all of your MP3s are 320 Kbps (i.e., big files) and you want to save space on the iPod.
posted by Mikey-San at 11:01 PM on January 27, 2007

Seconding anapod explorer as what you want for transcoding(converting from one format to another) specifically for your ipod.
posted by metaname at 12:21 AM on January 28, 2007

1. There's no reason to segregate differently encoded files into two separate libraries. If, for some reason, you really wanted to be able to look at "just my MP3s" or "just my AACs", you could create smart playlists for that.

2. There's no reason to transcode your MP3s into AACs for your Nano. I suppose you might make a case for downsampling your MP3s to squeeze more music on. It's interesting that iTunes will do this on the fly for a Shuffle, but not other iPods. It seems like there should be a script or utility app that would do on-the-fly downsampling for other iPods, but I haven't found it.
posted by adamrice at 7:51 AM on January 28, 2007

I should mention that this script will assist you with transcoding and cleanup if you're dead-set on doing it. The linked site has scads of scripts, but nothing that would be quite right for downsampling to an iPod.
posted by adamrice at 7:59 AM on January 28, 2007

The reason for moving to AAC is simply to get more songs on the nano. I know that it does play mp3 but this is for someone who isnt going to notice the drop in quality and would prefer the quantity.
I have tried using two libraries in iTunes but that needs to run from the same file on the hardrive. If I do it with Libra I can then keep the libraries separate so if there are any duplicates then I can keep mine at 192Kbps mp3's and the nano's at 128Kbps AAC's.
The only problem being that 'convert the selection to AAC' in iTunes duplicates the file so I will have it once as an mp3 in iTunes and once as an AAC. As i said this question will appear a little confusing I'm sure.
posted by mjlondon at 8:31 AM on January 28, 2007

The only problem being that 'convert the selection to AAC' in iTunes duplicates the file so I will have it once as an mp3 in iTunes and once as an AAC. As i said this question will appear a little confusing I'm sure.

This isn't a problem. I'm not sure why you keep saying it is.

As pointed out above, you don't want your computer to automatically delete the mp3 upon encoding an AAC in case something goes wrong during the encoding.

Once you're done making the AAC's, just use a smart playlist (as described above) or use the View preferences to show Kind (i.e. mp3, aac, aif, etc), click on the column heading to sort by kind, select all your mp3's and delete them.

If that's a "problem", I'll come over and press delete for you after the encoding is done for $75.
posted by Aquaman at 10:00 AM on January 28, 2007

P.S. Do you know about holding the option key down when selecting "Convert To..." from the Advanced menu? It allows you to choose a remote file for conversion, as opposed to the default behaviour of converting your selected songs in iTunes.

This would allow you to create a new library, then make AAC's (which would live in that library, defined as a different folder than your MP3 library) from the MP3 files which are located elsewhere (like in your old iTunes Music Folder).
posted by Aquaman at 10:08 AM on January 28, 2007

Also....

You don't need Libra to run two libraries in iTunes. Hold down the option key while starting iTunes and you'll be asked which library you'd like to use.
posted by Aquaman at 10:09 AM on January 28, 2007

Thanks for the comedy Aquaman.
As I have said, yes I do know you can use different libraries through iTunes but they run from the same source. Libra lets me set up separate storage of the libraries. I prefer to keep them apart. Also I'm not concerned about things going wrong when encoding as I am dragging from another library so will always have an original.
I am well aware that I can press delete (although thanks for you're kind offer to drop over to London and help out). I have been doing that. I will continue to if it can't be done automatically. It seemed worth asking if there was a better, more streamlined approach. After all, that's the point of Ask MeFi.
posted by mjlondon at 10:48 AM on January 28, 2007

Does the conversion need to be done in iTunes? A google search for "mp3 to acc" yields several results. Can you just convert your files and then add them into iTunes?
posted by niles at 4:44 PM on January 28, 2007

Doug's Applescripts for iTunes has a script called Quickconvert which will do exactly what you need. Check it out at:
http://www.dougscripts.com/itunes/scripts/ss.php?sp=quickconvert.

BTW, these scripts are Mac only.
posted by MiamiDave at 5:39 PM on January 28, 2007

Hey mjlondon, I'd love to come by sometime! But, AFAIK, you CAN use different sources for libraries by starting iTunes with the option key. It's just a matter of resetting your iTunes music folder preference appropriately before you import or add anything.

I have one library which lives on my main drive, and another of different kinds of music on another drive. Let me know if you need more info on this!
posted by Aquaman at 1:08 AM on January 29, 2007

Thank you MeFi! And especially, Aquaman!
posted by mjlondon at 2:55 AM on January 29, 2007