Two iTunes Libraries...

[webby]

One for compressed AAC files for the iPod, and one for Apple Lossless (ALAC) files for the HiFi.

What's the best way to manage this?

At the moment I have a library of over 6000 tracks all ripped between 128 and 256kbps. All my albums have album art and have sort fields applied so for example, Paul McCartney comes under M. I don't really want to have to do that all over again. If I re-import a Paul McCartney cd at ALAC I can either replace the existing tracks (maintaining artwork and tags) or don't replace, which I assume places them alongside the 256kbps tracks, which means tags will need tinkering with.

Anybody else done this? As I say, what's the best way to manage it?

Cheers

[Werner Berghofer]

As I say, what's the best way to manage it?

Press and hold the Alt key (on a Mac it’s called ”Option“ key although labelled ”Alt“) before launching iTunes. Then iTunes shall prompt you which library to use.

Werner.

[webby]

Am I right in thinking that I could import the new ALAC file to replace the original, therefore maintaining art and tags, then convert to aac for the ipod? I could then just leave it at that and make playlists of aac files to sync to the ipod OR I could add the new ALAC files to a new library, removing them from the 'ipod' library? This way, I won't have duplicate albums, rather one library for ipod and one for hifi. Yes?

[Peter Stockwell]

There's a doug's script to convert ALAC on the fly to your ipod. This way you keep only ALAC on your computer and only have one library. You have to manage music manually on your ipod to accomplish this (i.e., no synchronisation between the Computer and the iPod).

Look here:

http://dougscripts.com/itunes/script...s07.php?page=1

Link might not work, I'm blocked from looking at it on my corporate computer.

[Werner Berghofer]

Am I right in thinking that I could import the new ALAC file to replace the original, therefore maintaining art and tags, then convert to aac for the ipod?

Yes, this will work, but I fear you’ll find this a little bit troublesome. After converting the ALACs to AAC you’ll find duplicate track entries, which makes it necessary to use the ”Get Info“ menu item so that you can identify which track entry points to the ALAC and which points to the AAC file.

If you plan to use this method a ”Smart Playlist“ could help you a lot. Create a smart playlist containing only tracks with a sample rate below 320 or 256 kbits (or whatever sampling rate you use for mobile listening) and synch just this playlist to the iPod.

[Peter Stockwell]

Yes, this will work, but I fear you’ll find this a little bit troublesome. After converting the ALACs to AAC you’ll find duplicate track entries, which makes it necessary to use the ”Get Info“ menu item so that you can identify which track entry points to the ALAC and which points to the AAC file.

If you plan to use this method a ”Smart Playlist“ could help you a lot. Create a smart playlist containing only tracks with a sample rate below 320 or 256 kbits (or whatever sampling rate you use for mobile listening) and synch just this playlist to the iPod.

All that's true, but the doug's script is the tidiest way to get your music files from ALAC to AAC without keeping duplicates. It's just a slow process, that's the drawback.

[Werner Berghofer]

doug's script is the tidiest way

I was not aware of this script selection. Many thanks for the link!

[webby]

This could work I guess. Everything I want is on my ipod now, so I guess I'd only need to sync when I add something new to my library.

[Peter Stockwell]

This could work I guess. Everything I want is on my ipod now, so I guess I'd only need to sync when I add something new to my library.

Be careful how you think of the word "synchronise", it means to keep "is in step" or, in itunes speak, to make the contents (play counts, etc) of your ipod identical to what you have on your computer.

If you manage music manually you no longer synchronise. You just move music from your computer to your ipod as you choose. Playcounts, etc, are not updated between the two devices.

[webby]

Oh, so Playcounts and what else wouldn't be updated?