User profile for user: David Tomer
David Tomer Author
User level: Level 1
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Copy music file from iTunes to desktop?

Can anyone explain to me what happens when you drag a music file from iTunes to the Desktop and "copy" it there?

I can see, for example, just by trying it, that an ACC file becomes a .m4a, an AIFF becomes a .aiff, and a protected ACC becomes a .m4p [with a little padlock on it]. So will the non-protected files just transfer over like any other file to wherever I want to transfer them? What happens with the .m4p files? It seems to play, but I haven't tried putting it anywhere else.

Export from iTunes apparently merely creates a file with the playlist info, no music files.

MacMini 1.5 Intel Core Solo, 2GB, Mac OS X (10.4.10)

Posted on Jul 26, 2007 7:27 PM

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User profile for user: PT
PT
User level: Level 7
20,894 points

Posted on Jul 26, 2007 7:39 PM

The files in the iTunes music folders are the media files themselves while iTunes is simply a media file player. So you can take the files from the media folder and use them in other places or with other media players if you like (except protected AAC files).
As you have seen, AAC files are really MPEG-4 format files and you have unprotected ones and protected ones. The protected files only play with iTunes, but all others can be moved anywhere you want and played with other devices or computer players.
For example, MP3 files can be put onto a CDR and played in a car stereo that can play MP3s. The files can be transferred onto hard drives, DVDs, CDRS, thumb drives, etc. and transferred to other computers. You can email them if you wish.
I use iTunes to make small snippets of my MP3s into WAV files to use as ring tones on my wireless phone and just pull the resulting WAV snippets from the iTunes music folder into my cell phone.
Patrick
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User profile for user: PT
PT
User level: Level 7
20,894 points

Jul 26, 2007 7:39 PM in response to David Tomer

The files in the iTunes music folders are the media files themselves while iTunes is simply a media file player. So you can take the files from the media folder and use them in other places or with other media players if you like (except protected AAC files).
As you have seen, AAC files are really MPEG-4 format files and you have unprotected ones and protected ones. The protected files only play with iTunes, but all others can be moved anywhere you want and played with other devices or computer players.
For example, MP3 files can be put onto a CDR and played in a car stereo that can play MP3s. The files can be transferred onto hard drives, DVDs, CDRS, thumb drives, etc. and transferred to other computers. You can email them if you wish.
I use iTunes to make small snippets of my MP3s into WAV files to use as ring tones on my wireless phone and just pull the resulting WAV snippets from the iTunes music folder into my cell phone.
Patrick
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User profile for user: David Tomer
David Tomer Author
User level: Level 1
4 points

Aug 2, 2007 4:37 AM in response to PT

So just to clarify: When I drag a song title from within an iTunes playlist or from the Music Library to the Desktop, it copies the file there normally? I don't have to go the iTunes music folders to grab the file to copy it? I realize that is what appears to happen, I just want to be sure.

Thanks for clarifying.
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User profile for user: PT
PT
User level: Level 7
20,894 points

Aug 2, 2007 9:49 AM in response to David Tomer

I don't know actually. I have never tried dragging a title from iTunes onto my desktop. I always drill down through the folder structure (or do a search) to locate the original file and then copy it where ever I need it. I am not at home at the moment, so I can not try your suggestion to see. Maybe someone else, in the meantime, can try it out and report back.
Patrick
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User profile for user: kasa
kasa
User level: Level 2
495 points

Aug 2, 2007 11:00 AM in response to David Tomer

Yes when you drag a song to the desktop it makes a copy on the desktop; used this to copy songs on to a jump drive or memory card etc. Also if you copy a song file from an external source on to the desktop and double click it, it imports it in to the iTunes and still leaves a copy on the desktop.
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User profile for user: nobisung
nobisung
User level: Level 1
0 points

Sep 24, 2007 4:25 PM in response to David Tomer

Hi everyone, this question is not stupid. You know, I have the same problem with this guy. I can copy nothing directly from itune (but i can when copy it one by one). Trying copy files from Finder is the stupid way when you have a lot of songs in a lot of folders while you do not need all song in the same artist in the same time.

I think, this problem come from the new version of itune. Because I've ever copied music directly from itune.

Apple staff should be clear with this problem.

Thanks
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User profile for user: nobisung
nobisung
User level: Level 1
0 points

Sep 24, 2007 4:36 PM in response to Chris CA

I need to copy my musics to another place (I mean --> into external drive or another folder on my mac). But I can not do this either on the desktop. However, I can do this while I copy only few musics (2-3 musics). But I want to copy all musics in my playlist.

Thanks
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User profile for user: Luke Eng
Luke Eng
User level: Level 1
25 points

Nov 27, 2007 9:55 PM in response to PT

I want to know if there is a way to make an alias with a sound file. So I don't copy a sound file if I need it in another file. I'm trying to do this for a rather large collection, and I can't spare the Copy room on my harddrive for the entire collection.. ??
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User profile for user: PT
PT
User level: Level 7
20,894 points

Aug 2, 2007 4:00 PM in response to Chris CA

Just got home to check it but I see others already answered the question. My concern was that is might only make a shortcut (alias) to the desktop, but I see if makes an actual full copy.
Patrick
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Copy music file from iTunes to desktop?

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