iTunes won't let me add artwork

Just to clarify: are we talking about adding artwork to AIFF files here? AIFFs which have been imported into iTunes rather than produced by it?

I really need confirmation that this pre-7.7.1 functionality has been restored before I chance installing iTunes 8 for a third time.

Yes AIFF files that have been imported into iTunes from an original CD. I have just done a fresh import and it added the artwork no problems. I also have an iTunes library of original AIFF's so have been waiting for the same functionality you are seeking!

this bug actually started with itunes 7.7.1. in 7.7.0 artwork still holds with aiff files, but the problem with this version is the horrible CD eject bug where you have to quit itunes before you can eject cds most of the time. so if you can, stay with 7.62. this artwork bug still happens in itunes 8.0. did they fix it in 8.0.1? anyone?

i have spent many hours trying to get apple to fix this and the fact is they just dont care. i have used that feedback form a dozen times and none of the bugs i have ever submitted ever get fixed. i have talked to numerous 'product specialist' techs who confirm bugs and even fwd them to the engineering team and get no response from engineering, and bugs get fixed. it's beyond frustrating.

all i can say is keep submitting forms, call tech support, ask for product specialists, tier 2 techs, or better yet supervisors, show them this thread and let them know this bug needs to be fixed. there's just no excuse for this irresponsibility.

Message was edited by: shape

shape wrote:
this bug actually started with itunes 7.7.1. in 7.7.0 artwork still holds with aiff files, but the problem with this version is the horrible CD eject bug where you have to quit itunes before you can eject cds most of the time. so if you can, stay with 7.62. this artwork bug still happens in itunes 8.0. did they fix it in 8.0.1? anyone?

See the post above yours from wolvesjames. I've also received a link from a mate of mine which states categorically that the problem is resolved with 8.0.1. I'll test it myself, but in the mean time we're looking good (on this problem at least).

Oh joy, oh rapture! Yes indeed, adding artwork to AIFF files works again with iTunes 8.0.1.

I've just re-installed iTunes 8 for the 3rd time. I then added a set of 24bit/96kHz AIFF music files to my iTunes library (using Add to Library... on the File menu). Once in iTunes, I selected all these and dragged artwork to the artwork box in the Info window. Lo and behold, the artwork stuck.

At last. It's good to have this functionality back again, but I can't help wondering what broke it in the first place, and whether it was a conscious decision by the iTunes team or a side-effect bug. The whole experience still leaves me less inclined to do as I previously used to, which was to instal updates as soon as Apple released them. From now on I'll wait while problems are reported and fixes are released.

ok, that's great news - just wanted to make sure. my issue though was the artwork not holding after i edited an aiff file. have you tried perhaps doing a simple edit of an aiff file after importing it? for ex, just opening it up in a waveform editor and doing a simple edit like changing the gain, trimming dead space at the end, normalizing, etc, and then resaving? after this try adding artwork again and see if it sticks. this is where 7.7.1 failed for me.

I'm fully confident that we're back on song. The downloaded album I added to iTunes as a test (WMA originals with audio exported from QuickTime as AIFF at full resolution) sounded a little bit undernourished when I played it in iTunes, so I opened the iTunes files (I have iTunes set to copy files when added to the library) in Sound Studio and applied a 1db amplification filter. As what I considered the ultimate test, one of the affected tracks was actually playing in iTunes at the time. All went swimmingly, and there is a clear difference in waveform between the original AIFF and the one in the iTunes music folder.

As someone whose musical tastes are almost exclusively classical, I'm a bit of a stickler for having the tags in iTunes just so, which means that these new files in the iTunes library also underwent extensive editing in this department. Once again, I also did this editing to a file which was actually playing in iTunes. A clear indication that the edit had 'stuck' was the temporary interruption in playback as the changes were written to the file.

Bottom line: iTunes 8.0.1 definitely brings things back to where they were with 7.7. I'm a happy bunny once again.

EDIT:
Not having explicitly done as you asked in terms of adding artwork to an edited file, I've now done that also with one of these, deleting the previously applied artwork and adding it back again. No problem.

Message was edited by: Jim MacCormaic

hey Jim, thanks a lot for confirming this. i updated to 8.0.1 and it now works again, except that you have to add the artwork twice before it sticks - meaning i after editing/saving the file, i re-add the artwork, play, and then it dissapears. i add it again and then it holds. annoying but at least it holds.

though i'm very unhappy with itunes 8 overall as apple continues to 'take a way our choices' and do what they think is best for us when it comes to preferences and functionality (in their programs and in the OS). loads of preferences that have been there since itunes v2 have been removed. a couple being the include track numbers with songs on importing, and show links to apple store in music library - so now we are forced to see those annoying arrows next to every artist/title/song/genre field even if the files we have aren't even in the itunes store.

shape wrote:
loads of preferences that have been there since itunes v2 have been removed. a couple being the include track numbers with songs on importing, and show links to apple store in music library - so now we are forced to see those annoying arrows next to every artist/title/song/genre field even if the files we have aren't even in the itunes store.

Are you aware of the Terminal commands which allow you to change these preferences? See this post for details.

Despite being able to do this, I still agree totally with you that removing our choices within iTunes itself is reprehensible in the extreme. As I always say: send feedback. Make Apple aware of your displeasure —
http://www.apple.com/feedback/itunesapp.html

hey thanks a lot for that! no i wasnt aware these prefs were still accessible. i did the one for turning off the links via terminal and it worked. very happy about that.

and yes i have submitted probably a dozen feedback reports of bugs and such and none of them have ever been fixed. i think that link directs the messages straight into their trash folder 🙂