Importing a CD Set (meaning 1 cover with 2 disks)

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Level 1

7 points

Importing a CD Set (meaning 1 cover with 2 disks)

Hello-

Just a new guy at importing and working with iTunes. A few questions.

I have a CD that has 2 disks. I thought maybe iTunes would figure it out since it looked like it was familiar with the CD. It imported Disk 1, named them correctly, added the correct artwork. However when I put the 2nd disk in it imported it just like a new CD even know it said "disk 2 of 2" when I inserted the 2nd disk.

Is there a way, now that they are both imported as separate CDs to merge the 2 as I CD set? If not, is there a way to have one CD, one cover artwork, and when I double click the CD icon the 2 disks show up?

Also, I was wanting to add the back of my CDs I am importing. Is this possible? I have been successful at finding artwork, saving it and adding it to the "Get Info" area where the front artwork goes or is it even possible to add the back side of a CD?

Thanks.

MBP 3.06 GHz Intel C2D. 8 GB 1067 MHz, Mac OS X (10.6.3), 500 GB HD 7200 rpm

Posted on Jun 12, 2010 10:05 PM

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Answer 1

Jun 12, 2010 10:19 PM in response to NObodE

I have noticed that when you import a multi-disc CD, Gracenote (which iTunes uses to reference CD info) displays albums like "Album [Disc 1]" and "Album [Disc 2]". I, like you, prefer to have it under one CD, but still separated. This is what I do personally, and I think you'll find it to work well for you too!

1.) Highlight all of the songs from the first disc, alt-click, and go to Get Info. Change the disc number info of "1 of 2", and then rename the album to just the album name without the [disc] part.

2.) Highlight all of the songs from the second disc, alt-click, go to Get Info. Change the disc number info to "2 of 2", and then rename the album to just the album name, to match the first disc.

Now, you will notice the entire album will be under one entry, however it will still be in order like:
-Track 1 Disc 1
-Track 2 Disc 1
-Track 3 Disc 1
-Track 1 Disc 2...etc

----
You can then apply album art as you wish. You can add multiple art to a cd (so for example, a back.) however iTunes will only automatically get the cover for you, if you want to get the back you'll need to obtain these images yourself. Either from an image search on Google or scanning it.

Once you have the image, go into get info of a song, and go to artwork. Click Add, and add the other image. You will see both images lined up. You also may able to simply drag and drop the image from your computer onto the artwork viewer, but I am not sure if this adds a new image or replaces the old one.

When you have multiple art items, you can scroll through them in the lower left artwork viewer by using the little left and right arrows above the image.

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Answer 2

NObodE Author

Level 1

7 points

Jun 13, 2010 12:41 AM in response to AHXtreme42

Sounds like you know what you are talking about. Thanks. I read it once and being up and on call for 48 hours it did not completely register right off. I will have to get some sleep first and read it again.

I have obtained a lot of artwork since most of my music is from old CDs I want to trash (or if there is a market for old CDs or any CDs, I should check that out). I did try what you suggested before I posted this. I just get the image from google images, download it, drag and drop it in the artwork tab of Get Info for a specific CD and it usually "***** it right up." However, I found a few back sides but I could not figure out how to put the artwork because it is not like you can click the CD and it flips over to the backside.

I will try your recommendation for having one CD with the 2 discs inside the one CD. I hope I got it, because having 2 CDs that look exactly the same really bother an OCD guy. lol

Cheers

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Answer 3

turingtest2

Level 10

278,263 points

Jun 13, 2010 1:14 AM in response to NObodE

See also http://samsoft.org.uk/iTunes/grouping.asp#section7

tt2

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Answer 4

NObodE Author

Level 1

7 points

Jun 14, 2010 1:45 AM in response to AHXtreme42

Hey AHX-
It did not work. The 2 CDs still are in "Music" with the respective songs with each CD. However, the Disc 1 and Disc 2 are removed and just the name of the original CD is the name of both of the CDs. What do you mean by "alt-click?" Are you saying highlight every song by alt-command and clicking each song so it remains highlighted? When you say; "Change the disc number info of "1 of 2" and "2 of 2." Under Get Info it already says 1 of 2 and the 2nd CD says 2 of 2. Are you saying to check the box next to 1 of 2 and 2 of 2 or what are you saying by putting 1 of 2 and 2 of 2 in quotes?

Eager to get this done right. another reply is posted and I can't find my reading glasses so I have to wait until the morning to find the glasses so I can read what it is the link says.

Thanks

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Answer 5

NObodE Author

Level 1

7 points

Jun 14, 2010 1:56 AM in response to NObodE

AHX-
Not sure if it is because when I highlight all the songs by going up to "Edit" "Select All" after I have double clicked the CD which moves it to a place all by itself and does it matter if I right click all the highlighted songs or highlight the CD cover and go to Get Info and both CD have nothing where it has Track Number above Disc Number, for track number (since both CDs have 20 songs they both show under Track Number <0> of 20 (with an empty box where I put the <0>. Disc 2 has the same thing under Track Number> Not sure why it did not work but you have any ideas?

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Answer 6

Jun 14, 2010 7:16 PM in response to NObodE

When I mean by alt click, I mean right click...but it's technically called alternate click for Macs I think. By selecting them, I mean simply select all of the items and edit their info at once. So when you're editing multiple items, you can hold shift, select the first track, select the last track, and then all are highlighted. Then right click (or whatever) that selection and select Get Info. Now you are editing info for ALL of the selected items.

If the discs are already numbered properly, then awesome. Disc one items should be "disc 1 of 2" and disc 2 items should be "disc 2 of 2". If they are already like that then you don't need to change anything.

You mentioned some fields being blank (like disc number or whatever) this will happen if you select multiple items with DIFFERENT values. For example, say you highlight both the first and second disc items. Well, you'll see "Disc __ of 2" because, the first set of items are 1 of 2 while the other set is 2 of 2. Hence the blank. So whenever you see an empty field, it means some of your selected items have multiple values (either that or it has nothing) if you were to change the value, it would change it for ALL selected items.

If items are not lining up under the same album (even if they are titled the same) double check the artist, album artist, and sorting info (under the sort tab) and make sure everything is consistent (aside from the track numbers and disc numbers)

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Answer 7

NObodE Author

Level 1

7 points

Jun 14, 2010 8:29 PM in response to AHXtreme42

AHX-

I figured you are a non-Mac user when I remembered the days when I alt-click, which is a right click. With the Mac, you just have to hold down the shift key and highlight all you want. For Macs it is shift-click.

Yes the discs already had the right info in Get Info as far as Disc 1 of 2 and disc 2 of 2. That was already filled in, but it still would not work. As I stated below, I think it has something to do with both CDs have 1-20 tracks. If it was like CD 1 has tracks 1-20 and CD 2 has tracks 21-40, but it is not like that. I think that is why it will not work for this CD. it might if I go back and rename the tracks as I stated below.

I did figure out why sometimes the Disc 1 of 2 or 2 of 2 is blank is because when I highlight all the songs at once the first number, like disc 1, will be empty but the 2nd field will have disc 2 in place. If I highlight all the songs in disc 2 the same things will happen, the 2nd field will be empty so it will be Disc Blank of 2. When I just highlight one song than the proper numbers are in place meaning it will say, Disc 1 of 2 and disc 2 of 2, but it will only be there if I highlight ONE song, not all the songs. when I highlight all the songs as you said to do, it takes away the 1 or the 2 depending on what disc I have all the songs highlighted.

I did make sure everything is consistent, I even deleted the fields of the 2nd CD and did a copy and paste from the first CD to the second CD just to make sure what was in the Get Info for CD 1 was exactly in the Get Info for CD 2. That did not do the trick so I gathered it has to be because both CDs have the same track numbers.

I never could figure it out (why your way would not work for me) but I think it has something to do with CD Disc 1 has tracks 1-20 and Disc 2 has tracks 1-20. I could not get the 2 CDs to jpin into one after following your instructions. I went to my One-to-One appointment today and the trainer knows how to make a 2-disk CD in to 1 CD but with the CD I am trying to do it to (and I showed him your instructions) he could not figure it out. The other guy who gave that link did not help me but it did led me to beleive I will probably have to rename the tracks and since there are 2 discs both with tracks 1-20, rename them like they are tracks 1-40 and work backwards so it would be track 40 CD 2, track 39 CD 2, track 38 CD 2, etc. Do you think that will work?

I have not tried it because after the expert at the Apple Store could not do it and he said he has done hundreds of CDs that have 2 discs, I kind of gave it up for awhile. I worked on it all night and could not get it to work. I have not tried to go back and renumber the tracks and CDs

I fig

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Answer 8

turingtest2

Level 10

278,263 points

Jun 14, 2010 11:15 PM in response to NObodE

You don't have to number the tracks sequentially, I just happen to think it looks better that way. Also, if you don't number sequentially then you must fill in the disc numbers or the tracks will play out of sequence.

Let's try a *Step by step:*

1) Select all the tracks of disc 1, Get Info, enter the disc numbers as *1 of 2* and click OK
.
2) Select all the tracks of disc 2, Get Info, enter the disc numbers as *2 of 2* and click OK.

3) Select all the tracks of both discs, Get Info, make sure that you have non-empty fields for, at minimum, the Album title and *Album Artist*. Empty fields will imply that different tracks have different values so iTunes would see these tracks as being from two or more different albums. Edit any empty fields that should be common across all tracks to show your desired value. Click OK.

4) If the tracks still won't join into a single album then work patiently through the whole post at http://samsoft.org.uk/iTunes/grouping.asp - the fix will be there.

tt2

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Answer 9

NObodE Author

Level 1

7 points

Jun 19, 2010 3:15 PM in response to turingtest2

I actually figured it all out. I have not looked at the link you gave me in your last post but I appreciate your help. I think actually had I followed your initial post that sent me to the homemade iTunes page, I would have saved a lot of time.

What I needed to do initially , since both CDs had 1 song of 20, 2 of 20, 3 of 20, etc. on the first disk and the same numbering on the 2nd disk. ie 1 of 20, 2 of 20, etc. was to renumber, starting from the last song and working forward (ie, 40 of 40, 39 of 40, 38 of 40, etc. All the way to 1 of 40. Once I finished that the CDs merged as one and it was all done.

It was strange that iTunes did not even know how to help me, the genius bar had no idea what the problem was and a lady at the Apple Store I took an iTune workshop from had no idea what to do.

Thanks for your help.

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