Time for imported AAC files is changing to 789:57:13

I am having the same problem. And I am also on the Audacity Forum and there are several others. Personally, I think it is an ITUNES problem. It didn't happen until the last iTunes update which was early last week. I have 2 computers with the exact same songs. My 2nd computer has NOT been updated and all the songs are perfect. On the computer I updated with the NEW iTunes, the songs from Audacity are showing 789 hrs. Now from all that I have tested, MP3 and WAVs that were created in Audacity and imported to ITUNES are OK. The M4a files are not being read right and are converting to 789:57:13 and therefore unreadable. I spent 5 days working with Apple and they say tuff cookies. I feel stuck and don't know what to do. Like I have mentioned I have 6K or more filed that now read 789 hrs. Now if you take that song and re-input into Audacity and convert it MP3 and then reimport back to iTunes, it will work. It is just a ton of work to do it. My songs do work on other apps including Virtual DJ that I use alot

Then I don't know. Where you importing one way before and you changed the type of file that you are importing now.? Mine is very consistant. If I imported using mp3 (which I did for awhile), the song plays fine. However, I switched awhile ago to creating files in audacity and then exporting them using m4a. Those are the ones with the 789 hrs. I don't know - what a mess. Just weird that one computer is not working right and my 2nd computer which has not been updated is just fine. If you hear anything, let me know.

I would send back feedback everyday to iTunes about the problem. If everyone bombards them maybe they will wake up and reinstall 9.2.3. Did it really start going bad after the last update? Did you change how you were importing from Audacity (i.e. mp3 vs m4a or AAC?)

In response to Masterdance and following up on his other thread.

I have also raised the issue with Apple. Just a reminder that I am running an iMac on Mojave 10.14.4, which makes me believe it's their problem. Given that, their initial response that 'Audacity is a 3rd party piece of software and so is not supported' is IMHO inadequate and I will follow that up. Other research also suggests that 789:57:13 is a fault code generated by iTunes to say that something's wrong with a file and it has occurred intermittently over the years with many earlier releases of iTunes.

Audacity is a widely-used program, that is frequently supplied with USB vinyl record decks. That's one of the uses I've put it to; to convert some of my old vinyl. I've discovered that virtually all the files created in m4a format (with several versions of Audacity) that I've tried from this source have had their running time altered and become unplayable.

I've also looked at the pragmatic solution of batch conversion programs (m4a to mp3). I came across the free / shareware one from MediaHuman, (there are others) which I have tried briefly (the Mac version) and which seems to work, in that the 'faulty' files quickly convert to mp3 and reimport to iTunes without issues.

This may be a way for others with far more files (& more pressing needs) to resolve the issue until Apple admit there's a problem. I have also updated to the latest version of Audacity (2.3.1) and plug-ins, but I haven't tried to generate m4a files - yet. I will report any progress in due course.

Thank u. I agree with u. Apple needs to wake up. I wish it was as simple as converting to MPs. Unfortunately I have 250 playlists with about 100 songs in each. Alot if songs in multiple playlists. As u know if I convert to MPs it sets up a new song this I have to find the playlists the songs r in and then delete the m4a songs. I have in total 18k songs with maybe 5k corrupted. Disgusting. Apple: Figure it out. Shouldn't be rocket science

I have just discovered this problem, not having used iTunes for a few days, but it must have started at the last update. I too am running an iMac on Mojave 10.14.4. I have quite literally thousands of files affected having spent the last four years ripping my vinyl collection using VinylStudio which converts to m4a and has worked perfectly in that entire time. Until now. To say I am not happy is an understatement. I'm going to try another rip to see if I have the same problem with new files.

Doesn’t sound like it. The VinylStudio guys are pretty good with their support so when they say they’re going to fix it (presumably independently of Apple) I trust them way more than I do Apple. You might have more joy with Audacity doing something similar?

Darn. Not sure audacity is going to help. I am trying to encourage everyone to keep sending feedback to apple. Dont know what else to do. I am sending them a note every day. Somebody there should wake up. Naybe we should take it to social media

It would be beneficial if you would contact apple or send notice through feedback. They are saying that it is not their issue, but I believe it is something that occurred during the last iTunes update.

Yep, exactly the same symptoms. My machine is fine on 10.4.3 and itunes 12.9.2.5. Wife's machine is no good on 10.4.4 and itunes 12.9.4.94.

Same m4a files added to itunes, with different results. Mine is 100%. Wife's itunes shows the song length as 789.57.13 and won't play.

Converting the same songs to MP3 and adding to itunes works fine. Clearly a bug in something to do with AAC decryption or whatever in the latest itunes ??

Please Apple fix this - wife is a gym instructor using her music to make her income. Bit awkward.

Hi, Just read these posts/replies as I have the same issue as of iTunes update 12.9.4.

Seems any AAC encoded file that was not created in iTunes or not created with the ALAC Codec format is defaulting to the 789:57:13 time and will not play or is not recognized by this version of iTunes.

For me, any files I encoded using Switch Sound File Converter Plus using the AAC Codec as opposed to Apple Lossless (ALAC) to file output format for m4a (iPhone/iPod/iPad/iTunes. I have done this for years to save hard drive space. I have a very large library of files created this way (and also those from Apple). All the files I had created using the AAC Codec are now impacted and will not play. Apple purchased files and CDs imported are fine. The file converter I am using has the option to choose between the AAC and ALAC codec. If I use the ALAC Codec, the file will play in iTunes. Just that, a particular file that was created using the AAC codec was 8.4 MB compared to 107 MB in the ALAC format. That's a huge difference in file size.

I don't have a solution, but thought I'd share hoping these details may be helpful. This seems an error on Apple's part or an intentional change to the file formats they are supporting in iTunes (without notice!). Hoping they can correct. The only potential solution I see now is rolling back to an earlier version. I am thankful to the others posting here as it confirmed for me that the issue was Apple and update 12.9.4.

Wow you are awesome. They told me it could NOT be done. NOW that really makes me mad !!!!!! Apple is full of CRAP. I am not very techy. I am on Windows 10. Can you help me a bit more? Do I uninstall iTunes and then install 12.4.3 from the 2nd link you sent?

You are Brillant and a life saver. The Apple Guy had me delete something that I shouldn't have causing the older program not to work. I reinstalled it on a whim (had no idea what I was doing) and WHALLA - my songs are back !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

This problem is also happening for me, also on Mojave 10.14.4, to content bought from 7 digital some years ago.

The files I am having problems with can be opened with QuickTime player, and using 'Export As' -> 'Audio Only' creates a m4a file that works with iTunes.

I agree with you that it is not a long term solultion, but at least I am back up and working on my songs and files. I have sent feedback to them everyday for 2 weeks to try and wake them up. I have yelled and been extremely firm with 2 Support Staff with no results. Not sure where to go as they don't seem to care. I don't know if social media or the news media is the answer. It seems when there is an iPhone issue (I don't have one), it seems to get on the news. I think this should be the same. I talked with an advisor yesterday and he couldn't even help me to reinstall an older version so that I could at least be back up and running. He told me he was not allowed. He also did not know about the 789:57:13 problem. I told him I was shocked and would have thought there would have been an internal memo. He ended up actually making my situation worse, but luckily I recovered a file he told me to delete and once I did that iTunes (one version back) was back up. I am open to suggestions. I don't do facebook and I am definitely not technical. Most of this stuff I don't understand, but I am willing to hound who ever needs to be hounded to get this fixed. I like the functionality of ITUNES, but this is the 2nd time in the last year that apple has done something and caused me major problems.