All I want to do is transfer a few "Flac CDs" to the ipod, select which is to play all through, and listen.

Yes, iTunes does all the ripping. You will need an internet connection when importing, so that iTunes can find the relevant information about the CD. In this case, iTunes does copy - from the CD and makes that copy in the Music folder on your computer. iTunes will create a folder and sub-folders (in the Music folder), named as follows: iTunes / iTunes Music (or possibly iTunes / iTunes Media).

At this point, I strongly recommend that you do not try to override iTunes. This organisation is for iTunes' benefit, so that it can do the job you ask of it. You on the other hand, will organise the music inside iTunes itself. If you try to over-ride iTunes' organisation, you will end up with issues later on.

In the iTunes Music sub-folder:

• for a single artist album, iTunes will create a folder for each artist and then a sub-folder for each album. In the album folder will be all the songs from that album. For example: iTunes Music / John Lennon / Imagine / <song title>
• it will also create a sub-folder named Compilations
• for a compilation (Various Artists) album, iTunes will create a sub-folder in the Compilations folder, named with the title of the album. That folder will have the songs from that album. For example: iTunes Music / Compilations / Motown Chartbusters Vol. 7 / <song title>

It is very neat.

Importing from a CD (using the screenshot below):

• before you import from the CD, let's set the Import Using, so that iTunes uses a format you want
• on the iTunes top bar menu, click on Edit / Preferences (1.) (Preferences will be on the Edit menu)
• on the General tab (2.), click on Import Settings (3.)
• On the Import Using drop-down menu (4.), select either:
  • Apple Lossless - the sub-setting is automatic and the Details box will say All Automatic
  • MP3 Encoder - and then change setting underneath that to Custom. The Details box should says 256Kbps VBR

• Click on OK button - OH! I've added an extra step, which isn't noted in the screenshot
• on the General tab, make sure that the setting When you insert a CD: is set to Show CD. Again, you'll see why later. Now click the OK button too, to save all these settings

Now put a CD into your drive. I suggest you experiment, by using two single artist albums (one using Apple Lossless Encoder and the other in MP3 Encoder). That way, you can compare the two formats to see whether you prefer one over the other. We'll look at compilation albums in a separate post. Remind me if I forget.

• put CD into drive
• iTunes switches to the Import CD (1.) window and shows you the CD, complete with the titles:

• At this time, you can correct any mistakes with the titles, before importing. You can do it afterwards as well if required
• click on Import CD (2.)
• iTunes will do all the work. It will take a couple of minutes

That's it.

If you now look in the main iTunes Music Library, you will see the two albums. There are many ways to view your Library, so if what you see now doesn't suit you, we can find a better view. Again, we'll talk about that in a separate post.

In the meantime, here's a screenshot of a view that might suit you. If you don't like it, we can soon find another one:

Because my Library has many genres in it, I've selected just the Classical genre to demonstrate it to you. Your Library will not list a genre unless you have music of that genre .

I suspect the best thing you can do is forget everything you already know and start from scratch. Yes, I'll explain.

I suspect, from what you've said, that you're trying to do things with the iPod in the same way that you've done them on an non-Apple device up to now. What you need to do is understand how an iPod works, then you will be able to achieve what you want.

• The first point is that an iPod cannot play Flac files (note, they're "Flac files", not "Flac CDs"). They may have been copied from a CD, but now they're simply digital audio files, in Flac format
• To add content stored on your computer (or NAS drive) onto an iPod, you need to use iTunes (the desktop programme). No if or buts
• There are ways (as you may have been informed) to add music to an iPod without using iTunes but - that's achieved by buying music from the iTunes Store, directly on the iPod. Unless I'm mistaken, this is clearly not what you want or need to do
• There is a second issue, which is that iTunes will not add Flac files to its Library. So you will either need to:
  • convert the Flac files to another suitable format, using suitable software
  • go back to the original source of the Flac files and either
    • if they copied from CDs, use those CDs to copy from those directly into iTunes
    • if you obtained them in Flac format (for example, from an online store), go back to the store an see whether you can download the music in an alternative version, one that iTunes can use. (I'm possibly stating the obvious here, but most - not all - digital music stores will have alternative formats and allow you to download those formats for no extra cost, providing you're signed into the same account.)

Obviously, this is an outline of what needs to happen. I can (and will gladly) provide detail on each of the steps above, as the time comes. There would be too much information at this time if I provide full details now, which is why I'm suggesting all this in stages.

And in case you're thinking of asking; I am not going to suggest or "make you use" Playlists or other (unnecessary) "paraphernalia". What I will suggest and encourage you to do is accept that both iTunes and the iPod will work much more efficiently if you use the artist and song titles, even for classical music. I've seen many discussions here, started by classical music enthusiasts, who want to use the composer and iTunes can do that, if you wish. I play classical music on my iPod, so I speak from experience

DrLion wrote:

I have no wish to store anything on the ipod, just change the few CD's now and then.

I assume that you mean as your only storage location, because obviously, music that you wish to play on the iPod will need to be "stored" on that iPod. (The music is stored on your NAS drive, catalogued by iTunes to create your iTunes Library) and then, by using the iTunes procedure known as Sync (as in synchronise), copied from the NAS drive to the iPod. So, make sure you understand this point: your music is not stored in iTunes. Changing your selection from time to time (as you have mentioned that you will wan to do) will be a piece of cake!

Now, call me fussy, but rather than thinking about "changing CDs now and then", think of each CD as an album and that you will be changing albums (or even just individual pieces of music if that takes your fancy). In that way, you will gain a better understanding of what iTunes is doing and why it's doing it.

Hopefully, I can address every point you've identified.

iTunes cannot process Flac files, so it cannot convert them. I assume (and I could be wrong) that the ability to handle Flac files would require a licence to use the Flac codec. Since Flac is a minority format, one would have to consider whether paying for such a licence would be money well spent. Every manufacturer has attempted to introduce its own format, in order to gain kudos by setting the standard etc. and older mp3 players often played only their own format and mp3s. MP3 is the default format that all portable audio players can play, hence the generic term MP3 Player.

The quality of mp3s has improved, by using a higher Bit Rate. Store bought songs are now sold in higher mp3 format. In addition, Apple has its own higher quality format as well, but that format may not be usable on non-Apple players.

So, to get those pieces of music onto your iPod, you would need to follow my previous suggestions.

iTunes is four things:

1. a database (or catalogue) of your music. It lists everything you add to it. The music is not "in" iTunes. Instead, it's kept in the location it was in when you added it to iTunes
2. a music management tool. It allows you to edit the tags used in audio files that give you information about the music. Consider this: your computer deals with files. A document is one type of file, while an audio file is another, each one of which has a filename. Audio files tend to have filenames that indicate the name of the song. But that doesn't give you everything you might want when playing the song. So audio files have tags, which hold precise information about each part of the song, but don't interfere with the song itself. Once added to iTunes, those audio files become "songs". Each song is tagged to have the song name, performing artist, album title, composer and more. A lot of this information is used by people listening to classical music. I certainly use it. That's how one listens to the complete Four Seasons by Vivaldi, by one orchestra, even when you have two different copies on your iPod.
3. a management system for iPods, to enable management of the IPod and its content
4. an audio player. It can play all the music that it has listed in its database. When iTunes is used to play a song, it uses the file that you added to its its source.

Once files are added to your iTunes programme, they are known as songs. Using the term iTunes Library (which I always do), clarifies exactly what one is referring to, which is the sum of all the music listed in the iTunes programme, as well as Podcasts and audiobooks. Many users simply refer to "iTunes", which means the reader has to determine whether the writer means:

• • the computer programme known as iTunes
  • the iTunes Store, where some users buy their music
  • the music that they've purchased

It's a minefield.

The only thing that iTunes changes are the fields that you personally edit. Those fields are used by other audio file players, so they should all read those same tags and supply you with the same information. That said, iTunes has additional tags that it alone uses. For example, iTunes can tell you how many times you've played a particular piece of music and it notes any rating that you've assigned to the song. That information is not used by other audio players. If you don't wish to make use of it, you don't have to - simply don't use it. But, as I previously mentioned, I recommend using basic information such as song title, artist (performer) and album title. Some fields may be populated, but you can simply ignore them.

There is an option in iTunes (the programme) to create an alternative (lower quality) version of your Library onto an iPod, in order to save space on the iPod. This does not change the original file, only the copy it puts onto your iPod. A Sync (synchronise) does not "change" the music or the file for that music.

More to come in next post....

... The purpose of a Sync is just that, to synchronise the iPod and its associated Library so that they are the same (that still doesn't alter the file). So when you want to swap out one album for another on your iPod, all you do is say "take off this album and put on that album". So that's two steps, rather than dragging off every individual song on an album and then dragging on every single song from another album.

Since you now own the iPod, and there's only one method for getting music onto it as far as you're concerned, why not install iTunes if you haven't already done so? Then add just one or two albums to iTunes from your CDs (that it sounds as though you still have). If not, what other files in digital form do you have that can be added?

Once you've added some music to your iTunes - and you then have an iTunes Library, why not use Sync to put that music onto your iPod? It's the only way you will find out whether you like the iPod.

One last thing; all that negative stuff you've heard about Apple, iTunes and iPods. Yes, there are things I don't like about iTunes, Apple do have their moments. But all those naysayers are simply taking delight at knocking something that they don't use and have no interest in, apart from knocking it.

Don't believe me? Well, I've seen several posts in the past from people who create an Apple user ID such as "I-hate-apple-12345667" and then post here with " I hate Apple, I hate iTunes, I bought an iPod" - apparently, in that order!

How else can I help you enjoy the iPod you now have?