How can I convert MP3/MP4 files to an Apple format on a Mac Studio M1?

grievous angel.wtj wrote:

So I am thinking about converting the MP4 song to an Apple Lossless Kind. Plus I am concerned about the audio quality when Music converts the MP3 to Lossless, and also Music does not convert MP4 files to other.

Converting a song prepared with lossy compression into Apple Lossless format will not restore the lost sound quality. The loss in sound quality happened when you prepared the MP3 or AAC file.

This conversion will simply preserve the existing (reduced) sound quality while making the song take up more space.

It sounds like you have a specific setup for your recording studio on your Mac Studio M1 Max running macOS Sonoma 14. If you're trying to avoid using Rosetta 2, you'll want to focus on finding audio software and plugins that have native M1 support. Many developers have been working on optimizing their software for Apple's M1 architecture.

Here are some steps you can take:

1. **Check for Native M1 Support:** Visit the official websites of the software and plugins you use (such as UA LUNA, SSL controllers, and plugins) to see if they have released updates with native M1 support. Many developers have been releasing M1-compatible versions of their software.

2. **Contact Support:** If you can't find information on native M1 support, consider reaching out to the developers' support teams directly to inquire about their plans for M1 compatibility.

3. **Explore Alternatives:** If some of your essential software doesn't have M1 support yet, you may need to explore alternative software that does. Look for recommendations from other Mac Studio M1 users in recording studio forums and communities.

4. **Stay Updated:** Keep your macOS and software/plugins up to date, as developers are continuously working on improving compatibility.

5. **Virtualization:** As a last resort, if you absolutely need to run software that is Rosetta-dependent, you may consider using virtualization software like Parallels Desktop or VMware Fusion to run a compatible version of macOS alongside your main setup. This can be resource-intensive, so it's not ideal for all situations.

Always make sure to back up your data and projects before making significant changes to your setup, and consider consulting with fellow recording professionals who have experience with M1-based Macs and your specific software and hardware configuration.

grievous angel.wtj wrote:

While running Music on my Mac Studio M1 Max, If I have two songs from the same artist and album and one happens to Apple Lossless/HLS and the other song is MP4. Unless I missed something, due to different song Kind (Lossless and MP4), Music forces two copies of the Album, one for Lossless and one for the MP4 songs. Have y'all seen this behavior?

Yes, that would be normal for two different formats of the same song.

So I am thinking about converting the MP4 song to an Apple Lossless Kind.

Why not just keep the Apple lossless version and delete the MP4?

Plus I am concerned about the audio quality when Music converts the MP3 to Lossless.

The converted file won't sound any better than the source.

Should avoid running Rosette on the DAW dedicated Mac Studio?

There's no reason to avoid Rosetta.

Just curious as to why you want to convert the files. The MP3/MP4 formats are "lossy" and there would be no quality improvement converting them.

In the file tags (info), did you set the album name exactly the same? That’s where it comes from.