Change Kbps or less.

You can convert the songs within iTunes. First, check your CD import settings to make sure it's setup for higher than 96kps. Then, choose a few songs as a test, right click and then "Convert to..... (be it AIFF, AAC or whatever your settings are)". Then re-try the Match for those to make sure it works.

Unfortunately if you have a lot of music like this, it will be a bit time-consuming to convert all of them before retrying Match. As for which format to use (AIFF / MP3 / AAC) we're not sure if it really matters. I would recommend MP3 or AAC first just because it reduces the upload times if you don't get a match. And then try AIFF for a second pass as you might get a little better results with that as it's lossless.

Preferences / General and then the "When you insert a CD" section and the "Import Settings" button. Using the AAC encoder with the iTunes Plus setting would probably be good for the first pass, and then the AIFF encoder for the second pass. I usually recommend it this way because if you end up uploading hundreds of files, you'd be better off doing that with AAC as the file sizes are smaller and will take less time.

After you set this, you'll see a "Create xxxx" if you right click a song (Not "Convert", my bad on my first reply). Depending on what your import settings are, it will say AAC / MP3 / AIFF etc.

robeet said, "Using the AAC encoder with the iTunes Plus setting would probably be good for the first pass, and then the AIFF encoder for the second pass. I usually recommend it this way because if you end up uploading hundreds of files, you'd be better off doing that with AAC as the file sizes are smaller and will take less time."

Roebeet, Happy New Year! Just to be clear on how Match handles various formats, there's this from an Apple support document.

http://support.apple.com/kb/HT4914

Songs encoded in ALAC, WAV, or AIFF will be transcoded to a separate temporary AAC 256 kbps file locally, prior to uploading to iCloud. The original files will remain untouched.

So if you're saying one can save time by making all AIFF files and letting iTunes match use those to determine what matches, what uploads, I imagine that's true. iTunes can scan the AIFF files and determine what is a match, what will need to be uploaded. You will end up with a larger iTunes library locally, but that's another issue.

While the net time savings from using AIFF could be significant, I think it's important though for everyone to be aware that for each AIFF not matched, time gets added during the uploading process, because each AIFF will be transcoded on the fly to AAC. Because these temp AAC files are being created in the background, it's quite possible they're the real cause of some of the slow upload times, and "hangs" some people have reported. I'd still do it the way you describe, though.

For what it's worth, If I read it correctly, only AAC and MP3 files ever get uploaded - and my experience is that if it's an AAC file encoded by some other app besides iTunes, there's small chance it will upload, but not play. I spent a considerable part of yesterday swapping out non-players with iTunes AACs.

I've heard that the AIFF files might be transcoded locally and not in the Cloud, if they are uploaded. So you might be right that the upload speeds might be the same. But there's the additional CPU usage for the local transcode and, as you mentioned, the local storage increases. I personally haven't seen a clear match improvement with AIFF over AAC (or even MP3) but it's possible that there is a slight improvement.

Here's a twist for you. I created a set of AIFFs in Audacity this morning. iTunes Match marked them as ineligible. I had to create Apple AAC's to get the album past the initial screening. Only one matched, but that's not surprising. It was a vinyl rip of Jackson Brown's Running On Empty - not one where you can easily decide where one song ends and another begins.

Purchased = Songs you purchased from the iTunes Store.

Matched = Songs imported to iTunes that have been matched ot a corrosponding track in the iTunes Store.

Uploaded = Songs that are neither purchased or matched, but were instead uploaded to the cloud. Generally as-is.

Waiting = Generally songs that are "waiting" to be uploaded or otherwise matched. What does the iTunes Match entry in the left-hand column say is going on?

Harry Heck wrote:

Also, I noticed in my home directory, I have a fiolder "iTunes" which has a folder "iTunes Music" which hasn't been changed in a year. I also have, in the home diredctory, "Music- iTunes- iTunes Media" which was changed yesterday. It appears to have all my music in it. I'm thinking I can get rid of the iTunes folder. Any thoughts?

Check in iTunes Prefs > Advanced and in the "itunes media folder location" field double-check where iTunes thinks your Library is. Then double-check both folders and see what is in them. If you are satisfied that one or the other is your iTunes library you may delete the other witout incident. But be sure and have a current backup just in case.

JiminMissouri wrote:

Here's a twist for you. I created a set of AIFFs in Audacity this morning. iTunes Match marked them as ineligible. I had to create Apple AAC's to get the album past the initial screening. Only one matched, but that's not surprising. It was a vinyl rip of Jackson Brown's Running On Empty - not one where you can easily decide where one song ends and another begins.

That is interesting, as I've not had a problem with either AIFF or WAV files. What Khz and bit-rate did you record them at? I know iTunes Match does not like 96 Khz, 24-bit files, but it works fine with 48 Khz, 24-bit and lower.

Fantastic album, BTW.

@Jim maybe it's whatever codec Audacity is using to create those files. But I'm reasonably sure that I've created AIFF's myself in Audacity (Windows) that at least uploaded. Same thing in my case - needledrops that I had tested in iTM.

Double-check the backup! 🙂

Ok, then, what I suggest is you delete the "waiting" songs from your iTunes library, but not delete the files from the HDD obviously, and add them back to your library.

Michael, the Audacity master was 96/24, and I doubt I went into AIFF options to see if I could kick it down. I imagine that's the problem, so thanks for tipping me off. Yes, it's a great album and anybody who thinks you couldn't record great stuff in a Holiday Inn room in 1977 ought to give it a listen (and closely after one particularly politically incorrect song) Got the thing still in shrink with the original booklet - sweet.