iTunes won't add mp4 video files to the library

Is anyone else having the problem of putting a "video" into iTunes -- but having iTunes treat it like an audio file?

I've ripped DVD's and Blu Ray's and imported them into iTunes. However; some of them (but not all of them), come in as an audio file.

When I right-click on the file and go to "Get Info" -- the tabs across the top read:

- Summary - Info - Video - Sorting - Options - Lyrics

I've marked the file under the Options tab as: Media Kind: Movie

But iTunes still thinks this is an Audio file.

A video file that iTunes thinks is a "Video" file (correctly) has the following tabs across the top:

- Summary - Info - Video - Sorting - Options - Lyrics - Artwork

I want my video files to come into iTunes as video's with the Artwork tab so I can add an image.

Anyone out there have any ideas on how to fix this?

Thank you!

Check your format, it shud be m4v.

You shud be able to convert with Quicktime, export to Apple TV (Check the format when conversion is complete).

Then open iTunes Music folder, then add to Automatically Add to iTunes. The file shud be in Home Videos folder and show up in your devices under Movies.

Cheers

This answer needs to be highlighted.

When the Read-Only trick doesn't work, and you are using Premiere Pro to encode, THIS is the answer. The other solutions like "re-encoded with xxxxx" are behind the scenes using the right presets without saying. In this case Premiere offers too many options without knowing (or saying) the implications and obviously iTunes can't generate a message saying: use this preset/codec/whatever "xxxxxx" and rather just pretends like you didn't really mean to say 'add to library'

Well done and thank you, joema

SOLVED SOLVED SOLVED!!! Check to see if you still have Quicktime installed on your machine... this is the module of iTunes that plays back your video files.. I just noticed mine was missing, so I downloaded it and voila!! 🙂

hey everyone,

i have read everything over here. none of these are helping me.

As i try to drag and drop my .mp4 video to itunes to sync on my ipad 4 the mouse changes to a symbol of not allowed (a circle with a line across it). if i try to add them by "add file to library" there is no response by itunes.

please help me with this

I'm guessing it has to do with the video format and codec. Download MediaInfo http://mediaarea.net/en/MediaInfo and paste the info here of the file type your trying to import to itunes.

Hey,

Thanx fr helping dude but I guess the reboot worked for me. I tried rebooting first but it didn't work. So I just tried one more time and BINGO I got it.

Rich9454a you're my hero. After much internet searching (to no avail) I found your comment, and you were right, it was due to my QuickTime being an old version. When I updated to the latest-and-greatest, I was once again able to import MP4s into iTunes. Thanks so much!

After much research and testing...i worked it out!!!

1> open itunes .edit->preferences->advanced

2>look where the itunes media folder location is

3>on your comp, browse to that location

then just create a folder named "home videos" inside itunes media

for me the folder was missing...after i created it worked just fine.atleast for .mp4 format.

hope it helps!!

Same here! Got a new PC tried to move my movies and installing Quicktime was the solution!

Whenever I tried to link a movie into my library it didn't do anything. I noticed the movie was set to "Read Only" in its properties. Not sure if your problem is fixed or not but for anyone else who comes here for help see it it's checked. If it is, uncheck it and try again. As others have also said try installing QuickTime again.

Make sure that the file is NOT set to be Read Only. Check the Properties for the specific file and be sure that Read Only is unchecked. That fixed my problem.

Thank you so much; I never would have solved the problem without your solution.

So I found another solution to this problem, my problem was that the Homevideos tab wouldn't appear at all when I imported the movies. no search bar available, nothing. This was my solution.

1. Using handbrake convert just one of your videos to M4V but use the MPEG-4 format not the H.264 or w/e format it defaults to. (dont delete original)

2. import converted file (this causes home videos tab to appear)

3. Import all of your other movies.

5. change their media kind to Movie from the get info section and there you go.

6. make popcorn

I haven't tried handbrake yet. I've found that some movies I've converted to MP4 will sync to my iPad 2 and some just won't. Have no idea why.