Multiple iTunes Music Libraries

Do you mean "synchronizing" the libraries to each other tather than "scyncing" the two libraries to one iPod?

I think you have to either be truly systematic in adding material to each library, or peruse commercial utilities. Even those may not do truly what you want which is have two identical libraries but one in high quality and the other in lower quality. They are more designed to keep two libraries identical.

PowerTunes - http://www.fatcatsoftware.com/powertunes/ (commercial software)

syncOtunes - http://homepage.mac.com/oligrob/syncOtunes/syncOtunes.html

The other thing you could do would be have one library, then set up smart playlists so one just has low quality content and synch the ipod to a playlist rather than the whole library.

There's the iTunes application. There's the iTunes library which is basically a file (library.itl) which contains pointers to the media files themselves wherever you store them (usually on the internal hard drive). Playlists are also kept in this library file.

What are the iTunes library files? - http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1660

More on iTunes library files and what they do - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ITunes#Media_management

Most people just have one library, but you can have multiple libraries, each in its own iTunes folder and each with its own library.itl file which points to media files (where exactly can very but it depends upon how complex you want to be about this -- I have several libraries but some of of the links point to the same file in all). From what you said it sounded like you have two libraries and two iTunes folders, each with its own set of iTunes files and folders. In one you have your high quality and in the other you have your low quality, but it's tricky keeping things straight in both. If I'm wrong here then I'm missing something in your explanation.

Wait, doesn't my library need to be on the device that I create playlists on?

To reiterate, the library file does contain the playlists.

iOS: Syncing with iTunes - http://support.apple.com/kb/ht1386 - You have to either sync everything or selected playlists.

Yes, more or less, but you know there may even be a better way without creating duplicates:

Select "Convert higher bitrate songs to 128 kbps AAC" - http://forums.macrumors.com/showthread.php?t=303772 - discussion from 2007

David Roe wrote:

Ooo, that looks interesting, I'll have to poke around for that feature when I get home this evening. One of the posters wrote an apple script to do this as well.

Thanks.

No need for an AppleScript.

This has been updated (since the 2007 post) and you can now convert/sync to 128, 192 or 256kbps.