Make an MP3 CD for car stereo

Question

Level 1

52 points

Make an MP3 CD for car stereo

In reviewing a number of postings here and elsewhere, I've had no luck in making such a CD. I have a playlist that I'd like to burn to a CD for the car. I've changed Preferences/Import Settings to mp3. I've selected the tracks in the playlist using Cmd-A. From the menu, I selected Advanced/Create MP3 and the mp3 file is located in the same folder as the original. But selecting File/Burn playlist to disk reports most of the files can not be burned to an MP3 CD. I then tried holding down the Option key and selecting Advanced/Convert to MP3. I select a folder and get another error: "none of the selected files could be converted"!

This really shouldn't be this tough. Anyone see what I am missing or doing wrong?

Thanks.

Posted on Jul 28, 2012 1:14 PM

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Answer 1

Limnos

Level 10

411,097 points

Jul 28, 2012 4:30 PM in response to JohnZonie

iTunes 10 for Mac: Create your own MP3 CDs - http://support.apple.com/kb/PH1748

iTunes: How to set the play order of songs on an MP3 CD - http://support.apple.com/kb/HT2455

iTunes 10 for Mac: Disc burning overview - http://support.apple.com/kb/PH1746

Follow directions to the letter. If it tells you to select a playlist, select a playlist in the left panel, not all the tracks in the playlist. All the tracks in the playlist must be in mp3 format. You may need to make a special playlist of just those files.

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Answer 2

JohnZonie Author

Level 1

52 points

Jul 28, 2012 4:47 PM in response to Limnos

Thanks for the links. My problem is in converting my library AAC files to mp3. I can't seem to get that part to work with my existing library of AAC files.

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Answer 3

Chris CA

Level 10

82,434 points

Jul 28, 2012 5:20 PM in response to JohnZonie

You need to add the MP3 versions of the songs you converted to a playlist and burn this new playlist.

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Answer 4

Limnos

Level 10

411,097 points

Jul 28, 2012 5:40 PM in response to JohnZonie

How old are these tracks and from what source? If they are pre-2009 iTunes purchases they are in a format that cannot be converted. They would have to be upgraded to iTunes Plus or burned as a normal audio CD, not mp3.

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Answer 5

JohnZonie Author

Level 1

52 points

Jul 28, 2012 7:13 PM in response to Chris CA

Chris CA wrote:

You need to add the MP3 versions of the songs you converted to a playlist and burn this new playlist.

That's the problem. I can't seem to convert the AAC files to MP3 using Advanced/Create MP3 as mentioned in my original post.

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Answer 6

JohnZonie Author

Level 1

52 points

Jul 28, 2012 7:17 PM in response to Limnos

Limnos wrote:

How old are these tracks and from what source? If they are pre-2009 iTunes purchases they are in a format that cannot be converted. They would have to be upgraded to iTunes Plus or burned as a normal audio CD, not mp3.

I have an iTunes Match subscription for my library. Is iTunes Plus still needed? When I search iTunes Plus in the store, it doesn't bring up any tracks used in this playlist.

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Answer 7

JohnZonie Author

Level 1

52 points

Jul 29, 2012 9:54 AM in response to JohnZonie

In case I am missing something obvious, here are the steps I am following:

1. Set Import preferences to mp3

2. Select (highlight) a track in a playlist whose "kind" indicates AAC audio file.

3. With the track highlighted and holding down the option key, select from the menu Advanced/Convert to mp3...

4. Make a new folder to theoretically receive the converted file. Select that folder.

5. Hit Open in that folder dialog.

This generates the message "None of the selected files could be converted".

I get similar results on both a MacPro (Lion) and a MacBook Air (Mountain Lion) so I suspect I am not doing something correct. I'd appreciate anyone pointing out my error.

Thanks.

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Answer 8

Jul 29, 2012 10:02 AM in response to JohnZonie

Are these files described as 'Protected AAC Audio File'? In that case, as said above, you can't convert them. You can burn them to an audio CD, or you can upgrade them to unprotected ('iTunes Plus') for a small fee.

Are you sure your car CD player will play MP3 files? Many will only play ordinary audio CDs.

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Answer 9

JohnZonie Author

Level 1

52 points

Jul 29, 2012 10:12 AM in response to Roger Wilmut1

Thanks for the reply.

No, they are not desctibed as protected but as AAC file. (Added Kind to the music columns and confirmed by Info for the track. Also, upgraded all music to iTunes plus. The track I am trying to convert came from an audio CD imported into iTunes. Also tried a track from the recent iTunes Plus upgrade, whose kind is listed as "Purchased AAC audio file. Go the same "None of the files could be converted" message.

Yes, the car player (2009 Prius) specifically supports mp3 (and wma) files on a data disk with folders etc.

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Answer 10

Jul 29, 2012 10:19 AM in response to JohnZonie

Not that it probably will make any difference, but what happens if you don't hold the option key down when choosing 'Convert to MP3'? (It should make a copy in the main Library list which you can then add to a playlist).

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Answer 11

JohnZonie Author

Level 1

52 points

Jul 29, 2012 10:28 AM in response to JohnZonie

It does indeed addd an mp3 file to the same folder that the origianl track was in. But the mp3 file is not visible in iTunes. (I am working on an 89 track playlist and I'd hate to have to navigate to each and every folder to add the mp3 manually. Surely there is a better way???)

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Answer 12

Jul 29, 2012 10:44 AM in response to JohnZonie

JohnZonie wrote:

It does indeed addd an mp3 file to the same folder that the origianl track was in. But the mp3 file is not visible in iTunes.

I'm not quite sure what you mean - if you go to the 'Music' section in iTunes you should see all your music there (set the display to 'song list'):

Then the converted file will also appear in the music list and you can drag it to a playlist. If you are doing a number you can sort by 'Date added' to bring them together.

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Answer 13

Chris CA

Level 10

82,434 points

Jul 29, 2012 10:51 AM in response to JohnZonie

I see what you are doing wrong.

Your steps are not correct.

In case I am missing something obvious, here are the steps I am following:

1. Set Import preferences to mp3

2. Select (highlight) a track in a playlist whose "kind" indicates AAC audio file.

3. With the track highlighted and holding down the option key, select from the menu Advanced/Convert to mp3...

And a dialog box pops up asking you for songs you want to add to iTunes and convert in one single step.

You already have the songs in iTunes.

Don't hold Option.

Just right click > Create MP3 version.

4. Make a new folder to theoretically receive the converted file. Select that folder.

This is incorrect. By holding Option and select Convert to MP3, iTunes is asking you for songs add to iTunes.

It tells you nothing was converted because you did not select any songs in the dialog box.

It does indeed addd an mp3 file to the same folder that the origianl track was in. But the mp3 file is not visible in iTunes. (I am working on an 89 track playlist

These songs will not get added to this playlist (unless it is a smart playlist and the rules will include the new files).

Do this...

Create a playlist with the songs you want to convert.
Select all these songs.
Right click > Create MP3 version.

Now there should be 89 new mp3 files.

Create a new smart playlist.
Match rule;
Kind is MPEG audio file
Sort by Date added.

This will show all MP3 files. The most recent 89 will be the MP3 files (copies from the playlist you made earlier0.

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Answer 14

JohnZonie Author

Level 1

52 points

Jul 29, 2012 11:30 AM in response to Chris CA

Excellent! Thanks for making things clear, Chris and Roger. I was indeed able to get the 89 mp3 files identified by date added. Since my ultimate goal is to burn these mp3 files to a CD for the car, I created a new playlist and dragged the 89 files from the smart playlist to the new playlist. Much to my surprise, the original file "kinds", not the mp3 ones, appeared. It didn't matter whether I selected them from the smart playlist or the music list, when sorted by date added. Even though the kind showed in both cases as MPEG audio file, the original files were still added.

What am I missing now?

Thanks for your patience!

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Answer 15

JohnZonie Author

Level 1

52 points

Jul 29, 2012 12:14 PM in response to JohnZonie

So I created a smart playlist that matched kind to MPEG audio file AND date added is today's date. That contained the tracks I wanted. I then right clicked on the smart playlist, selected burn playlist to disk, specified MP3 CD and the disk played fine in my car audio system! Thanks to all for the help.

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