authur
Level 1
(0 points)
I have a lot of WAV songs in one computer (added to iCloud already) and want to download them from another computer. Unfortunately, I can only download AAC format instead of WAV one, any idea? Thanks.
MacBook Pro, OS X Mountain Lion (10.8.2)
Q: WAV songs in iCloud but downloaded in AAC format
iTunes Match handles lossless files a little differently. When it matches a .wav to a song on the store, of course the downloaded track will be a 256 Kbps AAC track because that is what is available on the store. As for uploaded tracks, when iTM cannot match a lossless track a temporary 256 Kbps AAC file is created and uploaded, then the temp track is deleted. See the "about file formats" section of this KB article: <http://support.apple.com/kb/HT4914>.
Michael Allbritton
Jan 1, 2013 10:01 PM
in response to authur
Level 6
(16,832 points)
Yes, that is correct. iTunes Match is not a backup service.
I've a question, though. Why are you using WAVs and not ALAC (Apple Lossless)? ALAC files will be approximately half the size of the WAV files and also support embedded ID3 tags, which WAVs do not. So when you do copy the WAVS between computers and add them to iTunes you'll lose all any metadata.
Michael Allbritton
Jan 1, 2013 10:31 PM
in response to authur
Level 6
(16,832 points)
authur wrote:
My original purpose is to use iTunes Match as the backup
You should read this: FAQ: Why iTunes Match Can Not Be Used as a Backup
authur wrote:
ALAC is another good solution for me, how can I setup the ALAC veriosn of iTunes based on my current situation? Thanks.
First download this script to help you automate the process: <http://dougscripts.com/itunes/scripts/ss.php?sp=quickconvert>. You'll want to place it in ~/Library/Scripts/Applications/iTunes.
Once you have this script you can simply highlight the WAV files, access the script, set the options and click OK. The WAV files will then be converted to ALAC files, preserving all the metadata. Now, these files will still not be uploaded as-is to iTunes Match, the same process I described above applies. But you'll have the advantage of using less storage space going forward.
