96 kpbs on sync

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Level 1

24 points

96 kpbs on sync

Hi, everyone!

On the device page for our iPod, we have the option to convert higher bit rate songs to a lower bitrate when they are synced to the iPod.

Our lowest choice is 128, but we're looking for one step lower--96--for the listener in question. (She really doesn't care about artifacts; she just likes to listen to her music.)

See, her iPod is full, and reducing the music by this much will give her a lot more room for music.

Is there a more indirect way to get iTunes to do 96kbps conversion to sync onto the iPod?

I know the right-click>Create AAC Version method with customized CD Import settings, but that makes duplicates, and is a bit much to do for the listener in question, who is not technologically oriented. (At LEAST she gets the difference between sleep, shutdown, and hibernate 🙂) If all possible methods do require making duplicates of songs in the library, then how can we go about cleaning up the duplicate entries easily?

iPod touch (4th generation)

Posted on Sep 13, 2013 5:55 PM

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Answer 1

diesel vdub

Level 7

22,178 points

Sep 14, 2013 8:13 AM in response to jessen22

The options listed in iTunes are the only available options.

Depending on the capacity of the iPod, it's highly unlikely that it needs to be filled to capacity, there's no way any one individual can listed to the entire contents in a single setting.

A better solution might be creating playlists to sync to the device and simply training this individual how to select which playlists to sync to the device based on their desired listening at that time.

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Answer 2

jessen22 Author

Level 1

24 points

Sep 14, 2013 10:36 AM in response to diesel vdub

Thank you for your answer!

She'd like to keep all of her music on the iPod.

I think we're going to use iTunes' Create AAC Version option to reduce her music to 96 kbps. If we do that on the library, there will be duplicates of the songs.

Does iTunes have any system of helping to sort through duplicates?

Once we make the AAC versions, those new songs will be in our iTunes Media folder that we've configured while her original songs will be in their old location. We'll keep those somewhere safe. Then we'll add a column in iTunes' list view--the "Kind" (Type) column--so that we can easily sort by that and remove all of her original, non-AAC songs from the iTunes library. It's up to her about whether we'll leave songs in the iTunes Media folder or move them to a new place. We will keep her original files somewhere, but they won't be in the iTunes library anymore.

I did a test and it looks like creating an AAC version of a song doesn't add the new version to a playlist.

Is there a way that we can get iTunes to do that, or will we have to do that by hand for the relevant songs?

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Answer 3

diesel vdub

Level 7

22,178 points

Sep 14, 2013 10:45 AM in response to jessen22

Creating an AAC version does not remove the old versions from the iTunes library or the computer.

As a result, selecting the option to sync the entire library now results in two copies of every song being synced to the device.

The User must still utilize playlists to sync content unless the original versions are removed from the iTunes library. Honestly, training the user how to properly use the program is the better long term solution.

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Answer 4

turingtest2

Level 10

272,881 points

Sep 14, 2013 10:54 AM in response to jessen22

Backup the current state of the library by copying the entire folder to a new drive. Then use my script ConvertFormat to change the bitrate of the songs while preserving ratings, play counts, playlists etc. Backup the downscaled version of the library to a separate folder.

tt2

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Answer 5

jessen22 Author

Level 1

24 points

Sep 14, 2013 11:02 AM in response to turingtest2

Thank you so much, turingtest2!

That's just perfect for what we need!

diesel vdub, I made it clear that we would keep all music on the device. The computer she is using has USB ports that are not high-speed, so syncing masses of music on a regular basis will take a very, very long time.

She might upgrade or move to a different computer in the future, but please keep on topic with the question asked, not with undesirable alternate techniques that might not actually qualify as solutions because of certain unknown details (such as slow USB ports).

Of course, this conversion is going to mean that there will be a lot of time involved the first sync, but it will be worth it! :)

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Answer 6

turingtest2

Level 10

272,881 points

Sep 14, 2013 11:32 AM in response to jessen22

While the method I gave above will work, in the long run it is likely to be a temporary solution. People's libraries tend to grow! I went from a 160Gb iPod classic that could hold everything in my library to a 32Gb iPhone that couldn't no matter how much I squeezed it down. Using playlists of favorites, newly added tracks, recently played and tracks that haven't been played in ages, allows my device to hold a useful subset of my library without sacrificing quality, and without too much changing on each sync.

tt2

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Answer 7

jessen22 Author

Level 1

24 points

Sep 14, 2013 11:30 AM in response to turingtest2

I understand this--I'm thinking about using the technique in my own library as my device reaches capacity. However, for our listener in question, she does not mind compression artifacts, and she'd prefer to have all of her music on the device instead of having to manage playlists.

Thanks for your scripts page! It looks very useful. I'll keep it bookmarked.

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Answer 8

Sep 27, 2016 9:02 AM in response to jessen22

This is the way I have worked it out.

Create a playlist of all the songs you would like on the iPad, export all songs in that playlist to another folder, Process those songs through a program like MAX to your 96kbps, I have 2 mac's one without a playlist so I import those down sampled songs to the other mac then select all songs and give them an Album name like no other i.e.: "MyFavouriteSongs" Remove all album covers (not sure about removing art, thought it might make em that little smaller files) Import the folder back into iTunes and you then have a playlist of 96kbps songs much smaller then originals. Then tell your iPad or whatever to sync to that playlist and then you have a huge selection of songs on your iPad.

Yes its long winded but controllable to whatever kbps you would like, my 20gig of music came down to 5gig.

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