Smart list to show ACC files but not MPEG files

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Level 1

15 points

Smart list to show ACC files but not MPEG files

I am confused by the SMART rules and I hope I can get some enlightenment as to why this SMART list does not work. The goal is to find all my Music that has an ACC file so I can convert them to MP3.

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[x] Match [ALL] of the following rules:

[Media kind] [is] [Music]

[Kind] [Contains] [ACC]

[Kind] [does not contain] [MPEG]

[ ] Limit to [25] [items] selected by [random]

[ ] Match only checked items

[x] Live updating

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This smart list is grabbing TOO many files. I see this by changing the [ALL] to [ANY] and the I see that some of the list ACC files already have MPEG files.

I am treating the ALL as an AND and ANY as OR

so the Smart list should be doing a match of:

IF Music AND "contain ACC" AND "not conatin MPEG" THEN list the song.

itunes and applecare-OTHER, need to merge accounts

Posted on Nov 3, 2013 9:45 AM

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Answer 1

Timbuktu

Level 3

790 points

Nov 3, 2013 10:55 AM in response to bs98909

Well, I am not sure why you need TWO descriptions to find all AAC files, the one ....contains AAC will just do the job. And yes, ALL means the result will match all criteria (= and) and ANY will list list BOTH individual results in a combined list (= or). In your case using ALL will still yield the same result as just using AAC by itself, and ANY with both criteria will also show every other format that is NOT MPEG with all AAC files, explaining the additional formats. All clear?

Reconverting already compressed formats, such as AAC or MP3, will result in further audio quality loss.

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Answer 2

Chris CA

Level 10

82,434 points

Nov 3, 2013 11:42 AM in response to bs98909

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Answer 3

bs98909 Author

Level 1

15 points

Nov 3, 2013 12:47 PM in response to Chris CA

This is so I know which files I have ALREADY converted from ACC to MP3 -- meaning this smart list will show me what SHOULD be left to do.

I wanted to make the MPEG filter as a delimitator -- if that makes sence

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Answer 4

Chris CA

Level 10

82,434 points

Nov 3, 2013 6:25 PM in response to bs98909

It make sense but the song files are two different files so iTunes will treat them separately. iTunes does not simply look at the name.

Not easily done but this seems to work.

1 - Create a new smart playlist as below. (All AAC & all MP3)

This puts all MP3 & all AAC into the playlist.

2 - iTunes menu View > Show Duplicate items.

Now you are only viewing items that have a duplicate. Note there may some songs in there such as if you have the same song name by different artists or the same song on two different albums.

3 - Create a new, regular playlist named Duplicate MP3 & AAC.

4 - Select the All AAC & all MP3 smart playlist above (which is now only showing duplicates such as an MP3 & and AAC with same name) and select all the songs and drag them to this new, regular playlist. Now we have regular playlist with only duplicate items.

5 - Create a new smart playlist named Convert to MP3

This playlist should contain only songs that do not have an MP3 version.

Now, convert a few songs in the Convert to MP3 playlist to MP3 and write down which songs they are.

After you do, complete the following steps and these songs should NOT be in the Convert to AAC smart playlist.

Then refresh the Convert to MP3 playlist, you will need to...

1 - Go to the regular playlist named Duplicate MP3 & AAC and delete everything. (this is not a smart playlist so nothing will change in it).

2 - Go back to All AAC & all MP3, then iTunes menu View > Show all then iTunes menu > Show duplicates.

3 - Select all then drag to the regular playlist named Duplicate MP3 & AAC.

4 - Select Convert to MP3 playlist and the songs you just converted should NOT be there.

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