How do I stop iTunes from messing up my file names?

Question

How do I stop iTunes from messing up my file names?

I'm trying to import a few CD's of old audio recordings into iTunes so I can listen to them on my iPhone or iPad. They are already ripped to MP3, and are properly named and numbered etc to keep them in the correct order.

No matter what I do, I cannot get iTunes to retain the file names of the MP3 files.

The file names look like this:

001. Ch1 Recording - Pg 1-2

002. Ch 1 Recording - Pg 3-4

003. Ch 1 Recording - Pg 5-6

004. Ch 2 Recording - Pg 7-8

005. Ch 2 Recording - Pg 9-10

etc...

When imported into iTunes, they look something like this:

01. 01. Ch1 Recording - Pg 1-2

01. 01. Ch 2 Recording - Pg 7-8

01. 01. Ch 1 Recording - Pg 3-4

02. 02. Ch 2 Recording - Pg 9-10

03. 03. Ch 1 Recording - Pg 5-6

It makes it impossible to sort them into the correct order, and the only way I can listen through them in the right order is to manually que them or make a playlist with the tracks manually sorted. A real pain, as there are a few hundred tracks...

Any ideas?

I've tried this (http://www.pcworld.com/article/151805/article.html), but it has absolutely no effect whatsoever.

MacBook Air

Posted on Jul 28, 2015 9:42 AM

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Answer 1

Limnos

Level 10

411,217 points

Jul 28, 2015 10:37 AM in response to JethroMcMullan

Most people should not be even looking at file names in iTunes. It has nothing to do with how tracks appear in iTunes itself which is the metadata inside the files. Of course if there are no metadata in the files the track name will be given the file name, but my experience has been it will show directly in iTunes as it is in the file.

You sort them by disc number and track number. Sorting by the album column does this.

I think all the "hidden preferences" that were available with early iTunes versions were discontinued several major versions ago.

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