How do I delete my old mp3 files?

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Level 1

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How do I delete my old mp3 files?

So I am in the middle of converting my huge music collection into m4a, which supposedly is better than mp3 and is smaller in size, which is great!

In doing this I right clicked all my albums, and did convert into AAC or something, and it is converting my whole music collection into m4a which is taking a long time...

Only problem is, it's not deleting the manky mp3 files, and i read up that on itunes 11 you can filter them in a "kind" playlist or something similar? Since this is itunes 12 I don't know how to do that as the interface has changed.

So my question is, how do I easily and quickly delete all of those mp3 file duplicates?

Posted on Aug 1, 2015 9:49 AM

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Answer 1

hhgttg27

Level 5

5,591 points

Aug 1, 2015 10:12 AM in response to Bumblebox

Create a new Smart Playlist
Define the new playlist's rules as follows:
Click OK - this will show all MP3 files in your library. You can add further rules if needed, for example to show all MP3s added since January 1, 2015:

Note, however, that converting MP3 files to AAC will absolutely not make any improvement to audio quality - indeed, in most cases quality will be degraded. AAC may offer some benefits over MP3, though these are primarily at lower bit rates (128kbps or lower). The important point, though, is that any benefits only apply when you're creating the AAC file from a lossless source, i.e., by re-importing from CD or converting from lossless files such as FLAC or ALAC.

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Answer 2

Bumblebox Author

Level 1

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Aug 1, 2015 10:37 AM in response to Bumblebox

thanks for the reply, I didn't know it lowers the bit rates, and indeed most of my tracks are about 264kpbs instead of 320 on the mp3. So, what do I put if i want to make the smart playlist with all my m4a files? I tried "M4A audio file" but didnt work.

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Answer 3

hhgttg27

Level 5

5,591 points

Aug 1, 2015 11:06 AM in response to Bumblebox

I still think that you need to STOP and reconsider what you are doing, unless your only goal is to reduce the storage space occupied by your media files. Converting between lossy formats degrades audio quality. If you convert MP3 files to AAC then at the very best the sound will be nearly the same; in many cases it will be noticeably worse.

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