I-tunes set up on a Mac - am i just being thick..?
Discussion
I just can't seem to get on with I-tunes... Its doing my head in but i think maybe i'm trying to think to much like an MS machine... As i still don't understand how the Mac thinks in many respects; so i am asking assistance from those learned PH mac users... 
1. How do you store music files properly on a mac to play in itunes..? I had my music in folders by artist and album directly under the "music" directory in Finder. I recently moved all of these folders into the the "itunes music" sub-directory. Now if i import songs to i-tunes but then decide to delete the songs they dissappear from the hard drive altogether!!! I don't understand...
(a screen dump of file structure might help my idiocy).
2. With windows media player you can stack up songs and fiddle around with them in any order you want. You can't seem to do this in i-tunes... Is there a way?
3. If i delete songs from the main i-tunes music list then they disappear from the playlists too. I just assumed that i could keep songs in a playlist and delete them from the main list. Why have them in there twice??
There are probably more questions but those will do for now
Help much apreciated as its marring my enjoyment of the Mac.
Ta ~PHIL
1. How do you store music files properly on a mac to play in itunes..? I had my music in folders by artist and album directly under the "music" directory in Finder. I recently moved all of these folders into the the "itunes music" sub-directory. Now if i import songs to i-tunes but then decide to delete the songs they dissappear from the hard drive altogether!!! I don't understand...
(a screen dump of file structure might help my idiocy). 2. With windows media player you can stack up songs and fiddle around with them in any order you want. You can't seem to do this in i-tunes... Is there a way?
3. If i delete songs from the main i-tunes music list then they disappear from the playlists too. I just assumed that i could keep songs in a playlist and delete them from the main list. Why have them in there twice??
There are probably more questions but those will do for now
Help much apreciated as its marring my enjoyment of the Mac. Ta ~PHIL
Well you can't spell iTunes for a start!
1) Do not put things into iTunes folder structure yourself. This is true on Windows on a Mac. Add stuff to iTunes via the fairly obvious Add to Library command under the File menu. If you have the default setup iTunes will copy the file into a folder structure matching it's ID3 tags in it Library. You can stop this and have it reference your existing file structure via the preferences. The reason the file is disappearing when you've placed it in the library is that iTunes is trying to copy it from itself over itself.
2) Create a playlist. You can add any number of tracks and re-arrange them to your hearts content.
3) Playlists are just that. Lists of songs held in the Library. if you delete it from your Library that's it: you are deleting the song totally.
All of these answers are the same for iTunes on Windows too...
1) Do not put things into iTunes folder structure yourself. This is true on Windows on a Mac. Add stuff to iTunes via the fairly obvious Add to Library command under the File menu. If you have the default setup iTunes will copy the file into a folder structure matching it's ID3 tags in it Library. You can stop this and have it reference your existing file structure via the preferences. The reason the file is disappearing when you've placed it in the library is that iTunes is trying to copy it from itself over itself.
2) Create a playlist. You can add any number of tracks and re-arrange them to your hearts content.
3) Playlists are just that. Lists of songs held in the Library. if you delete it from your Library that's it: you are deleting the song totally.
All of these answers are the same for iTunes on Windows too...
Buffalo said:
1. How do you store music files properly on a mac to play in itunes..? I had my music in folders by artist and album directly under the "music" directory in Finder. I recently moved all of these folders into the the "itunes music" sub-directory. Now if i import songs to i-tunes but then decide to delete the songs they dissappear from the hard drive altogether!!! I don't understand... (a screen dump of file structure might help my idiocy).
(a screen dump of file structure might help my idiocy).Open iTunes and choose Preferences (Command* + , ) - select Advanced tab, and General. Point iTunes to where the music files are, and enable the options for keep Library tidy, and copy files......to library.
Any time you select a song to delete in iTunes (or multiple songs), you will get a pop-up asking if you want to keep file or move to trash. Choose the former, as the latter moves the actual file to the bin. The former remove the link iTunes creates which references the song on the HDD via the file's path.
Buffalo said:
2. With windows media player you can stack up songs and fiddle around with them in any order you want. You can't seem to do this in i-tunes... Is there a way?
Yes, very easy. Choose the column with the numbers on the left hand side, and set with the triangle pointing upwards. now, the songs will be listed in the order they were added to iTunes, and you pull them into whatever order you want.
Buffalo said:
3. If i delete songs from the main i-tunes music list then they disappear from the playlists too. I just assumed that i could keep songs in a playlist and delete them from the main list. Why have them in there twice??
The main list is the complete Library of songs you have told iTunes to access and play for you.
The playlist is like going into a Library and choosing only certain books and putting them on a table. If you hand one of the books to the Librarian, it's still there for others to use.
If you remove the book from its place on the shelf and throw it in the bin, then it's no longer there for anyone to use.
* Command=Apple key, next to the spacebar on either side.
PJ S has (again) got it right.
You need to understand that the iTunes Library is just like a real library.
- When you add tracks, you need to add them to the iTunes library catalogue, not just put them on the shelves. So you need to use "Add To Library" and do all the cataloguing (under Info), not just drop them onto the shelves (ie move them to the Music Folder).
- If you delete an item from the Library, iTunes will give you the option of "Keep File" (ie leave it on the shelf, but no longer recognise it) or "Move To Trash" (dispose of it all together)
- If you just don't want to see that song in the batch of music you want to listen to, you have several options for restricting your choice. You can restrict which part of the Library you can see (and therefore play), or create Playlists.
- When you create a playlist, you don't create a physical duplicate of the song file, or move them from the Library. Extending the library metaphor, you haven't put all those books on the table beside you - the books are still on the shelf and you have only a pile of library tickets beside you.
So the bottom line is:
1) You must ask iTunes to recognise any new tracks, by adding them to the Library
2) If you delete items form the Library, they will no longer appear in the Library, and therefore you will not be able to find them to play. It might even delete the files completely.
Options for restricting what will play:
1) Try the Browse function (the "eye" button now bottom right). This will allow you to restrict visible content by Genre, Artist, Album title, or any combination. Fiddle with the Repeat and Shuffle buttons (bottom left) if you want. You could even change order by clicking on the header for different columns, but this really isn't an efficient way. The Browse option is good for listening to a single album, or the complete works of one artist.
2) Regular Playlists: You decide which tracks in the Library will be played. Create a Playlist, name it, drag your preferred tracks into the playlist (NB this doesn't remove them from the library, or make duplicate copies, or make any changes to the library, it just notes that you want them to appear in that playlist). Within the playlist, you can now drag the songs into the order you want. This is a good way to make a Best Of compilation.
3) Smart Playlists; The computer decides which tracks to play. Create a playlist, and you will be given a selection of more esoteric guidelines by which the computer will select tracks. You can restrict how many songs it holds in the playlist, and have it randomly add and delete tracks. This option is good for a party mix (or background dinner party music), or just getting a radio-like playlist.
I hope that explains the "Why" to PJ S' "How"
You need to understand that the iTunes Library is just like a real library.
- When you add tracks, you need to add them to the iTunes library catalogue, not just put them on the shelves. So you need to use "Add To Library" and do all the cataloguing (under Info), not just drop them onto the shelves (ie move them to the Music Folder).
- If you delete an item from the Library, iTunes will give you the option of "Keep File" (ie leave it on the shelf, but no longer recognise it) or "Move To Trash" (dispose of it all together)
- If you just don't want to see that song in the batch of music you want to listen to, you have several options for restricting your choice. You can restrict which part of the Library you can see (and therefore play), or create Playlists.
- When you create a playlist, you don't create a physical duplicate of the song file, or move them from the Library. Extending the library metaphor, you haven't put all those books on the table beside you - the books are still on the shelf and you have only a pile of library tickets beside you.
So the bottom line is:
1) You must ask iTunes to recognise any new tracks, by adding them to the Library
2) If you delete items form the Library, they will no longer appear in the Library, and therefore you will not be able to find them to play. It might even delete the files completely.
Options for restricting what will play:
1) Try the Browse function (the "eye" button now bottom right). This will allow you to restrict visible content by Genre, Artist, Album title, or any combination. Fiddle with the Repeat and Shuffle buttons (bottom left) if you want. You could even change order by clicking on the header for different columns, but this really isn't an efficient way. The Browse option is good for listening to a single album, or the complete works of one artist.
2) Regular Playlists: You decide which tracks in the Library will be played. Create a Playlist, name it, drag your preferred tracks into the playlist (NB this doesn't remove them from the library, or make duplicate copies, or make any changes to the library, it just notes that you want them to appear in that playlist). Within the playlist, you can now drag the songs into the order you want. This is a good way to make a Best Of compilation.
3) Smart Playlists; The computer decides which tracks to play. Create a playlist, and you will be given a selection of more esoteric guidelines by which the computer will select tracks. You can restrict how many songs it holds in the playlist, and have it randomly add and delete tracks. This option is good for a party mix (or background dinner party music), or just getting a radio-like playlist.
I hope that explains the "Why" to PJ S' "How"
Thanks a lot guys. I'll print these out and take them home with me tomorrow and work through your pointers and see if i get it this time. You have good explanations though! 
I will move the music files i do have back to just under "Music" directory and then point the iTunes to look there...
Will let you know how i get on!
I will move the music files i do have back to just under "Music" directory and then point the iTunes to look there... Will let you know how i get on!
Easiest thing is to select all your songs in iTunes, then delete them - select the Keep Files option.
Now, grab the folder in Music with all your songs in it, and drop that on iTunes' window.
Job done.
Every single song you put in there and didn't drop onto iTunes before will now be added as well.
Now, grab the folder in Music with all your songs in it, and drop that on iTunes' window.
Job done.
Every single song you put in there and didn't drop onto iTunes before will now be added as well.
Well ,i've just spent a riveting 5 hours organising my iTunes folders and renaming about 2,000 songs! Actually i found it really good and thanks to your help i managed to understand what is going on with that programme - so much obliged to you guys!
One thing though - the gracenote programme. Does it automatically just search for missing song names etc, or do you have to "switch it on" some how..? Didn't seem to have much luck getting it to work automatically, but found it useful to find missing song names from my previous mp3 copies...
Ta ~PHIL
Actually i found it really good and thanks to your help i managed to understand what is going on with that programme - so much obliged to you guys! One thing though - the gracenote programme. Does it automatically just search for missing song names etc, or do you have to "switch it on" some how..? Didn't seem to have much luck getting it to work automatically, but found it useful to find missing song names from my previous mp3 copies...
Ta ~PHIL
To turn title search on and off, look in Preferences/Advanced/Importing for "Automatically retrieve CD track names". To Automatically search for artwork, look under Preferences/General.
I suspect your problem was because you were working from your stock of mp3s, not from the CDs. I'm not sure how iTunes works with Gracenote (it works with very old CDs, before the ID tags were as developed), but I suspect with a collection of mp3s, even off CD, it just gives a gallic shrug and gives up.
I suspect your problem was because you were working from your stock of mp3s, not from the CDs. I'm not sure how iTunes works with Gracenote (it works with very old CDs, before the ID tags were as developed), but I suspect with a collection of mp3s, even off CD, it just gives a gallic shrug and gives up.
HiRich said:
To turn title search on and off, look in Preferences/Advanced/Importing for "Automatically retrieve CD track names". To Automatically search for artwork, look under Preferences/General.
I suspect your problem was because you were working from your stock of mp3s, not from the CDs. I'm not sure how iTunes works with Gracenote (it works with very old CDs, before the ID tags were as developed), but I suspect with a collection of mp3s, even off CD, it just gives a gallic shrug and gives up.
I suspect your problem was because you were working from your stock of mp3s, not from the CDs. I'm not sure how iTunes works with Gracenote (it works with very old CDs, before the ID tags were as developed), but I suspect with a collection of mp3s, even off CD, it just gives a gallic shrug and gives up.
Gracenote only works with CDs. It needs the original data on the CD to work. MP3s are not good
Gassing Station | Computers, Gadgets & Stuff | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff