Re: Mac Osx/transferring Music From Desk Top To Library

[shasta]

Hello. I have some music file that I received from someone by e mail. They were downloaded to the desk top and I wanted to transfer them to iTunes library to get them burned to my blank CD. I went to “File” from iTunes and then clicked on “Add to library”, highlighted the specific songs that I want under “desk top” and then clicked on “choose.”

But I could not see those songs in the iTunes library. Did I miss something? I would appreciate it, if someone could give me some troubleshooting.

[billp]

Wrong methadology. File>IMPORT, and then select the WMA files. iTunes will then convert them to AAC, AIFF, WAV, MP3, or Apple Lossless, whichever format you have selected under iTunes>Preferences>Advanced>Importing.

Note they're being compressed twice, first under a dirty closed codec, and then again in one of the cleaner open source ones Apple uses, so the end quality may not be all you wished for. I'm no expert, but it may pay you to first convert to one of the least compressed formats - I'd pick AIFF - before using those files to burn a CD. You could always re-import later, using AAC/256, to save space for storage in your iTunes library.

[billp]

Also, it's a good idea to dowload Flip4Mac WMV: "Flip4Mac WMV allows you to play, import and export Windows Media® files from most QuickTime applications including QuickTime Player, iMovie and Final Cut Pro." Free in its most-basic version.

[shasta]

Also, it's a good idea to dowload Flip4Mac WMV: "Flip4Mac WMV allows you to play, import and export Windows Media® files from most QuickTime applications including QuickTime Player, iMovie and Final Cut Pro." Free in its most-basic version.

Thank you for your useful info. That will be very helpful.

[Norrad]

Yeah, Flip4Mac is great. I actually paid for it before they decided to release a free version.

[shasta]

Blllp, Norrad,

Thank you for the info.

Like you said, I downloaded Flip4Mac WMV and followed the steps but I still could not make it.

After File<Import<highlight the title song<click on choose, no result. <sigh>

[billp]

Did you try playing the files? Double-clicking on a WMA file should launch Flip4Mac which will launch Quicktime Player and you hear your music.

If that doesn't work, I'd say there's something wrong with your files. I tried on Limewire and on the web to find a WMA file to test how iTunes responds, but finally gave up. Not a popular format, probably for good reasons.

If iTunes is not even responding when you try to Import, it might mean there are (or it thinks there are) already files in your Library from your first attempts. Check Users>[Your UserName]>Music>iTunes>iTunes Music to see if you already have the songs. If they're there, do [Command - Apple]-I to see how big the files are. If they're less than about 2MB, that's not a proper music file.

Go back to iTunes and on the Source list (left hand side) under Library click Music. Are your WMA songs there? If so, highlight them and hit the backspace key. It will ask "Are you sure you want to remove the selected songs from your library?" Click OK. Then try to import again. If the files are in your music folder but not listed in your library at all, select them and drag them to the Trash.

Another approach would be to download a shareware/freeware utility to convert WMA files to MP3, and then bring the MP3s into iTunes. You're on your own there. I don't know anything about these programs. You can find some converters here.

Edited December 30, 2007 by billp