iTunes Tips and Tricks

I know there are people out there (maybe you are one of them) with iPhones, iPads and iPods who will not plug them into iTunes because they fear iTunes like they would a swinging hammer. I know this fear all to well.

I use iTunes and my iPod Touch every day. I don't know why iTunes is the way it is and I will leave that speculation for people who like to speculate.

The version of iTunes I'm writing about is iTunes 10.2.2.12 To get your version click Help / About iTunes. In true iTunes fashion getting my current version number was a small hassle. The number scrolls by fast and then you have to watch their (cool?) end of movie type credits scroll by before the number comes by again. Forget copy paste too, we are forced to watch the scroll or close the box and click Help / About iTunes again.

MP4s vs MP3s

You can put hours of MP3 files on a 20 cent writable CD and they work just fine in most Car and Portable CD players today unless they are older CD players. I can't see using those portable speakers that positions the iPod on top like a football ready to be kicked. My portable CD Player cost about $40, it has an input jack for my iPod but best of all it plays those cheap MP3 data CDs. I use the data CDs when I'm outside leaving my iPod safely inside charging.

As far as I know MP4 files only work in my iPod and there is something too about quality that I personally can't hear. I'm just happy to be free of the hiss cassettes made and the other song in the background 8 tracks had or that pop snap albums make.

The iTunes Store music files you buy are MP4 and the default settings for ripping CDs in iTunes is MP4 also.

To change the settings from MP4 to MP3 in iTunes go to Edit / Preferences / Import Settings

Change Import Using to MP3 Encoder

Change Settings to Higher Quality (192 kbps)

To make sure you did it right see if it says Create MP3 Version under Advanced

This will not however change the fact that the iTunes Store sells you MP4 files. Select all the MP4 files in iTunes you want to convert then go to Advanced / Create MP3 Version. The converted files are in the same directory as the original files, I am not aware of anyway to change that fun feature. I go to the directory and sort the files by type grabbing the MP3s and putting them someplace else.

Personally, I like Amazon. Amazon sells DRM free music in the MP3 file format and they store the files you buy on their site for you for free, forever, or until someone sues someone I suppose. You can download your files as many times as you like. They also give you 5 extra gigabytes of personal cloud storage in addition to the space your given for purchased music. There is a cloud music player there also.

Authorize / Deauthorize

Digital Right Management can be a nightmare if you don't understand the rules. DRM is also the number one reasons why hooking up your Apple device to iTunes is so scary. The Apple Store music files are DRM free but audio books files and most Applications are not DRM free. You can Authorize up to five computers, this will give those computers the ability to run these DRM files. You must Deauthorize your computer if you are selling it or reinstalling widows. If your computer gets stolen or destroyed you have no way to Deauthorize that computer anymore, that's the rules, but you still have 4 computers to go. I don't know what Apple would do if you used up all five computers (chances, lives) due to bad luck.

To Authorize a computer in iTunes go to Store / Authorize This Computer .. iTunes will ask you for your Apple ID and Password then click Authorize

To Deauthorize a computer in iTunes go to Store / Deauthorize This Computer .. iTunes will ask you for your Apple ID and Password then click Deauthorize

To see how many computers you have Authorized, go to Store / View My Account .. iTunes will ask you for your Apple ID and Password then click View Account. The number of authorized computers is the fifth line down under account information. You can not Deauthorize a computer from here, this is a good thing.

Plug it in.

STOP do this first:

Edit / Preferences / Devices (tab) / (check) Prevent iPods, iPhones and iPads from syncing automatically

After the initial setup, I used my new iPod touch without iTunes. I used it with my home's wifi buying some games, getting free applications, and so on, all the time knowing someday I would have to sit down with iTunes and figure out how to get this thing backed up and also I wanted to sync it with my music library.

When I did finally plugged in my iPod Touch I was told by iTunes that my iPod was part of some other iTunes library and if I wanted to be part of this library everything had to go. I looked, googled and clicked, till I just gave up and said go ahead, erase my iPod. Now that I had nothing to loose, I was free to experiment all I wanted. The following is what I have learned and the previous is a warning; you could end up erasing your device if you are not careful.

Another run at iTunes I discovered I should have selected File / Transfer Purchases from iPod. This step isn't perfect but I was able to save some stuff, other stuff was left behind or lost but it wasn't a train wreck. I was able to get all my Apps into the Mobile Applications directory under the iTunes directory. The directory is full of files like this Angry Birds 1.5.3.ipa if you put this file in any Mobile Application directory after you authorize iTunes you can use it on that computer. These ipa files go with your Apple ID and they will work on up to five authorized computers. Every Apple ID gets five computer where their DRM files will work. To stop your DRM files from working on a computer, log on using you Apple ID in iTunes, and Deauthorize that computer, then log off iTunes. A computer can have more than one Authorizing Apple ID. You can let five other computer's use your DRM files.

So in a nutshell.

Do this first:

Edit / Preferences / Devices (tab) / (check) Prevent iPods, iPhones and iPads from syncing automatically

To change the settings from MP4 to MP3 in iTunes go to Edit / Preferences / Import Settings

Change Import Using to MP3 Encoder

Change Settings to Higher Quality (192 kbps)

To Authorize a computer in iTunes go to Store / Authorize This Computer .. iTunes will ask you for your Apple ID and Password then click Authorize

To Deauthorize a computer in iTunes go to Store / Deauthorize This Computer .. iTunes will ask you for your Apple ID and Password then click Deauthorize

To see how many computers you have Authorized, go to Store / View My Account

To backup or copy files off an iPod with mixed results, authorize the computer and try File / Transfer Purchases from iPod.

Final Warning: You could change or loose data, applications, pictures, music, your novel whatever. I never owned an iPad or iPhone. I've only done these thing with my iPod Touch and I am writing all of this from memory. I back up my system and data often; on site and in the cloud. This is why I am fearless.

So how do you master iTunes?

Use it.

A lot.