iTunes downsample to iPhone?

[Boatguy]

I'm building a Redbook + resolution iTunes library, but I'd like to avoid having to create and maintain a second library just for mobile devices. Playlists are particularly problematic with two libraries.

 

I thought that at one point iTunes had a setting to downsample when syncing to an iPhone, iPad, etc. But I can't find the setting. Does anyone know if there is a setting somewhere so that I can have just one library, but end up with lower resolution stored to my mobile devices?

 

Thanks!

[wwaldmanfan]

I'm building a Redbook + resolution iTunes library, but I'd like to avoid having to create and maintain a second library just for mobile devices. Playlists are particularly problematic with two libraries.

 

I thought that at one point iTunes had a setting to downsample when syncing to an iPhone, iPad, etc. But I can't find the setting. Does anyone know if there is a setting somewhere so that I can have just one library, but end up with lower resolution stored to my mobile devices?

 

Thanks!

 

 

After plugging in a mobile device to your computer, once it is recognized in iTunes, you click on the device in the sidebar, and then there are options checkboxes on the home page asking if you want to manage your music library manually, and to automatically convert music files to a lower bit rate-you can select 256kbps or 128 kpbs AAC.

Then, drag your music library files in the sidebar to the device icon to copy. Your lossy-converted files are not saved to the computer, only the external device.

 

If you decide that you do want to save a backup of what's on your mobile device, download an iTunes plug-in script, such as Doug's Applescript, "Import Ipod Audio Files". Install it as instructed, then create a new iTunes library by holding down the option key when you launch iTunes. Be sure, in the new library, to first heck the options in iTunes "Advanced Preferences" to copy the files back to your computer by using the script.

[Boatguy]

After plugging in a mobile device to your computer, once it is recognized in iTunes, you click on the device in the sidebar, and then there are options checkboxes on the home page asking if you want to manage your music library manually, and to automatically convert music files to a lower bit rate-you can select 256kbps or 128 kpbs AAC.

Then, drag your music library files in the sidebar to the device icon to copy. Your lossy-converted files are not saved to the computer, only the external device.

That's what I recall as well but I'm not seeing it in iTunes 12. Attached is a screen grab of what I'm seeing for options.

 

Apple Support told me that it would use the Import options, but I tried that and one CD bumped the storage on my iPhone by 500MB (the size of the AIFF files) so I don't think that is correct either.

 

[wwaldmanfan]

That's what I recall as well but I'm not seeing it in iTunes 12. Attached is a screen grab of what I'm seeing for options.

 

Apple Support told me that it would use the Import options, but I tried that and one CD bumped the storage on my iPhone by 500MB (the size of the AIFF files) so I don't think that is correct either.

 

[ATTACH=CONFIG]23003[/ATTACH]

 

That figures. After using Apple computers exclusively for over 20 years, I'm really losing faith in where they are going. I use older versions of their OSX (Snow Leopard, Mavericks), and older versions of iTunes (10.7, 11.1). I can't advise you one whit about iTunes 12 with Yosemite or El Capitan. I never update software unless it is absolutely unavoidable.

 

One workaround would be to use a freeware third-party app, like XLD or MediaHuman Audio Converter, to batch-convert your lossless files to lossy, then create the new iTunes v12 library from that new folder. Unfortunately, I assume that you would have to recreate iTunes playlists manually if you go this route.

[Boatguy]

One workaround would be to use a freeware third-party app, like XLD or MediaHuman Audio Converter, to batch-convert your lossless files to lossy, then create the new iTunes v12 library from that new folder. Unfortunately, I assume that you would have to recreate iTunes playlists manually if you go this route.

 

Yes, that would be Plan B, but I'm trying to avoid maintaining two libraries.

[wwaldmanfan]

Yes, that would be Plan B, but I'm trying to avoid maintaining two libraries.

 

No reason why you'd need to save the downsampled files once created and transferred to your phone, but backups are generally a good idea, regardless of the number and size of files. Storage media is cheap these days. I have over 25,000 lossless and hi-res tracks in my library, with four copies of the entire kit-and-caboodle, each on external HDD's.

[jhwalker]

Yes, that would be Plan B, but I'm trying to avoid maintaining two libraries.

 

They moved the icon you need to click up to the top of the screen:

 

 

Once you've clicked it, you will see the 'home' page of the device, and the option you want will be visible:

 

[goldsdad]

deleted

[Boatguy]

They moved the icon you need to click up to the top of the screen:

 

[ATTACH=CONFIG]23008[/ATTACH]

 

Once you've clicked it, you will see the 'home' page of the device, and the option you want will be visible:

 

[ATTACH=CONFIG]23009[/ATTACH]

Bravo! I was looking on the Music page, not the Summary page. Go it! Thank you very much!

 

Happy New Year.

[Musicophile]

I'd still love ITunes to just copy any files up to 24/48 as is and downsample any higher sample rates automatically so the iPhone can play it. Right now you can only use the automatic conversion to lossy AAC, not to lossless.

 

 

But I guess I'll be waiting a long time for this feature.

[jhwalker]

I'd still love ITunes to just copy any files up to 24/48 as is and downsample any higher sample rates automatically so the iPhone can play it. Right now you can only use the automatic conversion to lossy AAC, not to lossless.

 

 

But I guess I'll be waiting a long time for this feature.

 

Hear, hear!

[burnspbesq]

The way I've approached this is to include the resolution as part of the album title of my high-res albums, e.g., "Pat Metheny Group (192/24)." When I decide I want it on my mobile devices, I make a 48/24 copy using XLD, and rename that copy "Pat Metheny Group (48/24)." The two different resolutions show up in my library as two different albums, and I can then drag and drop the 48/24 copy to my "iPhone" playlist before syncing the phone.

[Odedia]

Thought I'll share how I'm trying to solve this:

 

I have a smart folder called "Hi-Res 24/192khz" with the following rules:

 

"Sample rate is greater than 96000 hz"

 

This will include ALL tracks that cannot be synced to the iPhone, which is limited to 24/96khz or smaller.

 

In the sync summary screen, I mark "Manually manage music, movies and TV shows"

 

In the Music section, I select "sync all playlists".

 

In Apple Music app, I select all songs, and drag them to the iPhone icon.

 

Finder will popup all the tracks that could not be synced.

 

Once the sync is done, I now mark the checkbox "convert higher bitrate songs to 256kbps AAC".

 

I go to the "Hi-Res 24/192khz" playlist and drag all songs from there to the iPhone icon. Those tracks (which, ironically, are the highest quality), will be trasfered to the iPhone as 16bit/44khz 256kbps AAC.

 

At least this approach gives me the ability to maintain a single library for both mobile and for my Audirvana collection (which looks at the same iTunes library).