For some reason, it is suddenly the case that when I convert songs to MP3 format with iTunes, it also converts the song to mono. Anyone know why this is? It just suddenly started happening. Never used to.



All help is appreciated! Thanks, guys!

Your import settings must have gotten changed at some point. Here's how to change them.

Select "Preferences" from the EDIT menu.
On the GENERAL tab, choose the "Import Settings" button around the middle if the window. From there you can change the import settings back to whatever your wanted.

That worked great. Thanks, Chris!

(I wonder how they got changed.)

No idea. The default import settings for a fresh iTunes install is AAC 128Kbs/sec. Does someone else have access to your computer. perhaps they changes the settings without you knowing.

You can change songs to Mp3 format with iTunes?

Yes. You can import songs from CDs in the following formats:
AIFF - Uncompressed Audio File
AAC - Compressed Audio file based on mp4 compression
Apple Lossless - Apple's compressed, but lossless audio format
MP3 - Compressed Mpeg layer 3 audio file
WAVE - Uncompressed Audio file

I mean, if you download an album from iTunes and it's in MP4, can you use iTunes to convert it to MP3?

If it's an unprotected song (.m4a), yes, but if it's a protected song (.m4p), no. All you have to do is change the import settings as described in my post above to MP3 and then right-click on the song you want to convert and choose "create MP3 version."

Cool, thanks. I'll try that.

Let me be the first asshole who, rather than offering you the help you require, instead suggests you use some other item/product/application that you have no interest in using and probably never will.

After bloat dragged down my system and iTunes upgrades borked my music library one too many times, I switched to MediaMonkey for all my iPod an digital music library needs. Customized the interface so it navigates like iTunes did. I've been very happy with the switch. The music management is pretty much the same, the CD ripping is better.

Still keep iTunes around, though, for the iTunes store and for podcasts. I just no longer use it for my day-to-day stuff. iTunes does have some advantages -- custom playlists are awesome, and when you rename albums, bands, etc, it can rename and/or move the folders for you, too, which is GREAT -- but MediaMonkey chews up fewer system resources and hasn't given me major headaches with my music library, so I've stuck with it.

There. I did not help.

Mediamonkey does all the things you still keep itunes around for.

Hm. I'll look into it. (Unless I don't.)

MediaMonkey does fine with podcasts. It does fine with everything I need.

Damnit, this thread just reminded me that I have yet to produce this week's podcast.

DAMNIT

Just pointing out that iTunes has refused to play random MP3s for the last time and I've switched to MediaMonkey on your recommendation.

And I like it so far - but even it won't get rid of all my duplicates!

I hate that iTunes has to remain part of my life, for no other reason than to play Audiobooks on my iPod. I would use another device, but my care has integrated iPod support (the controls stop the player and charge the player -- I can play a book for weeks without taking the iPod out of my car).

But audible.com has some sort of DRM where it has to know what device you are putting it on. And for iPods, it works only with iTunes.

Gross. Worst program ever.

MediaMonkey has a quirk where when you delete files from your library, they'll still appear as if they're there until you restart it. Dunno if that's what you mean, but if you notice that you deleted something and it still shows up, you just need to reload for MM to show your changes.

What version are you running Eric? I had that with 2, but not with 3, the current version.

3.0.3

Weird. Not been an issue for me.

I've never had a problem with iTunes.

But I feel sorry for everybody else.