Showing posts with label iTunes. Show all posts
Showing posts with label iTunes. Show all posts
Some iTunes Tips !
1. Get the horizontal traffic lights back
Although it was an admirable attempt at better utilizing the available space, Apple’s decision to vertically stack the close, minimize, and zoom buttons is just too radical a change for many people to accept. The argument is that it’s completely inconsistent with the user interface guidelines Apple themselves created. So, if you’d like the horizontal traffic lights to return, simply run this command in Terminal (Applications > Utilities) and restart iTunes:
defaults write com.apple.iTunes full-window -1
2. Play media from any iPod, iPhone, or iPad
3. Artwork music player
4. Get the old Album view back
One of the features highlighted by Steve Jobs when he introduced iTunes 10 was the new Album view, which only shows cover art when an album has 5 or more songs. If the album has less songs, it doesn’t waste the space with extra vertical rows. Don’t worry, though! If you’re longing for the old Album view, you can still get it back. Go to View > Always show artwork and it’ll be like nothing ever changed.
5. Sync specific albums and genres
6. Remove checkboxes
If you’re one of those people who never utilized the checkboxes in your iTunes library, you now have the option to remove them. It’s a nice way of taking back horizontal space. Just go to iTunes > Preferences in the menu bar and uncheck “Show list checkboxes” under the General tab.
7. Remove source icons
Do you hate the monochrome icons in iTunes 10′s sidebar? While some have resorted to hacking the old colored icons back into the software, there is another option. Under the General tab in iTunes Preferences, you can uncheck “Show source icons” and get rid of them entirely.
Although it was an admirable attempt at better utilizing the available space, Apple’s decision to vertically stack the close, minimize, and zoom buttons is just too radical a change for many people to accept. The argument is that it’s completely inconsistent with the user interface guidelines Apple themselves created. So, if you’d like the horizontal traffic lights to return, simply run this command in Terminal (Applications > Utilities) and restart iTunes:
defaults write com.apple.iTunes full-window -1
To go back to the vertical traffic lights, replace the -1 with -0 and run the command again.
2. Play media from any iPod, iPhone, or iPad
Let’s say a friend came over and you wanted to listen to his iPod’s music on your computer. When it was connected you used to have to disable automatic syncing. Even then, an iPhone or iPad wouldn’t play its content when plugged into iTunes. iTunes 10 opens this feature up to all iDevices and doesn’t require turning off syncing. It just works – with movies, TV shows, & podcasts too!
3. Artwork music player
You know how you can click on an album’s cover art in the lower-left corner of iTunes to enlarge it? In iTunes 10, it’s not just for show – they’ve built playback controls into it. You can even close the main iTunes window and use the artwork viewer as a mini player.
4. Get the old Album view back
One of the features highlighted by Steve Jobs when he introduced iTunes 10 was the new Album view, which only shows cover art when an album has 5 or more songs. If the album has less songs, it doesn’t waste the space with extra vertical rows. Don’t worry, though! If you’re longing for the old Album view, you can still get it back. Go to View > Always show artwork and it’ll be like nothing ever changed.
5. Sync specific albums and genres
iTunes 10 offers more advanced music syncing choices, allowing users to sync selected albums and genres in addition to the existing artist and playlist options.
6. Remove checkboxes
If you’re one of those people who never utilized the checkboxes in your iTunes library, you now have the option to remove them. It’s a nice way of taking back horizontal space. Just go to iTunes > Preferences in the menu bar and uncheck “Show list checkboxes” under the General tab.
7. Remove source icons
Do you hate the monochrome icons in iTunes 10′s sidebar? While some have resorted to hacking the old colored icons back into the software, there is another option. Under the General tab in iTunes Preferences, you can uncheck “Show source icons” and get rid of them entirely.
iTunes Plus FAQ
What is iTunes Plus?
iTunes Plus is the new standard on iTunes. iTunes Plus downloads are songs and music videos available in our highest quality 256 kbps AAC audio encoding (twice the audio quality of protected music purchases), and without digital rights management (DRM). iTunes Plus music can be burned to CD as many times as you need, synced to any AAC-enabled device (such as iPod, iPhone, or Apple TV), and played on any Mac or Windows computers you own.
How much does iTunes Plus music cost?
iTunes Plus songs, music videos, and albums are available at the same price as DRM-protected versions.
Can I upgrade previously purchased music to iTunes Plus?
Yes. Any available upgrades will be shown on the Upgrade to iTunes Plus page.
You can upgrade all of your items at once by using the Buy All button.
This replaces all eligible previous purchases with iTunes Plus versions of the same items.
You can also choose to make individual upgrades by clicking the Buy button to the right of each item. Song upgrades are available for 0.30 USD, video upgrades for 0.60 USD, and albums for 30 percent of the album price.
The counter to the right of the "Upgrade to iTunes Plus" link in the Quick Links box will indicate when additional eligible content become available.
You can view your eligible iTunes Plus upgrade items by clicking here.
Can I still buy music encoded at 128 Kbps with Digital Rights Management (DRM)?
Yes, you can still buy music encoded at 128 kbps with DRM.
However, music which is available in iTunes Plus will replace DRM-protected music on the iTunes Store.
Is there a change in video quality for iTunes Plus videos?
No, the video quality remains the same.
iTunes Plus means that the music videos are offered DRM-free and with our highest-quality audio within the video, 256 kbps AAC.
How do I purchase and play iTunes Plus music?
First, upgrade to the latest version of iTunes.
Music and music videos available in iTunes Plus are indicated as such on the album or video page or track list.
To purchase, simply click the Buy button as you would for any other music on the Store.
What happens to my existing files when I upgrade my music to iTunes Plus?
Your upgraded iTunes Plus music will replace the original purchases in your library.
You will be given an option to delete the original files or move them to your desktop at time of download.
Why is iTunes Plus format available for certain music, but not all?
The reason that certain music and music videos are not offered in our DRM-free, highest quality audio format is because they have not been provided in iTunes Plus format from the music label.
If I have a free song or video code, can I redeem it for an iTunes Plus song or video?
Yes. If you have a code for any free song or video you can redeem it for an iTunes Plus song or video.
How does Complete My Album work for iTunes Plus?
If you've purchased a single at 128 kbps with DRM and want the iTunes Plus version of the remaining tracks, you may use Complete My Album. The Complete My Album offer will deliver the remaining tracks in iTunes Plus.
Can I give iTunes Plus music as a gift?
Yes. To find out more about how to send gifts from the iTunes Store click here.
Can I use iTunes Gift Cards and iTunes Gift Certificates to pay for iTunes Plus music?
Yes, you can use iTunes Gift Cards and iTunes Gift Certificates to pay for iTunes Plus music and upgrades.
What do I need in order to purchase and play iTunes Plus music?
You'll need to upgrade to the latest version of iTunes to preview, purchase, and play iTunes Plus music.
What is Complete My Album?
If you have purchased one or more songs from an eligible album, you can now complete the album without having to pay the full album price, and instead of receiving the album in its entirety, you will receive only the songs you had not previously purchased. For example, if you purchased one song from an eligible album priced at $9.99, you can get the remaining songs for $9.00—instead of paying $9.99 for the album and buying the single again. You can complete albums this way even if you were given the initial song as a gift.
If you purchase a song from an eligible album on the iTunes Store, an offer to complete that album will appear on the Complete My Album page, which you can access under Quick Links on the iTunes Store homepage.
How long do I have to take advantage of Complete My Album?
When you buy individual songs from any qualifying album, you will have 180 days (about six months) after purchasing the first of those songs to complete the album without having to pay the full album price (in some cases you may have more time). You'll find the expiration dates for your eligible albums on the Complete My Album page. If an album does not list an expiration date, the Complete My Album offer is available for as long as the album is available on the iTunes Store. These availability periods are subject to the availability of the album on the iTunes Store and its continued eligibility for Complete My Album.
Note that most items you acquire for free, such as a Single of the Week, are not eligible for Complete My Album. Also note that if you purchase a pre-release single from a qualifying album, your eligibility window to complete the album begins on the date the album is released, not on the date of purchase of the pre-release song.
How is my Complete My Album price calculated?
Your Complete My Album price is based on the content you previously acquired from iTunes. If you purchased your songs, we adjust the current album price by the retail price you paid for those song(s). If you acquired your content through select, eligible song code promotions, we adjust the current album price by the full retail price of the song(s). Please note that if you previously acquired so many single tracks from the same album that the Complete My Album price would be less than the current price of a single song (a single video for a video album), you will not be able to purchase the remaining tracks using Complete My Album.
Are there any items that are not eligible for Complete My Album?
You will not be able to complete your album using songs acquired through Single Of The Week or Discovery Download promotions. Additionally, content acquired through select song code promotions or select bonus material may be excluded. In some cases, Apple may not have the rights to provide Complete My Album for particular albums, songs or videos.
What if I purchased a song and now want to Complete My Album, but I can no longer find it on the iTunes Store?
If an album is no longer available on the iTunes Store, you will not be able to complete your album.
If you don't see an album on the Complete My Album page:
What if I previously purchased a song but I accidentally deleted it? Can I download it again for free with Complete My Album?
If you acquired a song and deleted it, you will be able to Complete Your Album even if it is not in your iTunes Library. However, at the time of Complete My Album, the original song you purchased will not be downloaded.
Can I choose between clean and explicit versions of albums?
If you purchased your song from the clean version of an album, you will only be able to complete your album on the clean version. The same applies for explicit versions. The only exception is if you purchased an unmarked (clean) Pre-Release Single, and both clean and explicit album versions are later released, you will have a choice to complete either one of the albums (but not both).
Are music videos eligible as part of Complete My Album?
Yes. Purchased music videos may be applied toward Complete My Album on eligible music albums and music video albums.
Is Complete My Album available for TV show seasons?
No.
Do Apple compilations, iMixes, iTunes Essentials, Celebrity playlists, count towards Complete My Album?
If you purchased a song from an Essentials, Celebrity, or iMix playlist, you will only be able to apply your purchase to complete the song's original album in the iTunes Store. Essentials, Celebrity, and iMix playlists are not eligible to be completed using Complete My Album.
Are EPs eligible for Complete My Album?
Yes.
Are Soundtracks eligible for Complete My Album?
Soundtracks are eligible only if all songs within a soundtrack are individually for sale.
Are purchased Works (Example: Beethoven: The Complete Symphonies) applicable towards Complete My Album?
No.
Is bonus material included as part of my Complete My Album download?
Complete My Album will include whatever content is included on the eligible album on the iTunes Store at that time. For example, bonus materials only available at pre-order fulfillment will not be included in the Complete My Album purchase.
How does a Complete My Album offer with iTunes Plus songs work?
If the songs you own are AAC Protected or a mix of both AAC Protected and iTunes Plus, the Complete My Album offer will deliver the remaining songs in iTunes Plus if iTunes Plus content is available.
iTunes Plus is the new standard on iTunes. iTunes Plus downloads are songs and music videos available in our highest quality 256 kbps AAC audio encoding (twice the audio quality of protected music purchases), and without digital rights management (DRM). iTunes Plus music can be burned to CD as many times as you need, synced to any AAC-enabled device (such as iPod, iPhone, or Apple TV), and played on any Mac or Windows computers you own.
How much does iTunes Plus music cost?
iTunes Plus songs, music videos, and albums are available at the same price as DRM-protected versions.
Can I upgrade previously purchased music to iTunes Plus?
Yes. Any available upgrades will be shown on the Upgrade to iTunes Plus page.
You can upgrade all of your items at once by using the Buy All button.
This replaces all eligible previous purchases with iTunes Plus versions of the same items.
You can also choose to make individual upgrades by clicking the Buy button to the right of each item. Song upgrades are available for 0.30 USD, video upgrades for 0.60 USD, and albums for 30 percent of the album price.
The counter to the right of the "Upgrade to iTunes Plus" link in the Quick Links box will indicate when additional eligible content become available.
You can view your eligible iTunes Plus upgrade items by clicking here.
Can I still buy music encoded at 128 Kbps with Digital Rights Management (DRM)?
Yes, you can still buy music encoded at 128 kbps with DRM.
However, music which is available in iTunes Plus will replace DRM-protected music on the iTunes Store.
Is there a change in video quality for iTunes Plus videos?
No, the video quality remains the same.
iTunes Plus means that the music videos are offered DRM-free and with our highest-quality audio within the video, 256 kbps AAC.
How do I purchase and play iTunes Plus music?
First, upgrade to the latest version of iTunes.
Music and music videos available in iTunes Plus are indicated as such on the album or video page or track list.
To purchase, simply click the Buy button as you would for any other music on the Store.
What happens to my existing files when I upgrade my music to iTunes Plus?
Your upgraded iTunes Plus music will replace the original purchases in your library.
You will be given an option to delete the original files or move them to your desktop at time of download.
Why is iTunes Plus format available for certain music, but not all?
The reason that certain music and music videos are not offered in our DRM-free, highest quality audio format is because they have not been provided in iTunes Plus format from the music label.
If I have a free song or video code, can I redeem it for an iTunes Plus song or video?
Yes. If you have a code for any free song or video you can redeem it for an iTunes Plus song or video.
How does Complete My Album work for iTunes Plus?
If you've purchased a single at 128 kbps with DRM and want the iTunes Plus version of the remaining tracks, you may use Complete My Album. The Complete My Album offer will deliver the remaining tracks in iTunes Plus.
Can I give iTunes Plus music as a gift?
Yes. To find out more about how to send gifts from the iTunes Store click here.
Can I use iTunes Gift Cards and iTunes Gift Certificates to pay for iTunes Plus music?
Yes, you can use iTunes Gift Cards and iTunes Gift Certificates to pay for iTunes Plus music and upgrades.
What do I need in order to purchase and play iTunes Plus music?
You'll need to upgrade to the latest version of iTunes to preview, purchase, and play iTunes Plus music.
What is Complete My Album?
If you have purchased one or more songs from an eligible album, you can now complete the album without having to pay the full album price, and instead of receiving the album in its entirety, you will receive only the songs you had not previously purchased. For example, if you purchased one song from an eligible album priced at $9.99, you can get the remaining songs for $9.00—instead of paying $9.99 for the album and buying the single again. You can complete albums this way even if you were given the initial song as a gift.
If you purchase a song from an eligible album on the iTunes Store, an offer to complete that album will appear on the Complete My Album page, which you can access under Quick Links on the iTunes Store homepage.
How long do I have to take advantage of Complete My Album?
When you buy individual songs from any qualifying album, you will have 180 days (about six months) after purchasing the first of those songs to complete the album without having to pay the full album price (in some cases you may have more time). You'll find the expiration dates for your eligible albums on the Complete My Album page. If an album does not list an expiration date, the Complete My Album offer is available for as long as the album is available on the iTunes Store. These availability periods are subject to the availability of the album on the iTunes Store and its continued eligibility for Complete My Album.
Note that most items you acquire for free, such as a Single of the Week, are not eligible for Complete My Album. Also note that if you purchase a pre-release single from a qualifying album, your eligibility window to complete the album begins on the date the album is released, not on the date of purchase of the pre-release song.
How is my Complete My Album price calculated?
Your Complete My Album price is based on the content you previously acquired from iTunes. If you purchased your songs, we adjust the current album price by the retail price you paid for those song(s). If you acquired your content through select, eligible song code promotions, we adjust the current album price by the full retail price of the song(s). Please note that if you previously acquired so many single tracks from the same album that the Complete My Album price would be less than the current price of a single song (a single video for a video album), you will not be able to purchase the remaining tracks using Complete My Album.
Are there any items that are not eligible for Complete My Album?
You will not be able to complete your album using songs acquired through Single Of The Week or Discovery Download promotions. Additionally, content acquired through select song code promotions or select bonus material may be excluded. In some cases, Apple may not have the rights to provide Complete My Album for particular albums, songs or videos.
What if I purchased a song and now want to Complete My Album, but I can no longer find it on the iTunes Store?
If an album is no longer available on the iTunes Store, you will not be able to complete your album.
If you don't see an album on the Complete My Album page:
- The album itself may no longer be available for sale on iTunes. or
- You acquired the content with song code promotions which do not qualify for Complete My Album credits. or
- Apple may not have the rights to offer Complete My Album for that album. or
- You first downloaded a song off of the album more than 180 days ago.
What if I previously purchased a song but I accidentally deleted it? Can I download it again for free with Complete My Album?
If you acquired a song and deleted it, you will be able to Complete Your Album even if it is not in your iTunes Library. However, at the time of Complete My Album, the original song you purchased will not be downloaded.
Can I choose between clean and explicit versions of albums?
If you purchased your song from the clean version of an album, you will only be able to complete your album on the clean version. The same applies for explicit versions. The only exception is if you purchased an unmarked (clean) Pre-Release Single, and both clean and explicit album versions are later released, you will have a choice to complete either one of the albums (but not both).
Are music videos eligible as part of Complete My Album?
Yes. Purchased music videos may be applied toward Complete My Album on eligible music albums and music video albums.
Is Complete My Album available for TV show seasons?
No.
Do Apple compilations, iMixes, iTunes Essentials, Celebrity playlists, count towards Complete My Album?
If you purchased a song from an Essentials, Celebrity, or iMix playlist, you will only be able to apply your purchase to complete the song's original album in the iTunes Store. Essentials, Celebrity, and iMix playlists are not eligible to be completed using Complete My Album.
Are EPs eligible for Complete My Album?
Yes.
Are Soundtracks eligible for Complete My Album?
Soundtracks are eligible only if all songs within a soundtrack are individually for sale.
Are purchased Works (Example: Beethoven: The Complete Symphonies) applicable towards Complete My Album?
No.
Is bonus material included as part of my Complete My Album download?
Complete My Album will include whatever content is included on the eligible album on the iTunes Store at that time. For example, bonus materials only available at pre-order fulfillment will not be included in the Complete My Album purchase.
How does a Complete My Album offer with iTunes Plus songs work?
If the songs you own are AAC Protected or a mix of both AAC Protected and iTunes Plus, the Complete My Album offer will deliver the remaining songs in iTunes Plus if iTunes Plus content is available.
Glossary
AAC > Advanced Audio Coding; a standard way of compressing and encoding digital audio
AIFF > Audio Interchange File Format; an uncompressed and lossless format for digital audio
AirTunes > A way to play music in an iTunes library on multiple speakers over a wireless local network, using AirPort Express with iTunes (a hardware device)
allowance > A set monthly amount purchased with an iTunes Store account and given to another account to purchase items in the iTunes Store
App Store > An online store, accessible via the iTunes Store, where you can download applications for iPhone and iPod touch
Apple Lossless > An Apple-developed method for compressing digital music
Apple TV > A device for playing content downloaded from the iTunes Store or from your iTunes library on a television
audiobook > A recorded spoken program, such as a book being read aloud
authorize > To enable a computer to play iTunes Store purchases. You can authorize up to five computers at a time. See deauthorize.
buffer > A portion of music or video that's temporarily stored on your computer when you stream media content from the Internet. A buffer compensates for variations in connection speed, resulting in smoother playback.
burn > To record songs onto a CD or DVD
Clean > A label issued to identify an edited version of an "explicit" recording. See Explicit.
Cover Flow > A way to browse your iTunes library as if you were flipping through actual album covers or movie packages
crossfade > To start playing the next song while the previous song is still playing
deauthorize > To prevent an authorized computer from playing iTunes Store purchases. See authorize.
download > To transfer files from one computer or system to another; for example, to download music from the iTunes Store
eject > To remove a disc (CD or DVD) from a disc drive, or to remove an iPod or iPhone from the list of devices in the iTunes window
equalizer > A set of controls for changing sound frequencies (for example, boosting the bass on a rock song) to accommodate speakers, personal taste, and other factors
Explicit > A label—issued by media producers—that alerts consumers to content that might be inappropriate for children. See Clean.
Genius > A feature that enables you to find new music—in your library and in the iTunes Store—related to music already in your library.
Gracenote CDDB > A service that contains information about audio CDs (CDDB stands for "CD database"). iTunes uses this database to display a CD's name, song titles, and so on.
iMix > A playlist a customer publishes for free in the iTunes Store
import > To add music, video, and other media to your iTunes library
iTunes MiniStore > A part of the iTunes window that displays items in the store related to the selected item; you can click an item in the MiniStore to open it in the iTunes Store.
iTunes library > The collection of music, videos, and other media you have imported into iTunes
iTunes Store > An online store, accessible through iTunes, where you can purchase music and videos, rent movies, download free podcasts, and more
MP3 > An audio format commonly used for digital audio players
Multi-Pass > An option for buying TV shows from the iTunes Store. Designed for shows that don't have traditional "seasons" (news shows, for example), the Multi-Pass purchases a set number of episodes.
parental controls > Options that enable a computer administrator to limit access to features. In the Parental pane of iTunes preferences, for example, you can prevent a user from accessing the iTunes Store.
Party Shuffle > A continuously updated playlist iTunes creates from random songs in your library or a playlist. You can change the Party Shuffle playlist.
playlist > A collection of songs or other media (video and podcasts) put in a custom order
podcast > A radio- or TV-style show you can download from the Internet for free from the iTunes Store. Some podcasts are individual episodes; some are series.
QuickTime > Multimedia software from Apple that handles video, sound, text, animation, music, and several types of images available for Mac computers and PCs
ringtone > The sound a mobile phone makes when someone calls
rip > To transfer songs from a CD to a hard disk
Season Pass > An option for buying TV shows from the iTunes Store. With a Season Pass, all currently available episodes are downloaded to iTunes on your computer. When a new episode is available, you are notified and the show is put into your iTunes Store download queue.
shared library > An iTunes library (or a part of one) that's set up so that others on the local network can play the library's media files on their own computers
shuffle > To play music or video in random order
Smart Playlist > A playlist to which you assign rules (for example, songs by certain artists); when you add a song to your library that matches the criteria, iTunes automatically adds the song to the Smart Playlist
Sound Check > A setting in iTunes preferences that automatically adjusts songs to the same volume level
stream > To play media on one device while the media files are stored on another device. For example, some websites stream movies you can watch on your computer. You can stream items from your iTunes library to your TV, using an Apple TV.
sync > To update an iPod, iPhone, or Apple TV so that it contains some or all of the music, video, and other files in your iTunes library
transfer > In iTunes, to move a rented movie from one location to another, such as from your iTunes library on a computer to an iPod or iPhone
visualizer > A program that displays visual effects in the iTunes window
WAV > Waveform; a digital audio format commonly used with Microsoft Windows
WMA > Windows Media Audio; a digital audio file format created by Microsoft. iTunes can convert WMA files to other formats.
AIFF > Audio Interchange File Format; an uncompressed and lossless format for digital audio
AirTunes > A way to play music in an iTunes library on multiple speakers over a wireless local network, using AirPort Express with iTunes (a hardware device)
allowance > A set monthly amount purchased with an iTunes Store account and given to another account to purchase items in the iTunes Store
App Store > An online store, accessible via the iTunes Store, where you can download applications for iPhone and iPod touch
Apple Lossless > An Apple-developed method for compressing digital music
Apple TV > A device for playing content downloaded from the iTunes Store or from your iTunes library on a television
audiobook > A recorded spoken program, such as a book being read aloud
authorize > To enable a computer to play iTunes Store purchases. You can authorize up to five computers at a time. See deauthorize.
buffer > A portion of music or video that's temporarily stored on your computer when you stream media content from the Internet. A buffer compensates for variations in connection speed, resulting in smoother playback.
burn > To record songs onto a CD or DVD
Clean > A label issued to identify an edited version of an "explicit" recording. See Explicit.
Cover Flow > A way to browse your iTunes library as if you were flipping through actual album covers or movie packages
crossfade > To start playing the next song while the previous song is still playing
deauthorize > To prevent an authorized computer from playing iTunes Store purchases. See authorize.
download > To transfer files from one computer or system to another; for example, to download music from the iTunes Store
eject > To remove a disc (CD or DVD) from a disc drive, or to remove an iPod or iPhone from the list of devices in the iTunes window
equalizer > A set of controls for changing sound frequencies (for example, boosting the bass on a rock song) to accommodate speakers, personal taste, and other factors
Explicit > A label—issued by media producers—that alerts consumers to content that might be inappropriate for children. See Clean.
Genius > A feature that enables you to find new music—in your library and in the iTunes Store—related to music already in your library.
Gracenote CDDB > A service that contains information about audio CDs (CDDB stands for "CD database"). iTunes uses this database to display a CD's name, song titles, and so on.
iMix > A playlist a customer publishes for free in the iTunes Store
import > To add music, video, and other media to your iTunes library
iTunes MiniStore > A part of the iTunes window that displays items in the store related to the selected item; you can click an item in the MiniStore to open it in the iTunes Store.
iTunes library > The collection of music, videos, and other media you have imported into iTunes
iTunes Store > An online store, accessible through iTunes, where you can purchase music and videos, rent movies, download free podcasts, and more
MP3 > An audio format commonly used for digital audio players
Multi-Pass > An option for buying TV shows from the iTunes Store. Designed for shows that don't have traditional "seasons" (news shows, for example), the Multi-Pass purchases a set number of episodes.
parental controls > Options that enable a computer administrator to limit access to features. In the Parental pane of iTunes preferences, for example, you can prevent a user from accessing the iTunes Store.
Party Shuffle > A continuously updated playlist iTunes creates from random songs in your library or a playlist. You can change the Party Shuffle playlist.
playlist > A collection of songs or other media (video and podcasts) put in a custom order
podcast > A radio- or TV-style show you can download from the Internet for free from the iTunes Store. Some podcasts are individual episodes; some are series.
QuickTime > Multimedia software from Apple that handles video, sound, text, animation, music, and several types of images available for Mac computers and PCs
ringtone > The sound a mobile phone makes when someone calls
rip > To transfer songs from a CD to a hard disk
Season Pass > An option for buying TV shows from the iTunes Store. With a Season Pass, all currently available episodes are downloaded to iTunes on your computer. When a new episode is available, you are notified and the show is put into your iTunes Store download queue.
shared library > An iTunes library (or a part of one) that's set up so that others on the local network can play the library's media files on their own computers
shuffle > To play music or video in random order
Smart Playlist > A playlist to which you assign rules (for example, songs by certain artists); when you add a song to your library that matches the criteria, iTunes automatically adds the song to the Smart Playlist
Sound Check > A setting in iTunes preferences that automatically adjusts songs to the same volume level
stream > To play media on one device while the media files are stored on another device. For example, some websites stream movies you can watch on your computer. You can stream items from your iTunes library to your TV, using an Apple TV.
sync > To update an iPod, iPhone, or Apple TV so that it contains some or all of the music, video, and other files in your iTunes library
transfer > In iTunes, to move a rented movie from one location to another, such as from your iTunes library on a computer to an iPod or iPhone
visualizer > A program that displays visual effects in the iTunes window
WAV > Waveform; a digital audio format commonly used with Microsoft Windows
WMA > Windows Media Audio; a digital audio file format created by Microsoft. iTunes can convert WMA files to other formats.
Apple TV
Playing your iTunes library on your TV:
If you have an Apple TV, you can stream items (songs, movies, TV shows, and more) from your iTunes library to your TV.
You can also sync your Apple TV with your iTunes library so that your iTunes content is automatically loaded onto your Apple TV.
Syncing your Apple TV with iTunes:
To set up your Apple TV for streaming:
Removing an Apple TV from your iTunes library:
You can remove an Apple TV that has been added to your iTunes library.
To remove an Apple TV from your iTunes library:
Viewing photos on your TV using an Apple TV:
If you have an Apple TV, you can view digital photos on your TV.
You can either sync photos from your computer to your Apple TV (for instructions, see Related Topics below), or you can stream them from a computer.
To stream photos to your TV:
Playing home movies on your TV using an Apple TV:
If you have an Apple TV, you can watch many videos in your iTunes library on your TV.
Video in your iTunes library must be compatible with Apple TV.
If you drag a video file from the Finder to the iTunes window and the video doesn’t appear in iTunes, it isn’t compatible.
In some cases, you can save video files in a different format so that they work with iTunes.
Any video that plays on an iPod is compatible with Apple TV.
Here are ways to save a version of a video to work with iTunes and Apple TV:
Preparing movies to work with Apple TV:
If you have an Apple TV, you can use it to watch movies from your computer on your TV.
You might need to convert some movies to work with Apple TV.
To convert a movie:
The original movie file remains in your iTunes library.
If your Apple TV doesn't appear in iTunes:
If your Apple TV doesn't appear in the iTunes window (below Devices), note the following:
If you have an Apple TV, you can stream items (songs, movies, TV shows, and more) from your iTunes library to your TV.
You can also sync your Apple TV with your iTunes library so that your iTunes content is automatically loaded onto your Apple TV.
Syncing your Apple TV with iTunes:
- If your Apple TV is synced with an iTunes library, it is already set up for streaming.
- You can also stream items from an iTunes library that isn't synced with your Apple TV.
- You can stream from up to five iTunes libraries, plus the library the Apple TV is synced with.
To set up your Apple TV for streaming:
- Make sure the computer you want to stream from is turned on, and iTunes is open.
- Go to iTunes > Preferences, choose Apple TV, and make sure “Look for Apple TVs” is selected.
- On your Apple TV, choose Settings > Computers > “Add Shared iTunes Library,” and then note the passcode displayed.
- In iTunes, select the Apple TV with “Click to set up” next to it, and enter the passcode.
- While content is being streamed, the computer must remain on (not in Sleep mode) and iTunes must remain open.
- If you stream content while Apple TV is syncing, the sync pauses until streaming stops.
Removing an Apple TV from your iTunes library:
You can remove an Apple TV that has been added to your iTunes library.
To remove an Apple TV from your iTunes library:
- Choose iTunes > Preferences, and then click Apple TV.
- Select the Apple TV, and then click Remove Apple TV.
Viewing photos on your TV using an Apple TV:
If you have an Apple TV, you can view digital photos on your TV.
You can either sync photos from your computer to your Apple TV (for instructions, see Related Topics below), or you can stream them from a computer.
To stream photos to your TV:
- Set up your Apple TV to stream content from the iTunes library on the computer with the photos you want to stream.
- Playing your iTunes library on your TV
- In iTunes, select the Apple TV icon (beow Devices), and then click the Photos tab.
- If you don’t see the Apple TV icon or the Photos tab, make sure you’re using Apple TV software version 1.1 or later.
- Choose the photos you want to stream, and then click Apply.
Playing home movies on your TV using an Apple TV:
If you have an Apple TV, you can watch many videos in your iTunes library on your TV.
Video in your iTunes library must be compatible with Apple TV.
If you drag a video file from the Finder to the iTunes window and the video doesn’t appear in iTunes, it isn’t compatible.
In some cases, you can save video files in a different format so that they work with iTunes.
Any video that plays on an iPod is compatible with Apple TV.
Here are ways to save a version of a video to work with iTunes and Apple TV:
- Try selecting the movie in iTunes and then choosing Advanced > “Create Apple TV Video.”
- In iMovie, you can save your movie as a QuickTime movie or export it directly to your iTunes library. Choose Share > iTunes, click Apple TV, and then click Publish. (For more information, see iMovie Help.)
- If you have QuickTime Pro, open your movie in QuickTime Player and then choose File > Export > “Movie to Apple TV.” For more information, see QuickTime Player Help.
Preparing movies to work with Apple TV:
If you have an Apple TV, you can use it to watch movies from your computer on your TV.
You might need to convert some movies to work with Apple TV.
To convert a movie:
- In iTunes, select the movie.
- If the movie isn't in your iTunes library yet, drag the movie file to the iTunes window.
- Choose Advanced > “Create Apple TV Video.”
The original movie file remains in your iTunes library.
If your Apple TV doesn't appear in iTunes:
If your Apple TV doesn't appear in the iTunes window (below Devices), note the following:
- Make sure your Apple TV is turned on and connected to your network. To check your network settings on your Apple TV, choose Settings > General > Network.
- Choose iTunes > Preferences, click Apple TV, and make sure “Look for Apple TVs” is selected.
- If the Firewall service is turned on (in the Sharing pane of System Preferences), make sure “iTunes Music Sharing” is selected.
Syncing
Syncing your Apple TV with iTunes:
You can set up iTunes to automatically sync your Apple TV with your iTunes library. That way, you can play your iTunes library on your TV without having to turn on the computer and open iTunes.
To sync your Apple TV:
Make sure the computer you want to stream from is on, and iTunes is open.
Automatic Sync:
Syncing starts automatically whenever you click Apply, Sync, or choose File > Sync.To turn off syncing, on your Apple TV choose Settings > Computers > “Select iTunes Library” > Disconnect > Continue.
You can also use Apple TV to play unsynced items from your library, whether syncing is turned on or off.
For instructions, see the Related Topics below. For more information, see the Apple TV user’s guide at the Apple TV Support website.
NOTE: If you play videos on Apple TV while a sync is in progress, the sync pauses until playback stops.
Syncing media with iPhone:
You can sync music, audiobooks, podcasts, and videos from your iTunes library, as well as photos, with your iPhone. You can sync your iPhone with only one computer and iTunes library at a time.
If you have more media than can fit on your iPhone, iTunes offers to create a special playlist to sync with your iPhone.
iTunes fills the playlist with selections from your library; you can change the contents of the playlist and sync again.
To sync media with your iPhone:
If you don’t want your iPhone and your computer to sync when you connect your iPhone to your computer, deselect “Automatically sync when this iPhone is connected” in the Summary pane.
If you have problems syncing, try syncing only certain information. For example, deselect the Sync checkboxes on the Info, Photos, Podcasts, and Video panes, and try syncing only Music.
For more information, see the iPhone user’s guide or the Apple support website.
Syncing contacts, calendars, bookmarks, and email account settings with iPhone:
You can sync your iPhone and your computer so that both have your latest contact, calendar, Internet bookmarks, and email account information.
For example, if you add contacts on your iPhone, you can sync to add those contacts to Address Book on your computer.
You can sync iPhone with only one iTunes library at a time.
When you sync, iTunes determines which device (iPhone or the computer) contains the most recent information, and lets you to choose the information you want to sync.
To sync information with iPhone:
You can sync your iPhone and your computer any time by choosing File > Sync iPhone or clicking the Sync button in the lower right of the iTunes window.
You can also sync information with your iPhone using MobileMe or Microsoft Exchange.
Any items you choose to sync with these applications will not be synced with iTunes.
See the documentation for MobileMe and Microsoft Exchange for further details.
If you have problems syncing, try syncing only certain information.
For example, deselect the Sync checkboxes on the Music, Photos, Podcasts, and Video panes, and try syncing only Info.
For more information, see the iPhone user’s guide or the Apple support website.
Preventing iPhone from syncing automatically:
By default, contacts, calendars, and other information is automatically synced when you connect your iPhone to your computer.
You can prevent a specific iPhone from syncing automatically by connecting the iPhone, selecting it in iTunes, and deselecting “Automatically sync when this iPhone is connected” in the Summary pane.
You can also prevent automatic syncing of all iPhones.
To prevent automatic syncing for all iPhones:
To sync your iPhone and your computer, connect the iPhone and choose File > Sync iPhone.
You can sync iPhone with only one iTunes library at a time.
For more information, see the iPhone user’s guide or the Apple support website.
You can set up iTunes to automatically sync your Apple TV with your iTunes library. That way, you can play your iTunes library on your TV without having to turn on the computer and open iTunes.
To sync your Apple TV:
Make sure the computer you want to stream from is on, and iTunes is open.
- Go to iTunes > Preferences, choose Apple TV, and make sure “Look for Apple TVs” is selected.
- On your Apple TV, choose Settings > Computers > “Connect to iTunes,” and then note the passcode displayed.
- In iTunes, select the Apple TV (below Devices) and enter the passcode.
Automatic Sync:
- iTunes automatically adds items to your Apple TV whenever you add them to your iTunes library.
- You choose the items to sync. After you select this option, click the other tabs to specify your syncing preferences. With this option, you can prevent unsynced items from appearing on your Apple TV (when iTunes is open). To display all items, deselect the checkbox.
- To transfer a rented movie from your computer to your Apple TV, click the Videos tab, select the movie you want to transfer, and then click Move.
- To sync photos, click the Photos tab.
Syncing starts automatically whenever you click Apply, Sync, or choose File > Sync.To turn off syncing, on your Apple TV choose Settings > Computers > “Select iTunes Library” > Disconnect > Continue.
You can also use Apple TV to play unsynced items from your library, whether syncing is turned on or off.
For instructions, see the Related Topics below. For more information, see the Apple TV user’s guide at the Apple TV Support website.
NOTE: If you play videos on Apple TV while a sync is in progress, the sync pauses until playback stops.
Syncing media with iPhone:
You can sync music, audiobooks, podcasts, and videos from your iTunes library, as well as photos, with your iPhone. You can sync your iPhone with only one computer and iTunes library at a time.
If you have more media than can fit on your iPhone, iTunes offers to create a special playlist to sync with your iPhone.
iTunes fills the playlist with selections from your library; you can change the contents of the playlist and sync again.
To sync media with your iPhone:
- Connect your iPhone to your computer (make sure the iPhone has been activated).
- When the iPhone appears in the iTunes window, select it.
- Click the tabs (Music, Photos, and so on) and select the items you want to sync.
- To sync only certain items, click Summary, select “Sync only checked songs and video” checkbox, and then click the other tabs and select the items you want to sync.
- Click Apply.
If you don’t want your iPhone and your computer to sync when you connect your iPhone to your computer, deselect “Automatically sync when this iPhone is connected” in the Summary pane.
If you have problems syncing, try syncing only certain information. For example, deselect the Sync checkboxes on the Info, Photos, Podcasts, and Video panes, and try syncing only Music.
For more information, see the iPhone user’s guide or the Apple support website.
Syncing contacts, calendars, bookmarks, and email account settings with iPhone:
You can sync your iPhone and your computer so that both have your latest contact, calendar, Internet bookmarks, and email account information.
For example, if you add contacts on your iPhone, you can sync to add those contacts to Address Book on your computer.
You can sync iPhone with only one iTunes library at a time.
When you sync, iTunes determines which device (iPhone or the computer) contains the most recent information, and lets you to choose the information you want to sync.
To sync information with iPhone:
- Connect your iPhone to your computer.
- When your iPhone appears in the iTunes window, select it.
- Click the Info tab and then select the items you want to sync.
- Click Apply.
You can sync your iPhone and your computer any time by choosing File > Sync iPhone or clicking the Sync button in the lower right of the iTunes window.
You can also sync information with your iPhone using MobileMe or Microsoft Exchange.
Any items you choose to sync with these applications will not be synced with iTunes.
See the documentation for MobileMe and Microsoft Exchange for further details.
If you have problems syncing, try syncing only certain information.
For example, deselect the Sync checkboxes on the Music, Photos, Podcasts, and Video panes, and try syncing only Info.
For more information, see the iPhone user’s guide or the Apple support website.
Preventing iPhone from syncing automatically:
By default, contacts, calendars, and other information is automatically synced when you connect your iPhone to your computer.
You can prevent a specific iPhone from syncing automatically by connecting the iPhone, selecting it in iTunes, and deselecting “Automatically sync when this iPhone is connected” in the Summary pane.
You can also prevent automatic syncing of all iPhones.
To prevent automatic syncing for all iPhones:
- In iTunes, choose iTunes > Preferences.
- Click iPhone.
- Deselect “Disable automatic syncing for all iPhones.”
To sync your iPhone and your computer, connect the iPhone and choose File > Sync iPhone.
You can sync iPhone with only one iTunes library at a time.
For more information, see the iPhone user’s guide or the Apple support website.
Adding
Adding music and video to iPod:
You can set up iTunes to automatically update the music and video on your iPod when you connect your iPod to your computer.
If you want to use your iPod with more than one computer, or if your iTunes library contains more music than your iPod can hold, you can choose to manage your music and video manually.
To add music and video to your iPod:
NOTE: Some options shown might not appear, depending on the type of iPod you have.
After you sync, if you add songs or playlists to your iTunes library before you disconnect your iPod, choose File > Sync iPod to update it again.
For information about listening to and watching videos on an iPod with video capability, see the documentation for your iPod.
An iPod with video capability supports videos formatted in a specific way. You can convert most videos to work with your iPod.
Adding songs to iPod shuffle:
You can autofill your iPod shuffle with songs from your library or a playlist.
You can also add songs to it manually, in addition to or instead of autofilling.
Autofilling selects different songs each time.
To add music to your iPod shuffle:
Do one or more of the following:
Songs that weren’t added (because there wasn’t enough space, for example) have a gray dot beside them in the iPod shuffle playlist.
For more information about using your iPod shuffle, see the documentation that came with your iPod shuffle or visit the iPod website.
Adding podcasts to iPod:
Podcasts are radio- and TV-style shows you can download to your computer from the Internet.
You can download and subscribe to free podcasts at the iTunes Store.
If you have an iPod shuffle, a Motorola phone featuring iTunes, or a third-party music player, you can only add podcasts to it manually.
For other iPod models, you can set up iTunes to automatically sync podcasts on your iPod and your computer.
To add video podcasts to your iPod, it must have video capability.
To add podcasts to your iPod:
Adding photos to iPod:
If you have an iPod with a color display, you can add digital photos to it using iTunes.
You can connect some iPod models to a TV to view photos.
Make sure your computer doesn’t go to sleep while you're moving photos from it to your iPod.
To add photos to your iPod:
After you click OK, if it’s the first time you’re adding photos to your iPod, it might take a while, but subsequent syncs should be faster.
To move full-resolution photos from your iPod to another computer, select “Enable disk use” in the Summary pane.
Adding applications to iPhone or iPod touch:
You can download applications for your iPhone or iPod touch from the App Store.
Purchases are made through your iTunes Store account. Many applications are free.
To download and install applications for iPhone and iPod touch:
If you’re connected to a Wi-Fi network, you can also buy applications directly from your iPhone or iPod touch (some applications might not work on all devices). For more information, see the documentation that came with your iPhone or iPod touch.
You can set up iTunes to automatically update the music and video on your iPod when you connect your iPod to your computer.
If you want to use your iPod with more than one computer, or if your iTunes library contains more music than your iPod can hold, you can choose to manage your music and video manually.
To add music and video to your iPod:
- Connect your iPod to your computer.
- When the iPod icon appears in the iTunes window (below Devices), select it.
- Click the Summary tab to choose between automatic syncing and manually managing your music and video:
NOTE: Some options shown might not appear, depending on the type of iPod you have.- To manage your files manually, click Music, Movies, or TV Shows (below Library), and then drag songs, videos, and playlists to your iPod.
- For automatic syncing, click the Music tab to choose your options for automatically syncing songs and playlists:
After you sync, if you add songs or playlists to your iTunes library before you disconnect your iPod, choose File > Sync iPod to update it again.For information about listening to and watching videos on an iPod with video capability, see the documentation for your iPod.
An iPod with video capability supports videos formatted in a specific way. You can convert most videos to work with your iPod.
Adding songs to iPod shuffle:
You can autofill your iPod shuffle with songs from your library or a playlist.
You can also add songs to it manually, in addition to or instead of autofilling.
Autofilling selects different songs each time.
To add music to your iPod shuffle:
- Connect your iPod shuffle to your computer.
Do one or more of the following:
- To add songs manually, drag them to your iPod in the list of devices.
- To have iTunes automatically fill the remaining space, deselect “Replace all items when Autofilling.” (If the checkbox is selected when you click Autofill, songs you dragged to your iPod are replaced.)
- To add songs automatically from your library or a playlist, choose Music or a playlist from the “Autofill from” pop-up menu, and then click Autofill.
- To add songs randomly from the source you selected (instead of in order), select “Choose items randomly” and then click Autofill.
Songs that weren’t added (because there wasn’t enough space, for example) have a gray dot beside them in the iPod shuffle playlist.
For more information about using your iPod shuffle, see the documentation that came with your iPod shuffle or visit the iPod website.
Adding podcasts to iPod:
Podcasts are radio- and TV-style shows you can download to your computer from the Internet.
You can download and subscribe to free podcasts at the iTunes Store.
If you have an iPod shuffle, a Motorola phone featuring iTunes, or a third-party music player, you can only add podcasts to it manually.
For other iPod models, you can set up iTunes to automatically sync podcasts on your iPod and your computer.
To add video podcasts to your iPod, it must have video capability.
To add podcasts to your iPod:
- Connect your iPod to your computer.
- When the iPod icon appears in iTunes, select it.
- Click the Podcasts tab and then do one of the following:
- To automatically update your iPod with all the podcasts in your Podcasts playlist, select Sync.
- To add podcasts to your iPod manually, deselect Sync and drag podcasts or podcast episodes from your Podcasts playlist to the iPod icon in the iTunes window (below Devices).
Adding photos to iPod:
If you have an iPod with a color display, you can add digital photos to it using iTunes.
You can connect some iPod models to a TV to view photos.
Make sure your computer doesn’t go to sleep while you're moving photos from it to your iPod.
To add photos to your iPod:
- Connect your iPod to your computer using the cable that came with your iPod.
- When the iPod icon appears in the iTunes window, select it and click the Photos tab.
- Select “Sync photos from” and choose an album or folder from the pop-up menu (you must be using iPhoto 4.0.or later to import a photo album).
- Choose whether to move all your photos and albums, or only selected albums. If you choose “Selected albums,” select the albums you want to add to your iPod.
- To also move the full-resolution versions of these photos to your iPod, select “Include full-resolution photos.”
After you click OK, if it’s the first time you’re adding photos to your iPod, it might take a while, but subsequent syncs should be faster.
To move full-resolution photos from your iPod to another computer, select “Enable disk use” in the Summary pane.
Adding applications to iPhone or iPod touch:
You can download applications for your iPhone or iPod touch from the App Store.
Purchases are made through your iTunes Store account. Many applications are free.
To download and install applications for iPhone and iPod touch:
- In iTunes, click iTunes Store.
- In the iTunes Store, near the top of the home page, click App Store.
- Browse for an application, and then click Buy App (if it’s a free application, click Get App).
- Connect your iPhone or iPod touch to your computer.
- iTunes automatically syncs applications to your iPhone or iPod touch.
If you’re connected to a Wi-Fi network, you can also buy applications directly from your iPhone or iPod touch (some applications might not work on all devices). For more information, see the documentation that came with your iPhone or iPod touch.
Importing
Choosing import settings:
You can choose the encoding format and other settings that iTunes uses to import songs.
Your choices affect the audio quality and size of the song file (the higher the quality, the larger the file size).
AAC (Advanced Audio Coding) encoding is available only if you have QuickTime 6.2 or later installed. (iTunes supports MPEG-4 AAC files, not older versions of AAC.)
To choose import options:
If you’ll be playing your songs on a computer that does not have MP3 software, choose WAV.
Choose a bit rate from the Setting pop-up menu (not available with Apple Lossless Encoder).
In most cases, the default selection works well.
Higher Quality: Choose if you chose MP3 Encoder and plan to create your own audio CDs or listen to your music with high-quality stereo speakers.
High Quality: Choose if you play music in a noisy environment. This setting creates files that are about 1 MB in size per minute of music.
Good Quality: Use to fit more songs on a portable MP3 player with limited storage capacity.
Custom: Choose for greater control over the file size and sound quality.
Importing songs from CDs:
You can import songs from your CDs into your iTunes library.
Imported songs are stored on your hard disk so that you can listen to them without having the original CD in the disc drive.
To import songs from CDs into your iTunes library:
You can continue to use iTunes while songs are importing.
Tip: You can also import a song by dragging it to the Music playlist (below Library).
You’ll see a green plus sign when it’s OK to stop dragging.
Importing songs from the Internet:
You can add audio files that you find on the Internet to your iTunes library.
IMPORTANT: Don't steal music. Some websites require you to register before you can play or download files.
To download a song from a website into iTunes:
On other websites, the download is a link (the URL) to the audio file; when you play it, iTunes finds the song on the Internet and “streams” it live to your computer.
This kind of file displays a broadcast symbol (shown below) next to the song in iTunes.
When you buy songs from the iTunes Store, the files are downloaded to your hard disk and automatically added to your iTunes library.
Importing music and video already on your computer:
If you have audio or video files on your computer, you can import them into iTunes so that they appear in your iTunes library.
Here are ways to add items to your iTunes library:
For information about adding an alias to the file (instead of creating a copy), click the link below.
Importing or playing CDs automatically:
When you insert a CD, you can set iTunes to play it automatically or begin importing the songs into your music library.
To change what happens when you insert a CD:
Choosing AIFF and WAV custom import settings:
If you use AIFF or WAV encoding, you can use custom settings for greater control over the quality and size of imported files.
To choose AIFF and WAV import settings:
In the dialog that appears, choose settings:
Sample Rate: The number of times per second the music waveforms are captured digitally.
The higher the sample rate, the higher the quality and the larger the file size.
Don't choose a sample rate higher than the rate used to store the music originally or you'll waste space.
CD quality, for example, is 44.100 kHz, so choosing a higher rate when you're encoding from a CD is unnecessary.
In general, the best choice is Auto, which uses the same rate as the original music.
Sample Size: The number of bits used to store each sample taken as the music is encoded.
The higher the sample size, the better the quality and the larger the file size.
Channels: If you don't have stereo speakers or if your audio files are monaural (mono files are about half the size of stereo files), choose Mono.
If you'll be listening through headphones or a stereo system, choose Stereo or Auto.
Auto converts monaural tracks into mono files and stereo tracks into stereo files.
Choosing MP3 custom import settings:
If you use MP3 encoding, you can use custom settings for greater control over the quality and size of imported files.
To use custom settings with MP3 encoding:
In the dialog that appears, choose settings:
Stereo Bit Rate: The higher the Mono or Stereo kilobits per second (Kbps), the higher the audio quality and the larger the file size.
The most common bit rate for stereo MP3 files is between 128 Kbps and 192 Kbps.
Lower bit rates are more appropriate for sound files containing voice recordings (as opposed to music).
Variable Bit Rate Encoding (VBR): This setting varies the number of bits used to store the music depending on the complexity of the music.
This can help keep file size to a minimum.
Sample Rate: The number of times per second that the music waveforms are captured digitally.
The higher the sample rate, the higher the quality and the larger the file size.
Don’t choose a sample rate higher than the rate used originally to store the music or you’ll waste space.
CD quality, for example, is 44.100 kHz, so choosing a higher rate when you’re encoding from a CD is unnecessary.
In general, the best choice is Auto, which uses the same rate as the original music.
Channels: If you don’t have stereo speakers or if your audio files are monaural, choose Mono (mono files are about half the size of stereo files).
If you’ll be listening to your MP3 files using your stereo system, choose Stereo or Auto.
Auto converts tracks that are already monaural into mono MP3 files, and stereo tracks into stereo MP3 files.
Stereo Mode: In Normal mode, your MP3 files contain one track for the right stereo channel and one track for the left.
In many cases, the two channels contain related information.
In Joint Stereo mode, one channel carries the information that’s identical on both channels, and the other channel carries the unique information.
At bit rates of 160 Kbps and below, this can improve the sound quality of your converted audio.
Smart Encoding Adjustments: Select to have iTunes analyze your encoding settings and music source, and then adjust settings to maximize quality.
Filter Frequencies Below 10 Hz: Filtering inaudible frequencies results in smaller, more efficient files without perceptible loss of quality.
Choosing AAC custom import settings:
If you use AAC (Advanced Audio Coding) encoding, you can use custom settings for greater control over the quality and size of imported files.
To use custom settings with AAC encoding:
In the dialog that appears, choose settings:
Stereo Bit Rate: The higher the Mono or Stereo kilobits per second (Kbps), the higher the audio quality and the larger the file size.
The most common bit rate for stereo AAC files is 128 Kbps.
Lower bit rates are more appropriate for sound files containing voice recordings (as opposed to music).
Sample Rate: The number of times per second the music waveforms are captured digitally.
The higher the sample rate, the higher the quality and the larger the file size.
Don't choose a rate higher than the rate used to store the music originally or you'll waste space.
CD quality, for example, is 44.100 kHz, so choosing a higher rate when you're encoding from a CD is unnecessary.
In general, the best choice is Auto, which uses the same rate as the original music.
Channels: If you don't have stereo speakers or if your audio files are monaural (mono files are about half the size of stereo files), choose Mono.
If you'll be listening through headphones or a stereo system, choose Stereo or Auto.
Auto converts monaural tracks that into mono files and stereo tracks into stereo files.
You can choose the encoding format and other settings that iTunes uses to import songs.
Your choices affect the audio quality and size of the song file (the higher the quality, the larger the file size).
AAC (Advanced Audio Coding) encoding is available only if you have QuickTime 6.2 or later installed. (iTunes supports MPEG-4 AAC files, not older versions of AAC.)
To choose import options:
- Choose iTunes > Preferences and click Import Settings.
- Choose an encoder from the Import Using pop-up menu.
- You can listen to songs encoded in AAC or Apple Lossless formats in iTunes and on iPod models that come with a dock connector. If you plan to listen to your music using a different program or MP3 player, choose MP3 Encoder.
If you’ll be playing your songs on a computer that does not have MP3 software, choose WAV.
Choose a bit rate from the Setting pop-up menu (not available with Apple Lossless Encoder).
In most cases, the default selection works well.
Higher Quality: Choose if you chose MP3 Encoder and plan to create your own audio CDs or listen to your music with high-quality stereo speakers.
High Quality: Choose if you play music in a noisy environment. This setting creates files that are about 1 MB in size per minute of music.
Good Quality: Use to fit more songs on a portable MP3 player with limited storage capacity.
Custom: Choose for greater control over the file size and sound quality.
Importing songs from CDs:
You can import songs from your CDs into your iTunes library.
Imported songs are stored on your hard disk so that you can listen to them without having the original CD in the disc drive.
To import songs from CDs into your iTunes library:
- Insert an audio CD into your computer’s internal CD or DVD drive.
- When the list of songs appears in the iTunes window, deselect (remove the checkmark from) any songs you don’t want to import.
- To add the selected songs to your library, click the Import CD button (at the bottom of the iTunes window).
- To cancel importing, click the small X next to the progress bar at the top of the iTunes window.
- When the songs are finished importing, click the Eject symbol to the right of the CD.
You can continue to use iTunes while songs are importing.
Tip: You can also import a song by dragging it to the Music playlist (below Library).
You’ll see a green plus sign when it’s OK to stop dragging.
Importing songs from the Internet:
You can add audio files that you find on the Internet to your iTunes library.
IMPORTANT: Don't steal music. Some websites require you to register before you can play or download files.
To download a song from a website into iTunes:
- Open iTunes.
- When you find an audio file you want on a website, click the file to download it to your computer.
- Drag the file to the iTunes window.
On other websites, the download is a link (the URL) to the audio file; when you play it, iTunes finds the song on the Internet and “streams” it live to your computer.
This kind of file displays a broadcast symbol (shown below) next to the song in iTunes.
When you buy songs from the iTunes Store, the files are downloaded to your hard disk and automatically added to your iTunes library.
Importing music and video already on your computer:
If you have audio or video files on your computer, you can import them into iTunes so that they appear in your iTunes library.
Here are ways to add items to your iTunes library:
- Drag a file or folder from the Finder to the iTunes window.
- If you add a folder, all the files it contains are added to your library.
- In iTunes, choose File > “Add to Library,” locate a file or folder, and then click Choose.
For information about adding an alias to the file (instead of creating a copy), click the link below.
Importing or playing CDs automatically:
When you insert a CD, you can set iTunes to play it automatically or begin importing the songs into your music library.
To change what happens when you insert a CD:
- Choose iTunes > Preferences.
- In the General pane, choose an option from the “When you insert a CD” pop-up menu.
Choosing AIFF and WAV custom import settings:
If you use AIFF or WAV encoding, you can use custom settings for greater control over the quality and size of imported files.
To choose AIFF and WAV import settings:
- Choose iTunes > Preferences and click Import Settings.
- Choose AIFF Encoder or WAV Encoder from the Import Using pop-up menu.
- Choose Custom from the Setting pop-up menu.
In the dialog that appears, choose settings:
Sample Rate: The number of times per second the music waveforms are captured digitally.
The higher the sample rate, the higher the quality and the larger the file size.
Don't choose a sample rate higher than the rate used to store the music originally or you'll waste space.
CD quality, for example, is 44.100 kHz, so choosing a higher rate when you're encoding from a CD is unnecessary.
In general, the best choice is Auto, which uses the same rate as the original music.
Sample Size: The number of bits used to store each sample taken as the music is encoded.
The higher the sample size, the better the quality and the larger the file size.
Channels: If you don't have stereo speakers or if your audio files are monaural (mono files are about half the size of stereo files), choose Mono.
If you'll be listening through headphones or a stereo system, choose Stereo or Auto.
Auto converts monaural tracks into mono files and stereo tracks into stereo files.
Choosing MP3 custom import settings:
If you use MP3 encoding, you can use custom settings for greater control over the quality and size of imported files.
To use custom settings with MP3 encoding:
- Choose iTunes > Preferences and click Import Settings.
- Choose MP3 Encoder from the Import Using pop-up menu.
- Choose Custom from the Setting pop-up menu.
In the dialog that appears, choose settings:
Stereo Bit Rate: The higher the Mono or Stereo kilobits per second (Kbps), the higher the audio quality and the larger the file size.
The most common bit rate for stereo MP3 files is between 128 Kbps and 192 Kbps.
Lower bit rates are more appropriate for sound files containing voice recordings (as opposed to music).
Variable Bit Rate Encoding (VBR): This setting varies the number of bits used to store the music depending on the complexity of the music.
This can help keep file size to a minimum.
Sample Rate: The number of times per second that the music waveforms are captured digitally.
The higher the sample rate, the higher the quality and the larger the file size.
Don’t choose a sample rate higher than the rate used originally to store the music or you’ll waste space.
CD quality, for example, is 44.100 kHz, so choosing a higher rate when you’re encoding from a CD is unnecessary.
In general, the best choice is Auto, which uses the same rate as the original music.
Channels: If you don’t have stereo speakers or if your audio files are monaural, choose Mono (mono files are about half the size of stereo files).
If you’ll be listening to your MP3 files using your stereo system, choose Stereo or Auto.
Auto converts tracks that are already monaural into mono MP3 files, and stereo tracks into stereo MP3 files.
Stereo Mode: In Normal mode, your MP3 files contain one track for the right stereo channel and one track for the left.
In many cases, the two channels contain related information.
In Joint Stereo mode, one channel carries the information that’s identical on both channels, and the other channel carries the unique information.
At bit rates of 160 Kbps and below, this can improve the sound quality of your converted audio.
Smart Encoding Adjustments: Select to have iTunes analyze your encoding settings and music source, and then adjust settings to maximize quality.
Filter Frequencies Below 10 Hz: Filtering inaudible frequencies results in smaller, more efficient files without perceptible loss of quality.
Choosing AAC custom import settings:
If you use AAC (Advanced Audio Coding) encoding, you can use custom settings for greater control over the quality and size of imported files.
To use custom settings with AAC encoding:
- Choose iTunes > Preferences and click Import Settings.
- Choose AAC Encoder from the Import Using pop-up menu.
- Choose Custom from the Setting pop-up menu.
In the dialog that appears, choose settings:
Stereo Bit Rate: The higher the Mono or Stereo kilobits per second (Kbps), the higher the audio quality and the larger the file size.
The most common bit rate for stereo AAC files is 128 Kbps.
Lower bit rates are more appropriate for sound files containing voice recordings (as opposed to music).
Sample Rate: The number of times per second the music waveforms are captured digitally.
The higher the sample rate, the higher the quality and the larger the file size.
Don't choose a rate higher than the rate used to store the music originally or you'll waste space.
CD quality, for example, is 44.100 kHz, so choosing a higher rate when you're encoding from a CD is unnecessary.
In general, the best choice is Auto, which uses the same rate as the original music.
Channels: If you don't have stereo speakers or if your audio files are monaural (mono files are about half the size of stereo files), choose Mono.
If you'll be listening through headphones or a stereo system, choose Stereo or Auto.
Auto converts monaural tracks that into mono files and stereo tracks into stereo files.
Keyboard Shortcuts
You can use your keyboard to quickly accomplish many tasks in iTunes.
To find the shortcuts for common commands, look in the menus (or see the list at the bottom of this page).
Many items in iTunes (for example, songs and column headings) also have contextual menus.
To see a contextual menu, press the Control key and click the item.
Playback shortcuts:
Play the selected song immediately > Enter
Move forward or backward within a song > Control-Option-Arrow
Listen to the next or previous album in a list > Option-Right Arrow or Left Arrow
(or Option-click the Skip Forward or Skip Backward controls in the upper-left corner of the iTunes window)
Go to the next or previous song in a list > Left Arrow or Right Arrow
(or click the Skip Forward or Skip Backward controls in the upper-left corner of the iTunes window)
Library and playlist shortcuts:
Select or deselect all the songs in a list > Command-click the checkbox next to a song
Create a playlist from a selection of songs > Shift-click the Add (+) button
(Or drag the songs to the white area of the source pane)
Create a new Smart Playlist > Option-click the Add (+) button
Reshuffle the current playlist > Option-click the Shuffle button
Delete the selected playlist from your source pane > Command-Delete
Delete the selected playlist and all the songs it contains from your library > Option-Delete
Delete the selected song from your library and all playlists > Option-Delete
iTunes Store shortcuts:
Go to the next page in the iTunes Store > Control-Right bracket ( ] )
Go to the previous page in the iTunes Store > Control-Left bracket ( [ )
File and window shortcuts:
Change the song information columns you see > Control-click a column heading
Expand or collapse all the triangles in the Radio's Stream list > Command-click a triangle
Shrink the iTunes window to show only the playback controls > Click the zoom control in the upper-left corner of the iTunes window
Zoom the window to an ideal size > Option-click the zoom control in the upper-left corner of the iTunes window
See the iTunes window resize while you are resizing it > Command-drag the resize box in the lower-right corner of the window
In the Get Info window, see the info for the next or previous song in the list > Command-N or Command-P
Go to the previous or next pane in the Get Info or Preferences window > Command-click left bracket ( [ ) or right bracket ( ] )
Select the search field > Command-Option-F
See more options when a visual effect is showing > Press ?, then press the indicated key to use an option (not all visual effects support this)
Choose artwork for the selected video > While the video is playing, press the Control key, click the movie, and then choose Set Poster Frame
iPod shortcuts:
Prevent iPod from automatically updating when you connect it to your computer > Command-Option (As you connect the iPod to your computer - hold the keys down until the iPod appears in the iTunes window)
Spoken word shortcuts:
Go to the next or last chapter (if available) > Command-Shift-Right Arrow or Left Arrow
iTunes menu shortcuts:
Open iTunes Preferences > Command-comma
Hide the iTunes window > Command-H
Hide all other applications > Option-Command-H
Quit iTunes > Command-Q
File menu shortcuts:
Create a new playlist > Command-N
Create a new folder > Option-Shift-Command-N
Create a new playlist with the selected songs > Shift-Command-N
Create a new Smart Playlist > Option-Command-N
Add a file to your music library > Command-O
Close the iTunes window > Command-W
Import a song, playlist, or library file > Shift-Command-O
Open the song or CD Info window for the selected song or CD > Command-I
Show where a song file is located > Command-R
Show the currently playing song in the list > Command-L
Edit menu shortcuts:
Undo your last typing change while still in edit mode > Command-Z
Cut the selected song's information or artwork > Command-X
Copy the selected song's information or artwork > Command-C
Paste the selected song's information or artwork > Command-V
Select all the songs in the list > Command-A
Deselect all the songs in the list > Shift-Command-A
Hide or Show the Artist and Album columns > Command-B
Hide or Show the song artwork > Command-G
Open the View Options window for the selected source > Command-J
Control menu shortcuts:
Stop or start playing the selected song > Space Bar
When a song is playing, play the next song in a list > Right Arrow
When a song is playing, play the previous song in a list > Left Arrow
Increase the volume > Command-Up Arrow
Decrease the volume > Command-Down Arrow
Mute the sound (song keeps playing) > Option-Command-Down Arrow
Eject a CD > Command-E
Visualizer menu shortcuts:
Turn the visualizer on or off > Command-T
Switch between visual effects (when visualizer is on) > Command-F
Advanced menu shortcuts:
Stream audio file at a specific URL to iTunes > Command-U
View menu shortcuts:
Display video half size > Command-0
Display video actual size > Command-1
Display video double size > Command-2
Display video to fit screen > Command-3
Display video full screen > Command-F
Window menu shortcuts:
Put the iTunes window in the Dock > Command-M
Help menu shortcuts:
Open iTunes Help > Command-?
General shortcuts:
Open iTunes in "safe mode" (without external plug-ins) > Command-Option (while opening iTunes)
To find the shortcuts for common commands, look in the menus (or see the list at the bottom of this page).
Many items in iTunes (for example, songs and column headings) also have contextual menus.
To see a contextual menu, press the Control key and click the item.
Playback shortcuts:
Play the selected song immediately > Enter
Move forward or backward within a song > Control-Option-Arrow
Listen to the next or previous album in a list > Option-Right Arrow or Left Arrow
(or Option-click the Skip Forward or Skip Backward controls in the upper-left corner of the iTunes window)
Go to the next or previous song in a list > Left Arrow or Right Arrow
(or click the Skip Forward or Skip Backward controls in the upper-left corner of the iTunes window)
Library and playlist shortcuts:
Select or deselect all the songs in a list > Command-click the checkbox next to a song
Create a playlist from a selection of songs > Shift-click the Add (+) button
(Or drag the songs to the white area of the source pane)
Create a new Smart Playlist > Option-click the Add (+) button
Reshuffle the current playlist > Option-click the Shuffle button
Delete the selected playlist from your source pane > Command-Delete
Delete the selected playlist and all the songs it contains from your library > Option-Delete
Delete the selected song from your library and all playlists > Option-Delete
iTunes Store shortcuts:
Go to the next page in the iTunes Store > Control-Right bracket ( ] )
Go to the previous page in the iTunes Store > Control-Left bracket ( [ )
File and window shortcuts:
Change the song information columns you see > Control-click a column heading
Expand or collapse all the triangles in the Radio's Stream list > Command-click a triangle
Shrink the iTunes window to show only the playback controls > Click the zoom control in the upper-left corner of the iTunes window
Zoom the window to an ideal size > Option-click the zoom control in the upper-left corner of the iTunes window
See the iTunes window resize while you are resizing it > Command-drag the resize box in the lower-right corner of the window
In the Get Info window, see the info for the next or previous song in the list > Command-N or Command-P
Go to the previous or next pane in the Get Info or Preferences window > Command-click left bracket ( [ ) or right bracket ( ] )
Select the search field > Command-Option-F
See more options when a visual effect is showing > Press ?, then press the indicated key to use an option (not all visual effects support this)
Choose artwork for the selected video > While the video is playing, press the Control key, click the movie, and then choose Set Poster Frame
iPod shortcuts:
Prevent iPod from automatically updating when you connect it to your computer > Command-Option (As you connect the iPod to your computer - hold the keys down until the iPod appears in the iTunes window)
Spoken word shortcuts:
Go to the next or last chapter (if available) > Command-Shift-Right Arrow or Left Arrow
iTunes menu shortcuts:
Open iTunes Preferences > Command-comma
Hide the iTunes window > Command-H
Hide all other applications > Option-Command-H
Quit iTunes > Command-Q
File menu shortcuts:
Create a new playlist > Command-N
Create a new folder > Option-Shift-Command-N
Create a new playlist with the selected songs > Shift-Command-N
Create a new Smart Playlist > Option-Command-N
Add a file to your music library > Command-O
Close the iTunes window > Command-W
Import a song, playlist, or library file > Shift-Command-O
Open the song or CD Info window for the selected song or CD > Command-I
Show where a song file is located > Command-R
Show the currently playing song in the list > Command-L
Edit menu shortcuts:
Undo your last typing change while still in edit mode > Command-Z
Cut the selected song's information or artwork > Command-X
Copy the selected song's information or artwork > Command-C
Paste the selected song's information or artwork > Command-V
Select all the songs in the list > Command-A
Deselect all the songs in the list > Shift-Command-A
Hide or Show the Artist and Album columns > Command-B
Hide or Show the song artwork > Command-G
Open the View Options window for the selected source > Command-J
Control menu shortcuts:
Stop or start playing the selected song > Space Bar
When a song is playing, play the next song in a list > Right Arrow
When a song is playing, play the previous song in a list > Left Arrow
Increase the volume > Command-Up Arrow
Decrease the volume > Command-Down Arrow
Mute the sound (song keeps playing) > Option-Command-Down Arrow
Eject a CD > Command-E
Visualizer menu shortcuts:
Turn the visualizer on or off > Command-T
Switch between visual effects (when visualizer is on) > Command-F
Advanced menu shortcuts:
Stream audio file at a specific URL to iTunes > Command-U
View menu shortcuts:
Display video half size > Command-0
Display video actual size > Command-1
Display video double size > Command-2
Display video to fit screen > Command-3
Display video full screen > Command-F
Window menu shortcuts:
Put the iTunes window in the Dock > Command-M
Help menu shortcuts:
Open iTunes Help > Command-?
General shortcuts:
Open iTunes in "safe mode" (without external plug-ins) > Command-Option (while opening iTunes)