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[JustinChase]

I am currently starting to convert all my music files to .m4a files to use on my iPod.  I am leaving the originals in tact and in place, but I want to start a new library for management of just the .m4a files with the iPod.  I am hoping there is a way to transfer the artwork, ratings, playlists, smartlists, etc from the original library to the new library for the m4a files.

Please tell me there is a way to easily do this.  If not easily, at least some way.

Thanks

[paulr]

Not sure if there is an easier way, but there is a way...

1.  Convert your files
2.  Duplicate the library
3.  Open the new library in MC and perform a search and replace - .APE with .M4A (and any other path changes that you might need)

I think that's it, but test it on a few files first...  I did something similar when converting between APE and FLAC before I figured out how to setup the external encoder...

[JustinChase]

That's a great idea.  I'll do that.

It would be great if there was a way to keep different versions of a file synched together from within MC, but that should work for this little project.

[JustinChase]

It is still working (about 600 files tested) and it seems to have changed the extension in the filename okay, but it still shows as a mp3 file in 'File Type'.  Is there something else I should try to get it to actually 'switch' to pointing to the right file?

The path is right, the extension is right, the 'File Type' field in MC still shows mp3.

Any suggestions?

[skeeterfood]

It might help to do an "Import files" on the directories containing your new .m4a files after you've fixed the filenames.  Maybe that will recheck the actual filetype and update the library.

OR

Maybe an update file tags from library, then update library from file tags?

NOTE: I haven't tried either, so I don't claim any responsibilty for what may happen :-)

-John

[paulr]

Interesting.  It worked with FLAC files when I tried it, but maybe that's because there is an actual plugin for it and there isn't for m4a?

Maybe try "Update tags from filename" as John suggested.

[zeltak]

has it worked for you? i am in the process of converting my cd collection to APE instead of the old mp3 files i have now and i really dont feel like tagging another 40,000 files. i would love to hear how the conversion turned out for you guys.

Zeltak

[JustinChase]

Well, a couple things.

First, my files are on a network, and when I changed the extension to .m4a, it actually renamed the files to have that extension, even though they were .mp3 files (this was what was going on earlier - they WERE mp3 files - they had just gotten renamed)

Second, when I changed the path information, it MOVED the files.  I had to answer the "are you sure" question 600+ times. Ouch!

I think I got it all figured out and got the files renamed and moved, and all back to where they should be (I think).  Then I disconnected my connection to the network, and did it again.  MC said it couldn't update the tags, but did anyway, then once I pointed the library to the right location, with the right extensions, it 'connected' the files.  It didn't associate them all, but i'm pretty sure that's because of QuickTime's inability to read long file names.  I'm sure if you did this with another file type, it 'should' work.

**Note**  I had to 'disconnect' my network drive to make MC unable to actually write the changes (which moved and renamed the actual files.  I don't know how to do this if they are all on a local machine.  I guess you would just have to move the original files to another directory outside og MC to 'break' the connection, then find/replace to point to the right place/file.

Hope it helps.

Be sure to backup before starting.  I actually created a new library, which was cloned from my original, that way my original was unchanged (good since it got jacked up)

[Alex B]

has it worked for you? i am in the process of converting my cd collection to APE instead of the old mp3 files i have now and i really dont feel like tagging another 40,000 files. i would love to hear how the conversion turned out for you guys.

Zeltak

So we have two about similar threads going on. Justin just made a link to here so I will make the other link.  

Zeltak, this may help: http://yabb.jriver.com/interact/index.php?board=3;action=display;threadid=22863