Ask iLounge 11-9-07

Article

Ask iLounge offers readers the opportunity to get answers to their iPod-related questions from a member of the iLounge editorial team. We'll answer several questions here each week, and of course, you can always get help with more immediate concerns from the iLounge Discussion Forums. Submit your questions for consideration using our Ask iLounge Submit Form. We reserve the right to edit questions for grammar, spelling, and length.

The most asked question at iLounge.com:

How do I copy music from my iPod onto my computer?

Click here for the answer.

The second most asked question at iLounge.com:

How do I put DVDs on my iPod?

For converting DVDs, web video, TV shows and home movies to your iPod, iPhone or Apple TV, we have a three-part series outlining the best formats, settings, and various tools to use for converting all types of video content for use on these devices.

The Complete Guide to iPod, Apple TV and iPhone Video Formats

The Complete Guide to iPod, iPhone and Apple TV Video Conversion (Mac)

The Complete Guide to iPod, iPhone and Apple TV Video Conversion (Windows)

Top five questions most recently asked by iLounge readers:

Q: What are the best speakers to use with my iPod? (15, 76-79, and 90-92)

Q: What are the best headphones to use with my iPod? (10, 72-75, and 90-92)

Q: I really want to get a nice case for my iPod. Do you have any suggestions? (36-37, 54-67, and 90-92)

Q: How can I connect my iPod to my car stereo? (14, 32-35, 68-71, and 90-92)

Q: Are there any batteries that I can use to extend my iPod's battery life? (82-83 and 90-92)

A: Answers to these and many other questions can be found in two places. Our Free iPod Book 3.3 provides a complete report card to all of the iPod accessories we've reviewed as of summer 2007, as well as over 125 iTunes and iPod tips & tricks. Further, our new 2008 iPod & iPhone Buyers' Guide has accessory tutorials at the page numbers listed in parentheses above. These and other publications in our Library are free downloads, developed by the editors of iLounge!

And now, for this week's Ask iLounge column:

How can I add diary entries into my iPod Touch? I don’t believe the only way is to go to our studio, update my calender there, update the uneditable calender on my MBP, then sync with iPod. Surely it’s not so…

- Neil

Actually, the iPod touch v1.1.2 firmware being released today adds editable calendar capabilities to the iPod touch with bidirectional synchronization of calendar information via iTunes. This basically makes the calendar application on the iPod touch work in much the same way as it does on the iPhone—a distinction that, in our opinion, should never have been an issue in the first place.

Unfortunately, the iPod touch still does not include a notes application as part of its standard firmware, so editing a calendar or contacts, or using an editable web page application (when in range of a WiFi access point) remain the only way to jot down information on the iPod touch.

My wife and I bought a new PC. On our last PC we both had our own profile, each with its own iTunes. If the same song is being saved on each iTunes is it taking up twice the memory?

- Brady

In the default iTunes configuration, you would have two completely separate libraries, including your music folder where all of your iTunes music is stored. This does in fact mean that if you add the same song to both libraries, you are taking up twice the disk space.

You can work around this fairly easily however by changing a couple of settings in iTunes itself to store your music in a common location.

First, create a common folder for all of your music files that both profiles have access to. By default, iTunes stores its music in your current user profile’s “My Music” folder (Windows) or “Music” folder (Mac), which is not necessarily accessible to all users. A good location for a common music folder is either under the “All Users” profile on Windows (C:\Documents and Settings\All Users) or the Shared user folder on a Mac (/Users/Shared). Alternatively, you could store it on a secondary hard drive or external har drive.

Once you have established where you are going to be storing your music files, go into both of your iTunes libraries, in each profile, and change the “iTunes Music Folder” path under Preferences, Advanced from within iTunes:

While you’re in this preference screen, ensure that you also turn on the options to “Copy files to iTunes Music folder when adding to library” and “Keep iTunes Music folder organized” if they are not already enabled. Do this in both user profiles. This will ensure that any new music gets placed in the appropriate location, and ensure that files are stored consistently in both profiles.

Once you have set this up, go into each iTunes library and choose Consolidate Library from the Advanced menu. This will transfer all of your music from each profile into the new iTunes Music Folder location—the shared directory that you created earlier. This will require some time depending upon the size of your iTunes libraries, and note that it will also copy the files to the new location, rather than moving them, so you will want to ensure that you have enough available disk space to store an extra copy of your library.

When you have confirmed that all of the music has been copied into the appropriate location and is accessible from both iTunes libraries, you can delete the original music files from your “iTunes Music” folder. Be sure to only delete the “iTunes Music” sub-folder, and not the parent “iTunes” folder in your profile, as this still contains your actual iTunes library database—only the media files are stored in the new location.

Note that even after you have done this, you will still need to add new tracks into each library separately for them to appear in the iTunes track listing. However, once you’ve added the track to one iTunes library, make sure to reference that file that is already in the iTunes Music Folder when adding it to the second library so that iTunes references the existing file rather than creating a copy.

Note that if you don’t mind sharing information such as ratings, playlist, and playcounts, you might simply prefer to share the same actual library database as well. You can do this by copying the content of the “iTunes” folder to a new, shared location, and then holding down the SHIFT key (Windows) or OPT key (Mac) when starting iTunes. iTunes will prompt you to choose a new library database location, and you can simply select the new location that you copied your iTunes library database to:

Note that if you are sharing the same library database, you will avoid having to import your music twice, but you will need to be careful about using the Windows or Mac “Fast User Switching” feature—if you’re going to use this feature, always ensure that you don’t leave iTunes running in another profile, as you will risk corrupting the iTunes database by doing so.

I’m wondering if it’s possible for me to download iTunes and sign up/make my own account, even though I’m only 13. You see, my parents don’t want to use their credit card, and I’ve heard you need a credit card to buy songs from the iTunes store and create an account. If it is possible to make an own account for myself, could I just use an iTunes Gift Card and buy songs that way?

- Sara

Absolutely. The trick to doing this is to buy an iTunes Gift Card or gift certificate first, and then use that to create your iTunes Store account. Instead of creating a new account in the usual way, which will require you to input a credit card or Paypal account for payment, you simply head over to the Redeem option in the iTunes Store first:

This will prompt you to enter your iTunes Gift Card or Gift Certificate code, and then take you through the process of creating a new iTunes Store account.

Once the account has been created, you will notice your Gift Card amount has been added to an available balance which will appear beside your account name when you are logged into the iTunes Store:

You can then proceed to use this available balance to make purchases from the iTunes Store. Note that if your balance is insufficient to cover the cost of the items you wish to purchase, you will either need to add more gift card credit or use a credit card or Paypal account to make up the difference. Adding additional gift cards or gift certificate codes is handled in the same way that you originally created your account.

Note that you can also redeem other types of codes in order to create an account, but be aware that many of these codes are single-purpose codes that can only be used to purchase specific types of content such as individual songs or videos. These will be displayed in iTunes as a number of songs or videos, rather than a dollar balance.

Another option that your parents may want to consider is setting up the iTunes Allowance feature. This would require them to sign up for their own iTunes Store account using their credit card. However, rather than giving you access to their account (and their credit card), they would instead setup a secondary account for you, which could be automatically topped up on a monthly basis with a pre-determined amount of money. Once this was established, they would only need to log into their own iTunes Store account to adjust or modify the allowance options. The monthly allotment would otherwise happen automatically.

Your account would be topped up with a credit equivalent to your allowance each month, which would work in the same way as a gift card or gift certificate. Further, you could still add your own gift cards or gift certificates to the account in the same way as you would with a normal iTunes Store account.

More information on the iTunes Store Allowance feature can be found in Apple’s iTunes Store Allowance FAQ.

I have several computers loaded with iTunes. From time to time I will burn a CD from the iTunes Library. If I take this CD and load it onto another computer to simply play, the info (title, album, artist) does not show up on the iTunes screen. All I see is the track number and duration for each track. “Get CD Track Names” appears not to work or be recognized despite the fact that the original CD was burned from purchased iTunes material. Is this typical?

- Anonymous

If you are burning compilation or “mix” CDs, this actually is somewhat expected behavior. The “Get CD Track Names” option queries the online Gracenote CD Database (CDDB), but this query is based on complete CD information, not individual track information. If you were to burn a CD that contained identical tracks a commercial CD, in the same order, chances are that CDDB would be able to identify this properly, but CDs that have different track orders, or a mix of tracks from different albums will not be recognized as the CD as a whole cannot be identified.

If you have a CD recorder and CD player on both ends that support the “CD Text” function, you can alternatively ensure that you burn your CDs with this enabled in iTunes. iTunes will both write CD Text information based on the existing MP3/AAC track metadata, and can likewise read this information. Unfortunately, this requires that the CD recorder used to burn the CD supports CD Text, and that the CD-ROM used to read the CD on the other end also support CD Text.

Note that many newer audio CD players now provide CD Text support as well, so as an added bonus, if you are able to burn CD Text, your audio CD track information will appear on these audio CD players as well.

The option to enable CD Text can be found in the iTunes “Burning” preferences, under Preferences, Advanced, Burning:

Note that if your drive(s) do not support CD-Text, you will not receive any obvious indication of this—the feature simply won’t work.

As an alternative, if you are only concerned with moving your music between computers that are running iTunes, you could alternatively choose to burn a “Data CD” instead, which would just contain the original MP3/M4A/M4P files, which could then be imported and played back directly through iTunes. Note that if this includes DRM-protected content purchased from the iTunes Store, the other computer will need to be authorized, however.

Can I use the iPhone stereo headset to control (play pause) my iPod touch or iPod nano?

- Stefan

Unfortunately, no. The iPhone stereo headset has additional connectors for a microphone and iPhone control channel that are not present on the other iPod models. There are basically no inputs in the headphone jack to provide any kind of remote control capability.

To provide remote control of an iPod device, you will need an accessory that uses the Dock Connector such as the Apple FM Radio Remote (iLounge rating: A-).

Does the video out stuff work for the YouTube application, or, more importantly I think, with Safari, if the Safari QuickTime player is playing a movie? I’ve discovered I never need to sync any movies to my iPhone as I can watch movies on the iPhone through the Safari web browser from an Apache web server (so long as I have wifi connection).

- Anonymous

Actually, yes. This is one area in which the iPhone’s video-out capabilities exceed normal expectations, although the video accessories that will permit this are limited at this point. The only accessories presently available to enable video output on the iPhone are the Apple Component AV Cable (iLounge rating: C+) or the Apple Composite AV Cable (iLounge rating: C), although hopefully additional third-party accessories will begin showing up in the near future.

To make this work, simply connect a compatible video output accessory, and the iPhone will prompt you as to whether you want to send the output to TV whenever you start a video in the iPod, YouTube, or even the Safari browser:

The browser can be used to play any QuickTime compatible video format, including any DRM-protected content that the iPhone is already authorized to play (ie, from the same iTunes library).

Note as well that as an alternative to serving up your content via a plain Apache directory page, you can use a tool such as DOT.TUNES (http://www.dottunes.net, free for basic version, iPhone plug-in $20), which will read your iTunes library database and generate dynamic, iPhone browser-optimized web pages listing all of the content in your iTunes library, including both music and video content.

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Ask iLounge Archives:

11-20-09: Sharing iTunes libraries between two user accounts, Enlarging text on iPhone 3GS, Transferring an iPod to a new user, iPhone shuffles when walking, New 8GB iPod touch models, Transferring purchases from a remote iTunes library

11-13-09: Syncing different contact info with two iPhones on the same computer, iPod shows no content, Syncing music and videos in playlists, Exclamation marks next to tracks in iTunes, Playing podcasts on 3G iPod shuffle.

11-6-09: Storing iPod software updates, Playing an iPod continuously, Transferring play counts to a new iTunes library, iPhone backups, Klipsch S4i earphones

10-30-09: Authorization problems with iPod touch, Changing Grid View background in iTunes, iTunes library and Music Folder are different sizes, Older iPods and firmware updates, Reconciling two different iTunes libraries, Syncing multiple devices to one iTunes library

10-23-09: Using a laptop with an iTunes library on an external hard drive, Transferring YouTube videos to iPod, iPod touch accessibility settings, Disabling Shake to Shuffle on iPod nano, Purchased songs fail to download from iTunes Store, Charging and powering off iPhone

See the rest of the Archives...

10-16-09: Moving iTunes to a new computer, Transferring contacts from Blackberry to an iPhone, Disabling iPhone Backups, Using AV cables for audio only, Problems syncing photos to iPod touch, Memorex iFlip and iPhone compatibility

10-9-09: iPhone OS and external keyboards, Adjusting ratings in a remote iTunes library, Excluding tracks from Genius Mixes, Moving iTunes library out of My Documents, Playlist folders on iPod touch, Refreshing random Smart Playlists

9-25-09: iTunes 9 and Shopping Cart, Restoring iTunes to an external hard drive, Using an HTTP Proxy over 3G, Problems transferring movies from iTunes to IPhone, iPod touch shuffle mode, Using an iPhone without a SIM card

9-18-09: Recovering unlisted media content from iPod, Repeat and continuous video playback on iPod touch, iPhone 3G vs 3GS, Customizing iTunes sorting, Rebuilding an iTunes library, Removing artwork from iPod in iTunes 9

9-11-09: Genius Mixes and iPod classic, Drag-and-drop content to iPod, Sharing home libraries in iTunes 9, Using an iPod without iTunes, Waking to a playlist on iPod touch, Kensington LiquidAUX, Disabling Geotagging Warnings

8-28-09: Consolidating Multiple iTunes Libraries, iPod touch Bluetooth headset compatibility, iPod holds less than advertised number of songs, Transferring media between iTunes Store accounts

8-21-09: Recover Contact/Calendar info from iPod touch, Connect iPod without automatic sync, Managing On-The-Go playlists, iPhone and Stereo Bluetooth Support, Sharing an iTunes library between multiple users on the same computer, Disabling Shake-to-Shuffle on iPod nano

8-14-09: Syncing iPod touch apps and data with a new iTunes library, Automatically adding media files to multiple iTunes libraries from a network share, Downgrading to iTunes 7, iPod nano and disk mode, Displaying release dates on iPod, Playing iPod through TV USB port

8-7-09: Clean up album artwork in iTunes, Syncing media content and calendar/contact info from different computers, Reorganizing recovered tracks in iTunes, Using multiple iPods and iPhones on one computer

7-31-09: Using an iPod and a Zune, iPod and on-TV menus, Backing up Notes from IPod touch, Sharing an iTunes library between a Mac and a PC, Waterproof earphones, 3G iPod and iPhone Accessory compatibility, Shure earphones

7-24-09: Displaying recent plays on web site, iPhone and car integration, iPod classic TV output, Renaming iPhone, Sound quality on different iPod models, iPod shuffle accessory compatibility

7-17-09: Transferring saved application data to new iPhone, Recovering Content from Mac iPod on Windows, iPhone 3GS and charging accessories, Recreating Recently Added playlist, Restoring old iPod touch, Track sorting on iPod classic

7-10-09: Passwords on iPod touch, iPod headphone jack problems, Tagging tracks imported from CD, Adding chapter markers to audiobooks, first-generation iPhone and stereo Bluetooth, Nike+ shoes

7-3-09: iPhone Recent Calls list and location info, iPod touch Bluetooth audio support, Car interface fails after 3.0 upgrade, iPhone battery life, iPhone stereo audio recording,

6-26-09: Recovering a dead iPod touch after 3.0 update, Battery Percentage Display on iPhone 3.0, Options hidden after 3.0 update, iPhone locked after 3.0 update, Managing videos on iPhone, iPod classic accessory compatibility

6-12-09: Conserving power on iPhone, Syncing iPhone Notes, Syncing Apps on new iPod touch, Block pop-ups in Safari, Syncing new iPhone, Playing multiple albums

5-29-09: Sorting tracks in iTunes, iPhone Bluetooth Headset Dock, Recovering Mac-formatted iPod on Windows, Screen damage on 4G iPod nano, Syncing purchased tracks back to iTunes, Managing a class set of iPods

5-22-09: Syncing iTunes content between computers, Importing music into iTunes, Re-transferring apps from a new iTunes library, New iPods and charging accessories, Using multiple iTunes libraries

5-15-09: Starting out with an external hard drive, Syncing playlists manually, Recovering lost iPod serial number, Music count vs Playlist count, Multiple iTunes Store accounts on the same computer, Optimizing album artwork

5-8-09: Organizing audiobooks, Problems transferring purchased items back to iTunes, Keeping played podcast episodes on iPod, Transferring iTunes library to a new computer, iPod shows no content, Using a new iPod with an existing iTunes library

4-24-09: Playing iTunes purchases on a non-networked computer, Finding iPod manuals online, Sharing an iTunes library between separate user accounts, Equalizer on iPod shuffle, Recovering content from Apple TV, Screenshots on iPod touch

4-17-09: Converting tracks to higher bit-rates, Using iPod with non-iTunes content, Using iTunes with an external hard drive, Expired rentals don't delete on iPod, Using only part of a song, Restoring 4G iPod stuck on AC adapter icon

3-27-09: Transferring iTunes library from XP to Vista, Using iPhone as an alarm clock, Splitting iTunes library across two iPods, Recovering iPod onto a computer with an existing iTunes library, Purchased TV Shows stuck in downloads folder, Tagging tracks as Audiobooks in iTunes 8

3-20-09: Using two iPods on a single computer, iPod shuffle 2G/3G accessory compatibility, Displaying TV Show seasons separately in iTunes, Playing iPod through secondary computer, Stopping iPod playback on iPhone, iPod touch 2G and Dock audio

3-13-09: iPod touch vs iPhone, Storing music only on your iPod, Problems transferring rented content, Managing content manually on iPod shuffle, iPod lyrics display, Playing video out to TV from iPhone

3-6-09: iPhone playback on other computers, Games on iPod classic and 5G, Transferring iTunes tracks to SD cards, Group compilations on iPhone, Transferring your iTunes library, iPhone Car Integration

2-27-09: Problems transferring iTunes content to external hard drives, Using an iTunes library database from an external hard drive, Converting Palm address book for iPod touch, How iTunes organizes music videos, Preventing iPhoto from opening when connecting an iPod touch

2-20-09: Video docks for 5G iPod, Connecting an old iPod to a new iTunes library, Downloading iTunes 8 on another computer, Erasing a used iPod and starting fresh, Recovering photos from an iPod, Tracking purchases in iTunes

2-13-09: Waterproof cases and sound quality, Upgrading to iTunes Plus with a manually managed iPod, Reinstalling games on the iPhone, iPhone 3G Dock options, Fixing album artwork problems, Display iTunes Applications category

2-6-09: iPod nano voice memo format, Buying iPods abroad, Skipping a playlist when shuffling, Adjusting playback speed of music tracks, Not all TV Shows syncing to iPod, Checking and unchecking multiple items in iTunes

1-23-09: Synchronizing contacts to iPod touch, Pairing iPhone Remote app, iPhone call audio via Dock Connector, Recovering iPhone apps, New iPods and charging, Remote control of Windows via iPhone

1-16-09: Creating Smart Playlists based on other playlists, Transferring or syncing an iTunes library between two computers, Converting Mac-formatted iPod to Windows, Using Artist and Sort Artist fields, Using an iPod on more than one computer, Importing audiobook CDs as audiobooks

1-2-09: Parents controls on iPod touch, Running iTunes from an external hard drive, Search feature on 5G iPods, Syncing videos to iPod touch, Safari problems on iPod touch, Other content on iPod shuffle

12-19-08: Keeping podcast episodes, iPod and TV USB inputs, Converting PC-formatted iPod to Mac, iPod touch e-mail accounts, Backing up iTunes to a hard drive, Managing and syncing iPod touch On-The-Go playlists

12-12-08: Classifying videos in iTunes 8, Sharing music between iPods, Sharing apps between iTunes libraries on the same computer, iH9 and iPhone compatibility, Recreating Purchased folder, Locating Music Videos

12-5-08: Creating custom slideshows for Apple TV, Optimal album artwork size, Transferring iPod touch from PC to Mac, Upgrading to a new iPod touch, Authorizing iPod Games on new computer, Managing iPod content manually

11-21-08: iPod keeps resetting, Organizing iPhone apps, iPod touch video accessories, iPod-compatible online music sources, Reordering playlists manually

11-14-08: Cover Flow on 4G iPod nano, Setting up iPod touch without Internet access, Internet radio for iPod touch, Apps button missing on iPod touch, mm50 speakers and new iPod models, Including Year field on iPod

10-31-08: iPod charging accessory compatibility, Adding tracks to multiple albums, Removing pre-installed games, Transferring contacts from iPod touch to a second computer, iPod touch accessory compatibility, iPod synchronization to a new computer

10-24-08: Importing folders with M3U files, AV cables with 2008 iPods, Moving iTunes libraries between computers, Unknown albums after importing music, Newly added tracks don't show up on iPod

10-17-08: Backup up your iPod, iPods and viruses, Using an iPod on Mac and Windows, Managing photos on an iPod manually, Adding iTunes Shared Music to iPod, iPod video out

10-3-08: Displaying lyrics on iPod touch, Calculating playlist sizes, Transferring tracks to iPod in manual mode, Purchasing older iPod models, Using iPhone without phone service, Shuffle modes

9-26-08: iTunes HD TV episodes showing up twice, Shure MPA-3C and iPod touch, Synchronizing iPod to a new iTunes library, Problems updating iPhone applications, Managing iTunes media files on an external hard drive, Managing multiple iPods on one computer

9-19-08: Removing Genre column in iTunes 8, Syncing TV Shows by playlist, Recovering Mac-formatted iPod on Windows, Recovering photos from iPod, XtremeMac Luna X2, iPod flash memory capacity, Restoring older iPod models

9-12-08: Managing iPhone Backups, iPod disk mode and deleted items, iPod Plays only single tracks, iPhone and T9 predictive text, Copying ratings and play counts from iPod to computer, Automatically retrieving CD information and album artwork

9-5-08: AV output from iPhone 3G dock, New playlists not appearing on iPod, Transferring music on iPod touch from multiple computers, Resetting iTunes Store authorization counts, Editing tag information, iPhone task applications

8-29-08: Disabling data on iPhone 3G, iTunes Plus and Apple Backup, Deleting photos from iPod, iPhone v2.0 and TV Out accessories, Consolidating multiple iTunes libraries, Restoring iPod touch from backup

8-22-08: Cleaning up applications in iTunes, Playing back all songs on iPod, Excluding podcasts from Smart Playlists, Bookmarking tracks, Playing tracks back at a consistent volume level

8-15-08: Transferring play counts back to iTunes, Playing iPod while charging, Customizing iPhone alerts, Syncing movies to iPod nano, iTunes not recognizing new CDs, Sudoku reviews

8-8-08: iPhone and SIM card contacts, Syncing iPhone contacts, Hiding SMS previews on iPhone, Playing iPod touch on secondary computer, Syncing photos to iPod, Resuming interrupted iTunes WiFI Store downloads

8-8-08: iLounge Editor-in-Chief Jeremy Horwitz responds to reader questions on all things iLounge, including technical issues related to iPhone 3G, and behind-the-scenes editorial issues

8-1-08: iPhone Edition: Switching between apps, Car charging accessories, Activating older iPhone models, Sending MMS, App Store in wrong language, Excel and A2DP support

7-25-08: MobileMe on iPhone for Calendars only, Buying iPods for International use, Voice recorders for 4G iPods, Free Music for iPod, Problems transferring purchased content to iPod, Playing AAC files in Windows Media Player

7-18-08: Ask iLounge iPhone v2.0 Edition: Installing apps on multiple devices, Converting videos for iPhone 3G, Activating first-gen iPhones, Saved photos on iPod touch, Push e-mail support

7-4-08: Recovering a corrupt iPod, Hard cases for iPhone, Reimporting CDs into iTunes, iPod shows only Other content, Managing multiple audio formats in iTunes, Optimum iPod video output cables

6-27-08: Creating Smart Playlists for Purchased items, Keeping place in multi-track audiobooks, Backing up iTunes before a reformat, iPod Games on 5G and classic, Editing CD tracks before import, Getting Album Artwork automatically

6-20-08: Third-party iPod management tools, Transferring large files on iPod, Shuffling On-The-Go Playlists, Removing played podcasts from iPod, Continuously playing one track, Moving iTunes from PC to Mac

6-13-08: Artists not appearing on iPod, Unchecked items do not play in iTunes, iTunes shows incorrect CD track information, Podcast support on older iPod models, Upgrading to a new iPod, Photo albums on iPod touch

6-6-08: Downloading YouTube videos onto iPod, Selling old iPod models, Fit iTunes Window to Screen, Handing down an iPod, Dock Compatible iPod cases, Problems transferring music from iPod to Mac

5-30-08: Burning iTunes purchases to an MP3 CD, Playing iPhone via computer, Pre-loading a gift iPod on another computer, Music Video playlists on Apple TV, Music videos on 2G iPod nano, Importing existing MP3 and WMA files into iTunes.

5-23-08: Finding and backing up purchased music, Syncing duplicate tracks to iPod, Restoring 4G iPod and AC power, Syncing iPod to a laptop when travelling, Finding photos on iPod, Storing a large iTunes library in multiple folders

5-16-08: Using the iPhone with integrated in-car Bluetooth, Problems with iPods and depleted batteries, Transferring content to a new iPod, iPod displays audio but no video, Removing photos and album artwork from iTunes, Overdrive Media and iPods

5-9-08: About iPod battery life and charging, Using Apple FM Radio remote on older iPod models, Scan and Fix dialog using iPod on Windows Vista, Preserving iTunes metadata when reinstalling Windows, Importing multiple tracks into iTunes, About iTunes and ID3 tags

5-2-08: Transferring digital camera movies to iPod, Reordering and shuffling playlists, Transferring playlists between iTunes libraries, Importing audiobooks, Correcting tags on CD import, Burning CDs with longer gaps

4-25-08: Finding Duplicates in iTunes, Setting files to open in iTunes automatically, Resetting authorizations, 1G iPod nano and voice recording, Syncing a library larger than your iPod capacity, Grouping multi-disc albums

4-17-08: Ripping CDs to external hard drive, Zeppelin speakers and USB port, Bluetooth stereo on iPhone, Converting TV shows to iPod, Audio recording on iPod touch, Wireless security on iPod touch

4-10-08: Transferring LPs to iTunes, Movie Rentals and 5G iPod, New iPod models on older Macs, Maintaining Playback Position on iPod, Importing CDs on multiple computers

4-3-08: Using several iPods on one computer, Renaming imported CD tracks, iM7 and iPod nano, Burning different CD types, Purchasing from iTunes while travelling, Importing CDs on MacBook Air, Sending photos from iPhone

3-28-08: iPod capacity and bit-rates, International iTunes Gift Cards, iPhone charging accessories, Moving iTunes purchases to another computer, iPod touch and third-party tools, iPod videos play only audio

3-21-08: Basic DVD conversion, 5G iPod and subtitles, Slideshows on iPod touch, Using the Voice Memo function, iPod classic TV output quality, iPod Dock Connector extender cables

3-14-08: About Skip Count, iPhone alarm clocks, 5G firmware updates, Cleaning up after a library move, Syncing new playlists to iPod nano, Authorization of multiple iTunes Store accounts

3-7-08: Transferring MP3 files to new iTunes library, iPhone ringtones on Windows, Wired remotes for iPod classic, Sharing iTunes with multiple users on one PC, iTunes library and Time Capsule, Chargers for 3G iPods

2-29-08: Finding iPhone Backups, Contact Display on iPhone, Automatic vs manual iPod management, iTunes CD burning restrictions, iTunes movie rental expiry on iPods, Downloading podcasts to iPhone

2-22-08: Upgrading your iPhone, Recovering data from corrupted iPod, Recreating default playlists, Syncing iPod Games from more than one computer, Problems playing purchased TV shows on iPod, Output settings when playing movies from iPod to TV

2-15-08: Setting up an AirTunes network, Shuffling music, Playing podcasts sequentially, Firewire support on modern iPods, Recovering Mac-formatted iPods on Windows, Recovering iTunes library from a virus

2-7-08: Transferring music from iPod touch, Voice recorders for 2007 iPods, Cover Flow on 5G iPod, Renaming your iPod, iTunes and iLife, Organizing music transferred from the iPod

1-31-08: Apple TV AirTunes Support, iPod Games on 5G and classic, Keeping videos only on iPod, Syncing iPod using checked songs, Charging with Universal Dock, International iPod and iTunes Store use

1-18-08: Macworld Expo 2008 Special Edition: Questions about the new iTunes Movie Rentals and Apple TV features, including Time Capsule and the Apple TV, Renting HD Movies from iTunes, Transferring rented movies to and from the iPod, Fifth-generation iPods and movie rental support, AirTunes support on Apple TV Take Two.

1-10-08: TV output quality, iPod windows driver installation errors, Connecting iPod to portable DVD player, Syncing games, iPhone charger compatibility, Reformatting iPod for Mac

1-3-08: 2007 iPod models and speakers, Video resolution vs bit-rate, Preventing auto-deletion of podcasts, Videos with no sound, Using iTunes Store when travelling abroad, Transferring videos to iPod, Importing Audiobooks

12-27-07: Your First iPod, Differences between iPod models, Accessory compatibility, Converting DVDs for iPod, New iPods and older computers, Earphone Recommendations, Troubleshooting iPod Problems

12-21-07: Other space on iPod, Search feature on iPod touch, Adding third-party ringtones to iPhone, iPod suddenly shows no content, TV Dock compatibility, Artists appearing more than once on iPod

12-14-07: New iPods - Buy now or wait? Transfer music from an old iPod, Convert MP3 to Lossless, Listening to videos and battery life, Bluetooth headphones for iPod nano, Universal Dock and line-out volume

12-7-07: Using Compilations settings, Re-syncing iPod after hard drive replacement, Locating iTunes Plus tracks, New iPod firmware - video output and iPod Hi-Fi support, Mac-formatted iPods, Cover Flow on iPod, iPhone screen goes blank when on a call

11-29-07: Photo resolution on the iPhone, Obtaining video content for the iPod touch, Restoring older iPod models, Sharing iTunes library on a single computer, Transferring iTunes via external hard drive, Auto-deleting played podcasts

11-22-07: Syncing games to iPod, Removing album artwork, Replacing files in iTunes library, Limiting volume on iPod, Preventing iPod sync when connecting with iTunes, Skipping audiobooks when shuffling songs

11-16-07: iTunes and Vista, iPod classic video output (revisited), Transferring iTunes from PC to Mac, Organizing Music Videos in iTunes, Using newer iPods with older OS X versions, Sorting photos on iPod

11-9-07: Editing calendar on iPod touch, Multiple iTunes libraries on one computer, Creating an iTunes Store account without a credit card, Burning CDs with track names, iPod/iPhone remote control, iPhone TV output from Safari

11-2-07: TV Docks for new iPod models, Calculate song file sizes, iPhone backup and restore, Sync selected content with iPhone, Universal Dock compatibility, Managing podcast synchronization

10-26-07: iTunes Plus, Play Slideshow on iPod nano, Activate TV out on new iPods, Recover Mac iPod in Windows, Add descriptions to TV shows, iTunes not opening when iPhone is connected

10-18-07: iPod and Windows Autoplay, Reinstalling iTunes, Manually Managing Videos, iPod charging accessories, iPod touch power and sleep modes, Resyncing recovered iPod content

10-11-07: Managing a class set of iPods, New firmware and older iPods, Windows ME support, Sorting artists by last name, 3G iPod car audio compatibility, Resetting iPod language

10-5-07: iTunes WiFi Store, Videos with no sound, Managing video content manually, Tagging TV Shows, Renaming iPod, Flash support on iPhone, Removing multiple artwork images, iPhone and multi-recipient SMS, US/UK iPod compatibility, Photo storage on iPod touch

9-27-07: iPod classic audio quality, New iPod models: features and accessory compatibility, Transferring music from iPod 5G to classic, iPod nano voice recording, Storing multiple bitrates in iTunes

9-7-07: Special Edition on the new iPod lineup - users most common questions answered about the new iPod lineup and new iTunes release, including accessory compatibility and new software features.

8-30-07: Playing single tracks, iPhone sleep timer, Deleting iPod content, TV shows do not appear on iPod, Manually sorting playlists, Fitting content onto audio CDs, Car line-out solutions

8-23-07: Set Video Kind within files, Authorization and iPod transfer, Chat Clients for iPhone, Importing CDs for gapless playback, Tethering iPhone, Burning Purchased Tracks

8-16-07: Managing podcasts, Bookmarking audiobooks, No artwork in Cover Flow, Storing iTunes content on two hard drives, Sleeping with an iPod, ROKR sunglasses and iPhone, Selling an iPod

8-9-07: Playing Podcast episodes in sequence, Recording radio in iTunes, New iPod with songs already on it, Authorized Computers, Sync iPod with a new computer, Transferring a Windows iPod to a MacBook

8-2-07: Syncing the iPhone to more than one computer, Transferring iTunes music to the Blackberry, Continuous video playback on the iPod, Problems editing track info in iTunes, Transferring content from iPhone to computer, Video playback from the iPhone, Sending MMS messages from the iPhone

Next: Instant Expert: Secrets & Features of iTunes 7.5 (Updated)

Previous: Complete Guide to Displaying Photos on iPod + iPhone (11/2007)

Comments

1

Would that gift card trick work in allowing a US user to access a European iTunes store?

Posted by otaku on November 9, 2007 at 12:59 PM (PDT)

2

You can only join cd tracks before downloading them onto your computer. It would be a nice feature to have that feature after you download the cd. There have been numerous times that I have downloaded the cd, only to find that afterwards two - three songs needed to be together. Case in point is the Beatles Abbey Road side 2 (You Never Give Me Your Money - Sun King - Mean Mr. Mustard - Polythene Pam - She Came In Through The Bathroom Window).

Is there a way to join cd tracks after the download is completed?

Posted by KurtGarland on November 9, 2007 at 2:57 PM (PDT)

3

The article states that the iPhone headset can’t control the music on the iPod touch, and I know from personal experience that the Apple Radio Remote doesn’t work on the iPhone, so does that there are no wired remotes that will control the iPod Touch?

What’s really interesting is that I can control the music playback on my iPhone using the Logitech mm50 (and its wireless remote), but Apple’s own product can’t control it.

Posted by Muero on November 9, 2007 at 9:39 PM (PDT)

4

If I use the Apple Universal Dock, will its line-out produce bettter audio when coupled via phono inputs to my hifi compared with the output from the Ipod’s own 3.5mm output?

Or, will the audio quality be the same?

Posted by merc15 on November 11, 2007 at 7:50 AM (PDT)

5

My ipod is currently synced to a mac. I would like to change it to a pc. Is this possible?

Posted by deacon on November 11, 2007 at 12:35 PM (PDT)

6

Hi
Is it possible to store images on an Ipod touch at a smaller size than 660KB. The screen resloution suggests a size of 100KB should be ample. I understand hat thumbnail and zoom pre processing info is stored too but its still a large file for even all that

Thanks

Posted by Stuart Gibson on November 26, 2008 at 10:52 AM (PDT)

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