Article
Join CD Tracks option not appearing in iTunes 11
By Jesse Hollington
Social Media & Software Editor, iLoungeGoogle+
Published: Friday, December 7, 2012
Articles Categories: Ask iLounge, iTunes
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Q: I just downloaded iTunes 11. I wanted to join tracks to import an audiobook and I followed your instructions from a few days ago, yet I do not get the Join Tracks option. Any ideas? Thank you in advance.
- Paulette
A: As we discussed in an article earlier this week, iTunes 11 has not only hidden away the Join CD Tracks option on a separate “Options” menu on the CD import screen, but in fact omits the option completely even from that menu unless you’ve selected tracks on your CD that are eligible to be joined. In previous versions of iTunes, the option appeared on the now-defunct Advanced menu, and remained present but greyed out when no eligible tracks were selected for importing.
The key point here, however, is that for the Join CD Tracks option to become available, you must have selected two or more tracks on your CD that are eligible to be joined. This has not actually changed in iTunes 11, and what it means specifically is that the tracks must be contiguous and in the same order as on the CD. For example, you can join the first and second tracks on a CD, or the first, second, and third; however you cannot join only the first and the third.
However, there is one other important catch here: The track list must be sorted in the same order as they are stored on the CD. Even if you’re selecting all of the tracks together, if you’re sorting by another column the Join CD Tracks option will remain unavailable, and of course in iTunes 11, this will not simply be greyed out as it was in previous versions, but will be hidden from the menu entirely.
This is even the case if the tracks are sorted in reverse order. Despite the tracks being contiguous, they are not in the same order as on the CD, and iTunes cannot join tracks in reverse. In other words, you can join the first and second tracks, in that order, but not the second and the first.
The bottom line is always make sure that you’re sorting by the first column—track number—in ascending order, and that you have selected two or more contiguous tracks and the Join CD Tracks option should appear.
Note that you can even join multiple sets of contiguous tracks, however in order to do this, each group must be selected and joined individually, using the Join CD Tracks option separately for each one.
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1
I have the same problem as Paulette. I have done everything you’ve stated above. All tracks are in order, all tracks are checked and all tracks are highlighted. Still not able to pop up that JOIN CD TRACKS in the options section. I will definitely not upgrade to iTunes 11 on my remaining computers. Quite frustrating for audiobook listeners.
Posted by Rosechel on December 9, 2012 at 3:10 AM (PST)
2
I believe there is a bug in the latest version regarding the join tracks section. The first time you select all and try to join them, the option never appears. I discovered that i had to unselect the tracks AND then select them all AGAIN in order for the option to join them appears.
Posted by Daniel on December 10, 2012 at 11:17 PM (PST)
3
Clearly a bug here. I just borrowed a dozen audiobooks from the library and only made it part of the way through the pile before the “join tracks” option disappeared on me—worked for about a third of the books, then just vanished midway through another book. Very frustrating. Daniel’s option above doesn’t work for me.
Posted by delatopia on December 13, 2012 at 12:34 AM (PST)
4
I had the same problem but I had added another column (grouping) to the default view (by right clicking on the header line) hoping it might solve the join tracks problem. When I deleted the extra column and reverted back to the default disc view, the join tracks option appeared.
Posted by Mitch on December 30, 2012 at 11:49 AM (PST)
5
In iTunes 11 I do not even get the menu icons in the CD info header - those that should be at the top right (all CD details are displayed). Have re-installed iTunes but still the same. Any ideas what the problem is?
Thanks
Peter
Posted by Peter Midgley on January 2, 2013 at 5:54 AM (PST)
6
I had the same problem importing from an audiobook cd, but only after importing the first 3 cd’s. I got to cd 4 and suddenly the join cd tracks was missing. I must have sorted from a different column on accident when I put the cd in is all I can think because I sorted by the first column and Ta-Da! It’s back. Thank you so very very very much!
Posted by Teri Lingle on January 5, 2013 at 9:29 AM (PST)
7
Thanks! this is helped me solve the trouble I had with an audio cd. To those who still have trouble, don’t rely on the name of the track to sort. Please use the track number to sort which is the first column in the table.
Posted by Jayasimhan on January 6, 2013 at 3:29 PM (PST)
8
Hello! So I’m having a similar problem… while I can join the tracks I want while the cd is still in my computer, I can’t seem to keep them that way. Whenever I look up the track/audiobook up in itunes after, the tracks aren’t joined. Is there someway I can do this? Do i need to title the new track, or what…? Please help!
Posted by Olivia on January 16, 2013 at 2:30 PM (PST)
9
Further to my query of a few minutes ago.
Now I see it!
I hadn’t manually sorted by track order, ie get the arrow in the track number column. Selecting contiguous tracks now allows the join tracks option to appear. Before I was just inserting the CD, selecting contiguous tracks and fuming when the join tracks option wasn’t there, as far as iTune was concerned they weren’t sorted.
Why can’t Apple put this in the help file?
Posted by Barry Livingstone on February 3, 2013 at 8:18 AM (PST)
10
Can I remove iTunes 11. I can’t get the tracks to join and I have tried all of the suggestions. Lisa
Posted by Lisa on February 12, 2013 at 12:48 PM (PST)
11
Here is what I had to do. First, click on any of the tracks (don’t know why, but if you don’t, it doesn’t work), then “edit”, select all, click “options” (on the right)and join tracks is there. If you select all first, just click on a track, select all again, then options. If I don’t do it this way, the join tracks isn’t even there at all!
Posted by Cassie Hackney on February 15, 2013 at 4:46 PM (PST)
12
Thanks, Cassie. A simple solution that works like a charm.
Posted by Eileen Lerner on May 1, 2013 at 6:56 PM (PST)
13
I have tried every single suggestion that has been made on this forum. I have tried Jessie Hollington’s simple algorithm. I have tried the EDIT, then Select method. I have tried selecting using CMD+A (Mac user). I have tried every single suggestion that has been put forward.
NADA! ZILCH! ZERO result. Each time, OPTIONS has only two Options, and Join Tracks is not one of them.
Does anyone know whether it is possible to remove iTunes 11, and replace it with an earlier version with no adverse effects? Unfortunately, I have had to do this with other Apple applications in the past.
Too bad Apple is the best when it comes to certain things, but the PITS (or should I say the CORE) when it comes to very basic things.
Posted by Masten on May 5, 2013 at 7:02 PM (PST)
14
There is some kind of bug. If you reverse the order of the tracks and then reverse them back to normal the “Join Tracks” will magically appear as stated above. I’m serious. This works.
Posted by amy on May 10, 2013 at 5:18 PM (PST)