iPod Bit Rate Change

[BrettFarve04]

I'm looking for a good utility that can help me change the bitrate of my mp3 files. This probably means re-encoding them, but I want to find something that can automatically lower the bitrate of existing files and keep all tag and filename info.

Reason for this is that I encoded a lot of my library with very high bitrates before i bought my iPod. Now that extra quality from the 256k (and higher) isn't worth the space that it takes up on my iPod (and HD), I'd like to drop down to 192 on those files without creating millions of duplicates

 

[themoonisdown09]

You can change the bit rate in the iTunes preferences and convert all your current songs to the new setting. Just be sure to remove the old version from iTunes so you don't have duplicates.

I'll give you a tip that makes this process easier. Select an entire album (or multiple) and then right-click and select "Create AAC version" (or whatever you have your default encoding set to). While the songs are being created, don't select anything else. When the songs are done, all the old songs should still be selected, so you can press Command-Delete to remove the old versions.

Edit: The only problem with doing it this way is that the filename will get a "_1" at the end. So if the original filename is "01 Miseria Cantare - The Beginning.mp4", the new converted version will be "01 Miseria Cantare - The Beginning_1.mp4". All the tag information will stay the same though.

 

[BrettFarve04]

I'm trying to do this for my husband..I'm not very tech savvoy would anyone care to give a walkthough?

 

[themoonisdown09]

Here are the steps if you have iTunes 8:

1) Open iTunes and click on the iTunes menu item.
2) Click on Preferences...
3) On the General tab, click on Import Settings...
4) From the Import using drop down menu, select what you want to use. I use AAC, but you may want to use MP3.
5) From the Setting drop down menu, select an option or use Custom... to change it to whatever bit rate you want.
6) Click the OK button and now you can close the Preferences window.

From here, you can follow my instructions on my first post.

Select an entire album (or multiple) and then right-click and select "Create AAC version" (or whatever you have your default encoding set to). While the songs are being created, don't select anything else. When the songs are done, all the old songs should still be selected, so you can press Command-Delete to remove the old versions.

 

[ScootPatoot]

I'm trying to do this for my husband..I'm not very tech savvoy would anyone care to give a walkthough?

I knew it! Brett Farve is gay!!!

(Sorry, couldn't resist...)

 

[luckylisp]

I'll give you a tip that makes this process easier. Select an entire album (or multiple) and then right-click and select "Create AAC version" (or whatever you have your default encoding set to). While the songs are being created, don't select anything else. When the songs are done, all the old songs should still be selected, so you can press Command-Delete to remove the old versions.

However, you lose all your play counts doing it that way, correct?

 

[sbking]

However, you lose all your play counts doing it that way, correct?

no

 

[techfreak85]

if you are making a compressed file from another compressed file, it will sound bad.

 

[luckylisp]

no

I'm confused. Any time i have ever done that I have lost my play counts. I highlight and right click on the album choose to create mp3 version. It then creates the new files which obviously have no play count listed next to them. When I delete the originals the play count goes with them. What am I doing wrong?

Edit: Interesting. I just tried this and it did hold my play count. Has something changed in newer versions of iTunes? Previously, any time I have tried this, the new converted tracks didn't carry over the play count with them.