How To Organize and Store Audio Files

[jparker402]

I have just received an MP3 file/recording of a funeral. I want to store it on my Mac and somehow organize the file. As background, I have never used iTunes or any other music app on my Mac because I have never managed to figure them out. I think I may have three or four songs on my iPhone, but quit because I couldn't figure that out either. What I received was an MP3 file as an attachment to an email. I would like to know if there are any folders/files that will not take MP3 files; like I believe some folders won't take jpeg files. I would like to know how to set up a folder that I could put audio files in that are not music. This would be for ease of my locating them by subject in the future. Would appreciate suggestions and/or references to tutorials on audio that is not music. Thank you!

 

[Rich B22]

I have just received an MP3 file/recording of a funeral. I want to store it on my Mac and somehow organize the file. As background, I have never used iTunes or any other music app on my Mac because I have never managed to figure them out. I think I may have three or four songs on my iPhone, but quit because I couldn't figure that out either. What I received was an MP3 file as an attachment to an email. I would like to know if there are any folders/files that will not take MP3 files; like I believe some folders won't take jpeg files. I would like to know how to set up a folder that I could put audio files in that are not music. This would be for ease of my locating them by subject in the future. Would appreciate suggestions and/or references to tutorials on audio that is not music. Thank you!

Instead of having to search multiple folders by category, why don't you just rename the file i.e. Joe Jones Funeral.mp3? With this renaming, you could search "joe", "jones", "funeral"

Afaik, you can save the file anywhere (other than perhaps in system folders), however, others may have more information. If you don't want to use the "iTunes" or the "Music" folder in more modern OS's, you could create in your Home folder, a folder with whatever name you want, such as "My Audio" and store any music or other audio files in that. If you want to differentiate further, inside the "My Audio" folder you could create 2 new folders, named such as "My Music" & "Other Audio".

If you don't use iTunes or Music apps, I assume you have another app to play audio. If not, it is pretty easy to import audio into those apps. Open "Music" app, click File>Import, then navigate to where your audio is stored, select it and click "Open".

Good luck

 

[jparker402]

Instead of having to search multiple folders by category, why don't you just rename the file i.e. Joe Jones Funeral.mp3? With this renaming, you could search "joe", "jones", "funeral"

Afaik, you can save the file anywhere (other than perhaps in system folders), however, others may have more information. If you don't want to use the "iTunes" or the "Music" folder in more modern OS's, you could create in your Home folder, a folder with whatever name you want, such as "My Audio" and store any music or other audio files in that. If you want to differentiate further, inside the "My Audio" folder you could create 2 new folders, named such as "My Music" & "Other Audio".

If you don't use iTunes or Music apps, I assume you have another app to play audio. If not, it is pretty easy to import audio into those apps. Open "Music" app, click File>Import, then navigate to where your audio is stored, select it and click "Open".

Good luck

Thank you, Rich! I like the My Audio plan; think I will do that. You brought up something I hadn't thought of with "an app to play audio". Didn't know I needed one! When I opened up the file in email, it played. Figured that playing was somehow built in. Are you saying that if I make a My Audio file and move the MP3 file into that, that it won't play? How to I navigate that problem?

 

[Rich B22]

Thank you, Rich! I like the My Audio plan; think I will do that. You brought up something I hadn't thought of with "an app to play audio". Didn't know I needed one! When I opened up the file in email, it played. Figured that playing was somehow built in. Are you saying that if I make a My Audio file and move the MP3 file into that, that it won't play? How to I navigate that problem?

In my experience, when you double click an audio file that is on your hard drive it automatically plays in iTunes/Music app, whether or not you've imported it into the app or not. In the case of the e-mail (I'd never tried this before) it opens in a mini-player, of which I have no idea where it comes from and is not reachable from files on the hard drive.

In any case, if you don't want to use iTunes/Music apps, and you want to play the file from your hard drive after saving there, right-click the icon and from the menu choose "Open With" "Quick Time Player", whereupon it will open a small screen and just click the play button (horizontal triangle). If you always want to open that kind of file in Quick Time, right click the icon and choose "get info" (⌘-i). About 2/3 way down under "Open with" choose Quick Time Player and under that click "Change All". In the future, all similar files (with the same extension) will open in Quick Time Player.

What is it about iTunes/Music app that you find so difficult? Maybe if we had some idea of the problem, we could set you right about it.

 

[jparker402]

In my experience, when you double click an audio file that is on your hard drive it automatically plays in iTunes/Music app, whether or not you've imported it into the app or not. In the case of the e-mail (I'd never tried this before) it opens in a mini-player, of which I have no idea where it comes from and is not reachable from files on the hard drive.

In any case, if you don't want to use iTunes/Music apps, and you want to play the file from your hard drive after saving there, right-click the icon and from the menu choose "Open With" "Quick Time Player", whereupon it will open a small screen and just click the play button (horizontal triangle). If you always want to open that kind of file in Quick Time, right click the icon and choose "get info" (⌘-i). About 2/3 way down under "Open with" choose Quick Time Player and under that click "Change All". In the future, all similar files (with the same extension) will open in Quick Time Player.

What is it about iTunes/Music app that you find so difficult? Maybe if we had some idea of the problem, we could set you right about it.

The difficulty is that I am an 82 year-old trying to learn something new! When I open them up I have them feeling that the instructions are designed for someone who has been using that app/program for several years; not as basic as I feel I would like. When I want to listen to music now I go to YouTube and hope I remember the name of the song so that I can find it. And that usually works.

 

[Rich B22]

The difficulty is that I am an 82 year-old trying to learn something new! When I open them up I have them feeling that the instructions are designed for someone who has been using that app/program for several years; not as basic as I feel I would like. When I want to listen to music now I go to YouTube and hope I remember the name of the song so that I can find it. And that usually works.

I understand as I'm catching up to you at 73 and have a harder time learning new things than I did. Fortunately, have been using Macs for 15 years, so am more familiar with them.

 

[Fishrrman]

OP:

You could do this:
a. Open the "Music" folder in your home folder. This is where music-related files are normally stored.
b. Create a NEW folder. Give it any name you wish (something like "My audio archive" would work).
c. Put the mp3 file you have in there. You might rename it, with a name that is recognizable and meaningful to you.

Now, if you want to PLAY the file, I suggest you RIGHT click on it (not double-click).
A contextual menu will appear that says "open with..."
You can use any of the apps listed to open the file and play it.

An unrelated note:
If you still have iTunes, you ought to try using the free streaming internet radio tuner. Lots and LOTS of music there, of all kinds...!