Optimizing music file size for iPhone

[Lartymarf]

My collection of music files are ripped from my cds using apple lossless
so each file is around 30megs or so... is there an easy way when sync
that only an mp3 copy of the song gets sent to the iPhone rather than the
big lossless file? (I'm thinking something similar to what syncing photos
do... decrease file size and optimize for iPhone screen before sending
the files over to the iPhone.) Is there such thing for music transfer?

I don't want to spend forever making lots of mp3 files and then dumping
them into the iPhone playlist in iTunes before syncing.. that will take too
much time.

Tks!

 

[boss1]

unfortunately audio files don't get optimized before transfer like pictures do with iPhoto. And thank god because I like my 320kbp mp3s. If itunes optimized my mp3s to variable 128 before transferring to the iPhone I'd be pretty upset.


you pretty much have to have mp3's on your computer and in your itunes library if you want the exact same copy on your iphone. That's not such a bad thing. choice has it's perks.

 

[pacohaas]

My collection of music files are ripped from my cds using apple lossless
so each file is around 30megs or so... is there an easy way when sync
that only an mp3 copy of the song gets sent to the iPhone rather than the
big lossless file? (I'm thinking something similar to what syncing photos
do... decrease file size and optimize for iPhone screen before sending
the files over to the iPhone.) Is there such thing for music transfer?

I don't want to spend forever making lots of mp3 files and then dumping
them into the iPhone playlist in iTunes before syncing.. that will take too
much time.

Tks!

I've been wanting this for all models of iPods. What you're asking for is basically the option that the shuffle's and ROKR have, that is to "Convert higher bitrate to 128kbps" when transferring. It's a really nice option, though it could be made better by opening it to every iPod and making it more configurable:

Convert when transferring songs over XXX bitrate to YYY bitrate.

The really nice part is that it leaves your iTunes songs untouched, but still is able to update the playcount and other statistics. My workaround for non-shuffles is to keep a lossless copy of everything I have as well as a 128kbps AAC for my mobile devices, unchecking all the lossless copies makes it so you don't have to transfer them to your iPod/iPhone, but it sucks that you have to keep two copies of the same song with statistics, etc. I really wish they'd just open it up and make it configurable as stated above. I'd love to be able to say "Convert songs over 320kbps to 128kbps when transferring" or "Convert lossless files to 128kbps when transferring", but I'd be happy with just enabling the Shuffle version of this option for all iPods.

 

[Lartymarf]

I've been wanting this for all models of iPods. What you're asking for is basically the option that the shuffle's and ROKR have, that is to "Convert higher bitrate to 128kbps" when transferring. It's a really nice option, though it could be made better by opening it to every iPod and making it more configurable:

Convert when transferring songs over XXX bitrate to YYY bitrate.

The really nice part is that it leaves your iTunes songs untouched, but still is able to update the playcount and other statistics. My workaround for non-shuffles is to keep a lossless copy of everything I have as well as a 128kbps AAC for my mobile devices, unchecking all the lossless copies makes it so you don't have to transfer them to your iPod/iPhone, but it sucks that you have to keep two copies of the same song with statistics, etc. I really wish they'd just open it up and make it configurable as stated above. I'd love to be able to say "Convert songs over 320kbps to 128kbps when transferring" or "Convert lossless files to 128kbps when transferring", but I'd be happy with just enabling the Shuffle version of this option for all iPods.

That's exactly why I asked... but yes I agree with you it sucks to have
2 copies of your music file.. taking up more space than it needs on your
harddrive.

Understand it is not automated for non-shuffle devices, but wonder if
there are any workarounds for doing this in a less manual method.

 

[megfilmworks]

When I rip a CD I make two music files; A lossless file and a 256 AAC. I do not make the AAC from the lossless but rip them individually. I then have the choice to load "lite" versions or the lossless.

 

[pacohaas]

When I rip a CD I make two music files; A lossless file and a 256 AAC. I do not make the AAC from the lossless but rip them individually. I then have the choice to load "lite" versions or the lossless.

Any reason for the double stress on your optical drive? The whole point of lossless is that you have an original copy to do whatever you want with, including make a 256kbps AAC.

 

[powerbook911]

Any reason for the double stress on your optical drive? The whole point of lossless is that you have an original copy to do whatever you want with, including make a 256kbps AAC.

Well, don't some say you are potentially losing some in Apple loss-less format?

Apple just needs to make this a feature for all iPods. Please!! Then all our worries would be solved, and our iPods would have more space.

 

[pacohaas]

Well, don't some say you are potentially losing some in Apple loss-less format?

It's called lossless because you aren't "losing" anything. You can create a lossless audio file from an AIFF and convert back to AIFF to get the exact same file. It's not like mp3 or aac where some bits of information are thrown out to (hopefully) imperceivable make the file sound the same at a fraction of the bitrate.

Lossless Audio is like .zip files. If you zip up a text document, you won't lose any information. That's what lossless compression is. The reason we use it for audio is for compatibility. I can rip once to lossless, use those files to play on my home stereo, convert to AAC for my iPod or mp3 for other players, or whatever you want. That way you don't have to rerip your CD collection every time you get a new player or want your collection in another format. The idea is you always start with the lossless copy though.