Can you create different iTunes libraries on 1 computer?

[Dan Turner]

I'm looking into setting up a computer-based music source and have pretty much decided upon a MacBook + Cyrus DAC-X for my main system, with an Airport Express to serve a second system. I've decided that I'm going to use uncompressed AIFF rips of all my CDs, however this is going to make my library too big to fit on my ipod (160gb classic) and I'd only be able to fit a handful of albums on my iPhone.

So is it possible to create 2 iTunes libraries on the same computer - e.g. one for all my music ripped as AIFFs and another with everything ripped as say mp3 @ 256kbps. Then I could use the main library for music replay at home and the second for syncing with my ipod. Or is there another solution to the problem that I'm missing?

Obviously what I'm trying to do is avoid having to selectively populate my ipod and retain a reasonable quantity on my iPhone, but quality of replay at home is of paramount importance.

How good would Apple lossless rips be in comparison to AIFF - I think if I had my entire library in Apple lossless it would still fit on my ipod, but I wouldn't be prepared to accept a reduction in quality when replayed through my main system.

Any thoughts appreciated, thanks.

 

[Dave_]

Not sure about seperate libraries,but you could set up a "smart playlist" to only include tracks of a certain bitrate!

 

[Dan Turner]

daveh75:Not sure about seperate libraries,but you could set up a "smart playlist" to only include tracks of a certain bitrate!

Thanks Dave, I guess that's sorts out syncing the ipod/phone if I duplicated the whole library in AIFF and mp3, but still a right faff to choose the right version of the album when listening at home.

 

[professorhat]

To create a new Library in iTunes on the Mac, hold down the Option (or Alt) key as you load iTunes (Shift key on the PC) - you can then choose to setup a new Library. To switch between Libraries, close down iTunes and do the same.

As far as I know, there's no way of automatically populating one Library with lower bitrates from the other so easiest way would be to rip to a lossless format in one Library, then convert all of these to AAC or MP3 at whatever bitrate, export from first Library and import to the other new Library. Finally, delete the MP3 / AAC versions from the initial lossless Library.

 

[Dan Turner]

professorhat:
To create a new Library in iTunes on the Mac, hold down the Option (or Alt) key as you load iTunes (Shift key on the PC) - you can then choose to setup a new Library. To switch between Libraries, close down iTunes and do the same.

As far as I know, there's no way of automatically populating one Library with lower bitrates from the other so easiest way would be to rip to a lossless format in one Library, then convert all of these to AAC or MP3 at whatever bitrate, export from first Library and import to the other new Library, Finally, delete the MP3 / AAC versions from the initial lossless Library.

Absolutely perfect! Thankyou Prof!

 

[professorhat]

You're welcome

 

[Dave_]

professorhat:
To create a new Library in iTunes on the Mac, hold down the Option (or Alt) key as you load iTunes (Shift key on the PC) - you can then choose to setup a new Library. To switch between Libraries, close down iTunes and do the same.

As far as I know, there's no way of automatically populating one Library with lower bitrates from the other so easiest way would be to rip to a lossless format in one Library, then convert all of these to AAC or MP3 at whatever bitrate, export from first Library and import to the other new Library. Finally, delete the MP3 / AAC versions from the initial lossless Library.

Well,ive been using iTunes for over a year and never knew you could do that! Cheers prof.

 

[Dan Turner]

Hi - As per my signature I'm up and running with my new kit (opted for a CA DAC Magic in the end rather than the Cyrus DAC X), and after many days of hard graft have got all my CDs imported in Apple Lossless format - everything sounds great.

Now I want to turn my attention to getting all my music on my iPhone. As per the prof's advice above I can create another library, but does anyone know how to convert a duplicate my existing library into a different file format/bitrate (I hope it is possible, I'm not sure I can handle ripping everything again)?

What I'm ultimately looking to end up with is a second library which contains my whole collection as 128kbps MP3s which I will sync with my iPhone.

Any help greatly appreciated as always!

 

[Craig M.]

professorhat:

As far as I know, there's no way of automatically populating one Library with lower bitrates from the other so easiest way would be to rip to a lossless format in one Library, then convert all of these to AAC or MP3 at whatever bitrate, export from first Library and import to the other new Library. Finally, delete the MP3 / AAC versions from the initial lossless Library.

this is the way i do it, just gets a bit annoying when you have to do it each time you rip some new cd's. if anyone knows of a way of doing it automatically when ripping a cd, i'd love to hear it.

 

[John Duncan]

Dan Turner:does anyone know how to convert a duplicate my existing library into a different file format/bitrate (I hope it is possible, I'm not sure I can handle ripping everything again)?

Easy peasy. Change your CD import rate to 128k mp3 (or AAC), go back to your library, select the whole lot, right click and there will be an option 'Create MP3 Version' (or 'AAC version'). Do that, then follow prof's instructions for getting those into the new library.

 

[Dan Turner]

JohnDuncan:Dan Turner:does anyone know how to convert a duplicate my existing library into a different file format/bitrate (I hope it is possible, I'm not sure I can handle ripping everything again)?Easy peasy. Change your CD import rate to 128k mp3 (or AAC), go back to your library, select the whole lot, right click and there will be an option 'Create MP3 Version' (or 'AAC version'). Do that, then follow prof's instructions for getting those into the new library.

Fabulous - I had got as far as selecting and right clicking, but only saw the option to create apple lossless version - makes sense now that the option presented is as per your selected import setting! Thanks JD!

 

[Alec]

Can two libraries be made on a PC too?

 

[John Duncan]

al7478:Can two libraries be made on a PC too?

Yup, hold down alt- on a Mac and shift- on a PC while you're opening iTunes.

 

[Alec]

Thankyou John.

 

[Dan Turner]

OK, I've successfully got to the point of creating an AAC copy of my lossless files. The only issue is that when it does that, it creates those files in the same album grouping as the originals, and it's not possible to differentiate between the originals and the copies without right clicking and selecting 'get info' (and even if it was it would take an age to select them all individually to remove from the original library, move the files, and reimport them to the new library).

I realise that I may be missing something really obvious here, but does anyone know how to create an AAC copy of my entire lossless library in a different place, for easy import into the new library? Or is the setting that I can make in the preferences of the new library (I have looked but cannot find) that will automatically convert imported files into AAC format?

Sorry for being such an amateur!

 

[John Duncan]

Create a new library, import all the music, then delete the lossless ones (create a smart playlist 'where bitrate contains lossless'0. And vice versa for the other library.

Hasty edit - this requires further explanation before you do that, will come back shortly.

 

[John Duncan]

More correctly:

- Create a new library
- Check 'Copy files to iTunes Media folder when adding to library' in preferences (on the Mac, WIndows may vary)
- Import the music from the original iTunes Library folder using File/Add to library
- You will then have two copies of the library, both containing both the lossless and lossy files, but in separate folders

Now delete the lossless ones (put 'lossless' in the search bar) in one library - this becomes your lossy library. Delete the lossy files from the other library (sort by bitrate ascending and delete the top half) - this becomes your lossless one.

Does that make sense?

 

[Dan Turner]

JohnDuncan:More correctly:- Create a new library- Check 'Copy files to iTunes Media folder when adding to library' in preferences (on the Mac, WIndows may vary)- Import the music from the original iTunes Library folder using File/Add to library- You will then have two copies of the library, both containing both the lossless and lossy files, but in separate foldersNow delete the lossless ones (put 'lossless' in the search bar) in one library - this becomes your lossy library. Delete the lossy files from the other library (sort by bitrate ascending and delete the top half) - this becomes your lossless one.Does that make sense?

Thanks JD - I really appreciate you taking the time. I'll give this a go either tonight or tomorrow and let you know how i get on!

 

[Dan Turner]

Dan Turner:
JohnDuncan:More correctly:- Create a new library- Check 'Copy files to iTunes Media folder when adding to library' in preferences (on the Mac, WIndows may vary)- Import the music from the original iTunes Library folder using File/Add to library- You will then have two copies of the library, both containing both the lossless and lossy files, but in separate foldersNow delete the lossless ones (put 'lossless' in the search bar) in one library - this becomes your lossy library. Delete the lossy files from the other library (sort by bitrate ascending and delete the top half) - this becomes your lossless one.Does that make sense?

Thanks JD - I really appreciate you taking the time. I'll give this a go either tonight or tomorrow and let you know how i get on!

I've done it - worked a treat. I now have 2 libraries on my computer - one containing lossless files for home replay and one a replica consisting of 128kbps AAC files for syncing to my iPhone! The latter is syncing as I type. Fabulous!

Thanks to Professorhat and JohnDuncan.

 

[motley]

I have set up a second library for MP3 files and kept a Lossless Library, but when I have gone back into the original library my recent playlists have gone and been replace by old ones??

 

[MajorFubar]

That's bound to happen though isn't it? Having two libraries is basically just like having two different copies of iTunes which don't interact with each other. Or perhaps I've misunderstood what you meant.

 

[motley]

That's bound to happen though isn't it? Having two libraries is basically just like having two different copies of iTunes which don't interact with each other. Or perhaps I've misunderstood what you meant.

Sorry if the post wasn't clear, the original libray with the lossless files is now populated with old playlists which I had removed.

 

[Trefor Patten]

Actually, you don't need to go to all this trouble if you are running the current version of iTunes. Rip all your music as ALAC, WAV, or AIFF and then just sync any album or playlist at a lower bitrate using the box at the bottom of the sync page. No need for two libraries taking up all that space. 8)

 

[musical0111]

More correctly:

- Create a new library
- Check 'Copy files to iTunes Media folder when adding to library' in preferences (on the Mac, WIndows may vary)
- Import the music from the original iTunes Library folder using File/Add to library
- You will then have two copies of the library, both containing both the lossless and lossy files, but in separate folders

Now delete the lossless ones (put 'lossless' in the search bar) in one library - this becomes your lossy library. Delete the lossy files from the other library (sort by bitrate ascending and delete the top half) - this becomes your lossless one.
bring back lps and cd players this is all gooblegook to me simples.
Does that make sense?