converting files on itunes

[admin_exported]

ive imported all my cds onto my itunes library and been reading around that i should really have done this using at least apple lossless

if i right click on a track it offers me an option to convert to lossless but if the files already compressed how does it add the extra information back?

 

[John Duncan]

It doesn't - that option always offers to make a version at the current import settings - so if you've imported it all at 128k (which up until recently was the default on iTunes), all it will do is make a lossless version of a file that's already lossy.

However, seeing as the setting is already 'apple lossless', have you changed that recently? Maybe you got lucky and it was already set to that before you ripped all your CDs? Quick way to tell is to right click on a file and do "get info" or "properties" (depending on whether you're on Mac or Windows), and tell us what it says.....ie is it 128k mp3, apple lossless or what?

 

[Anonymous]

Not sure if im explaining properly im a bit of a techno noob, after changing how i import now it offers me to create apple lossless versions of the ones i imported at a lower rate as below;

Propagandhi - Without Love - Supporting Caste

Imported to itunes - 128 kpbs - 3.6MB file size

Lossless version - 1003 kpbs - 27.6 MB file size

Still an incredible song but do I have import all my CDs again or will creating these lossless versions be better????

 

[professorhat]

You need to import them all again I'm afraid - right clicking on the 128 kbps MP3 version and choosing "create lossless" is just making a lossless version of the MP3 - it can't put any of the information back that was stripped out during the MP3 creation process.

ÿ

 

[Alec]

So, its a given that you cant put anything back, as we know. But the conversion would increase the file size. So there must be more bits...So what replaces the lost data?

 

[Anonymous]

this was what was confusing me??!

anyone?

 

[John Duncan]

Nothing. PCM sends 16bits of data sampled 44,100 times a second, per channel, which equals 705,600bits per second times two = 1411200 = 1411kbps. It just doesn't happen to care whether those bits are empty are not - lossless formats are just smarter about the emptiness.