DPChallenge: A Digital Photography Contest You are not logged in. (log in or register
 

DPChallenge Forums >> General Discussion >> Some frustration with iTunes...
Pages:  
Showing posts 1 - 12 of 12, (reverse)
AuthorThread
11/14/2011 07:55:29 PM · #1
Apple really does make some nice hardware, but do they make good software? I have two beefs with iTunes and haven't come across easy solutions.

1) Why does Apple get all 1984 on me and not support .WMA files? Good grief. If I want to encode Neil Sedaka's entire library in 32kbits/s .WMA I have the constitutional right to do so! It annoys me to no end when these large companies use me as a pawn in their corporate wars. This kerfuffle has led to issue #2.

2) Removing duplicate or dead tracks from the library. I now have maybe 40% of my library as dead files that cannot be located. It will take me forever to manually find them and delete them but there does not appear to be any quick method for dealing with this. Anybody run across this and find an easy solution?
11/14/2011 07:58:24 PM · #2
3) once you download a tune you can't download it again, so screw you if your hard drive fails.
11/14/2011 08:34:52 PM · #3
doc, OSX, or Win?

I'm assuming OSX here:

there's an applescript I use that gets rid of dead tracks, //dougscripts.com/itunes/scripts/ss.php?sp=removedeadsuper
but honestly, if you can live without it, scrap Itunes, since it's really crap anyway. Try Songbird for something that's not as feature limited. It's a smidge slower if you have a large library, but I'll deal with that aspect just to not have to deal with Itunes.

11/14/2011 09:05:53 PM · #4
Nope. I'm using windows 7. Sorry. Really I like windows media player but the kids have music on an iPod which forced me to convert all my .wma files and now their iTunes is a mess.

Message edited by author 2011-11-14 21:09:21.
11/14/2011 09:08:57 PM · #5
Originally posted by posthumous:

3) once you download a tune you can't download it again, so screw you if your hard drive fails.


no longer true if you are using iCloud.
11/14/2011 09:16:46 PM · #6
Originally posted by DrAchoo:

Nope. I'm using windows 7. Sorry. Really I like windows media player but the kids have music on an iPod which forced me to convert all my .wma files and now their iTunes is a mess.


nuuuuuu there's a way to copy them to the aac files without changing the original file. she can't remember how we did it but there's a way
11/14/2011 09:26:02 PM · #7
Originally posted by DrAchoo:

Nope. I'm using windows 7. Sorry. Really I like windows media player but the kids have music on an iPod which forced me to convert all my .wma files and now their iTunes is a mess.


//www.softpedia.com/get/Multimedia/Audio/Other-AUDIO-Tools/Dupe-Eliminator-for-iTunes.shtml
I've had really good luck with that software. It'll find duplicates, but it also removes dead tracks. You can set it up to find and remove your wma files (and leave the mp3's as well)

for Win, I've had good luck with MediaMonkeyGold, which I believe is based off of Winamp. Either way, it's a great manager for large libraries, and you can sync to Ishit as well.

sync info: //www.mediamonkey.com/wiki/index.php/Guide_to_ipod_sync

Message edited by author 2011-11-14 21:28:37.
11/14/2011 09:31:40 PM · #8
There are a number of duplicate file finders for the PC...those should work (some can identify based on CRC and file size, even if the file name is different.

One I've used is "Duplicate Cleaner"... //www.digitalvolcano.co.uk

Part 2: I have worked hard to keep iTunes off my system. It's a resource hog, and also insists on loading system drivers etc. that I don't need since I don't have an MP3 player.

Songbird is a good alternative if you want a similar interface. Personally, I use XMP...the mini player takes no room, uses about 10-15 KB of memory! Automatically scans the folders you tell it, and adds files, and marks the ones not found if you delete them through explorer. It's a more rudimentary interface, but everything you need, and its skinnable.

Here's the support site...

//support.xmplay.com/

I've been using it for years...works great.

Windows media player isn't bad either, but like iTunes has a bigger footprint.

11/14/2011 09:39:32 PM · #9
Originally posted by DrAchoo:

Why does Apple get all 1984 on me and not support .WMA files?

They can't. Windows Digital Media Rights Management (the license) doesn't allow it.

Originally posted by DrAchoo:

I now have maybe 40% of my library as dead files that cannot be located. It will take me forever to manually find them and delete them but there does not appear to be any quick method for dealing with this. Anybody run across this and find an easy solution?

1. Create a regular playlist called "All songs".
2. Drag all songs from your Music Library to this playlist (the broken links won't copy over)
3. Create a smart playlist called "Missing" with rules: Playlist - is not - All Songs (if you have movies, podcasts, etc, you'll want to add a rule excluding those, too)
4. Delete all from this playlist
4b. If you can't delete from that playlist, try shift-delete or rate all those tracks one star, sort by rating and delete them that way.

Originally posted by posthumous:

once you download a tune you can't download it again, so screw you if your hard drive fails.

Not true. At least as far back as 2003, you just have to contact Apple support to download lost files.
11/14/2011 09:55:45 PM · #10
Here's the latest thing from iTunes;
iTunes Match
11/15/2011 01:52:31 AM · #11
Originally posted by scalvert:

Originally posted by DrAchoo:

Why does Apple get all 1984 on me and not support .WMA files?

They can't. Windows Digital Media Rights Management (the license) doesn't allow it.

Originally posted by DrAchoo:

I now have maybe 40% of my library as dead files that cannot be located. It will take me forever to manually find them and delete them but there does not appear to be any quick method for dealing with this. Anybody run across this and find an easy solution?

1. Create a regular playlist called "All songs".
2. Drag all songs from your Music Library to this playlist (the broken links won't copy over)
3. Create a smart playlist called "Missing" with rules: Playlist - is not - All Songs (if you have movies, podcasts, etc, you'll want to add a rule excluding those, too)
4. Delete all from this playlist
4b. If you can't delete from that playlist, try shift-delete or rate all those tracks one star, sort by rating and delete them that way.

Originally posted by posthumous:

once you download a tune you can't download it again, so screw you if your hard drive fails.

Not true. At least as far back as 2003, you just have to contact Apple support to download lost files.


I think I may give that a try Shannon. Thanks. Btw, I may not understand, but there are lots of players that can play .WMA like m roku and my Logitech Boom. And are you only talking about DRM songs? What about a song ripped off a CD into .WMA format? It seems to me either Microsoft didn't allow apple to use the format or Apple chose not to do so. Either way, highly annoying.
11/15/2011 08:46:53 AM · #12
Originally posted by DrAchoo:

I may not understand, but there are lots of players that can play .WMA like m roku and my Logitech Boom. And are you only talking about DRM songs? What about a song ripped off a CD into .WMA format? It seems to me either Microsoft didn't allow apple to use the format or Apple chose not to do so. Either way, highly annoying.

DRM protected WMA files can't be converted directly, but Apple provided a dirt-simple way to convert other WMA files to AAC: just drop it on iTunes. Background on the competing formats.
Pages:  
Current Server Time: 03/28/2024 04:14:24 PM

Please log in or register to post to the forums.


Home - Challenges - Community - League - Photos - Cameras - Lenses - Learn - Prints! - Help - Terms of Use - Privacy - Top ^
DPChallenge, and website content and design, Copyright © 2001-2024 Challenging Technologies, LLC.
All digital photo copyrights belong to the photographers and may not be used without permission.
Current Server Time: 03/28/2024 04:14:24 PM EDT.