Squeeze Huge iTunes Library

pipermalibu

Registered
Has anyone found a way to down sample, down convert, whatever you want to call it an entire iTunes library like iTunes will do with the Shuffle? I have over 80GB of music and growing by the week. Once I start Riping my obscure vinyl it will get even bigger. I am looking for a way to down sample an entire library to a secondary library to fit on my 60GB ipod. Most of my stuff is 256 - 320 bps so I can down it to 128 for ipod use.

APPLE.... HELLO.... WHEN ARE YOU GOING TO INCLUDE THIS FEATURE FOR ALL IPODS? MUSIC MATCH from my heathen box days did this years ago. I don't care that it will take 2 days the first time. After that, it will be only a few minutes as updates are made.
 
This will work though perhaps a dedicated audio program will do it better/faster. Anyway:

1. Set iTunes preferences to import files as mp3 at 128 bitrate. Right click on any non Apple protected file in your library and choose to convert it to mp3 (even if it already is). The file will convert to mp3 at the 128 rate. You can then delete or remove the original. Kicker: You can do this with multiple files at once. You might try doing this 50 files at a time. If it works well, go up to a few hundred. Maybe do your whole library at once overnight.

Might look here as well for more help: http://www.dougscripts.com/itunes
 
bharoche's suggestion would do the trick.

however, may i add: in case you do decide to let your mac convert the whole library overnight, make sure that you have enough free disk space - otherwise you might run into some serious problems. (it is recommended that you *always* leave 10 to 20 % of your harddrive's capacity free.)

patrice
http://www.patriceschneider.com/apple-osx/blog/
 
I'm with pipermalibu in that I would desperately appreciate this function for all iPods (as it is with the Shuffle).

I realize I can convert all my originals (essentially making a duplicate file), but that will expand my original library by creating 128 bitrate copies of my 13000 songs.

I want my original iTunes files to stay at whatever I originally imported them as and for iTunes to automatically load a lower bitrate version onto my iPod.

We all know this can be done, because that's how the Shuffle natively operates. I would like to see Apple, or a talented hack, deliver this service to all iPods, without creating a duplicate file.
 
Well disk space would not be an issue as I store everything on a 2TB Terrastation with an additional one as a backup to the RAID5 system. (ok I am a bit paranoid, but it happened to me before) - But the larger problem with all this is automatically keeping the 2 libraries in sync. If I am correct, iTunes won't add a copy again, so once a week or so, do a complete import again and it will only add the new songs..... correct? Lame, but workable until Apple decides that 60GB (while admitted is a lot of space), is not a lot for a music whore like me. - Now 120GB should get me by for a while.....lol
 
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