# Import audio in Apple Lossless and sync iPod with AAC



## someone (Jun 14, 2005)

Is it possible to do this with iTunes? Basically, iPod works the best with AAC, not Apple Lossless. However, if you set the import setting to Apple Lossless, then iTunes will copy the imported Apple Lossless file directly to the iPod and there is no obvious way to let it transcode the file on the fly to AAC and then sync.


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## Macaholic (Jan 7, 2003)

I think you're out of luck on that one.


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## Howard2k (Feb 9, 2005)

You can have duplicate songs, so I guess you could import twice and keep all your AAC songs on a separate playlist and sync that list specifically to the iPod. Seems like a lot of work though.


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## someone (Jun 14, 2005)

What would happen if I change the import format to AAC right before inserting my iPod mini? Will iTunes transcode the songs to AAC in order to conform to this setting? Also, what happens if I want to sync songs stored in Apple Lossless with an iPod Shuffle?


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## Macaholic (Jan 7, 2003)

someone said:


> What would happen if I change the import format to AAC right before inserting my iPod mini? Will iTunes transcode the songs to AAC in order to conform to this setting?


No. Only subsequent imports off of CD or manual reconversions will be in your chosen import prefrence.



> Also, what happens if I want to sync songs stored in Apple Lossless with an iPod Shuffle?


iPod Shuffle doesn't support Apple lossless or any lossless format, and for good reason.

http://www.apple.com/ipodshuffle/specs.html

BTW, you should have posted this in the help forum:
http://www.ehmac.ca/forumdisplay.php?f=6


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## someone (Jun 14, 2005)

In that case, wouldn't iTunes transcode the music to AAC before syncing, or would it simply not sync with the mini?

In any case, I think my best bet here is Automator/Applescript, which is very ugly. Sometimes, I really think I placed too high an expectation on Apple products.


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## Macaholic (Jan 7, 2003)

someone said:


> In that case, wouldn't iTunes transcode the music to AAC before syncing, or would it simply not sync with the mini?


Eh? No way man.

Also, there's no way they'd design the iTunes application to RECONVERT from one format to another AUTOMATICALLY on account of changing the import preference. like, what if you switched from lossless to MP3? YIKES! That is someone few people would want. And for those that do, it's easy: change the import codec in the preferences, then select all your songs (and use "Select All" if you want ALL your songs converted), then use the 'Convert Selection To" command in iTunes' Advanced menu.



> In any case, I think my best bet here is Automator/Applescript, which is very ugly. Sometimes, I really think I placed too high an expectation on Apple products.


Well, this is the first time I've heard of someone wanting to do this, but I guess you may not be the only one. Try it with any other system, however, and I'll bet it won't be any easier:

1) Duplicate songs in a lossless AND lossy format

2) New songs converted automatically into BOTH codecs

3) software automatically transfers ONLY the lossy files to the portable device

4) OH! And Host software ONLY plays back -- and even ONLY displays -- the lossless files (shuffle, searching modes, etc.)

I think that's expecting too much off ANY current host application.


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## Derrick (Dec 22, 2004)

It appears you will only be able to have what you want with the iPod shuffle ... if you look at the preferences when the iPod shuffle is attached, the following option appears:

Convert higher bit rate songs to 128 kps AAC for this iPod.

All of my tunes from CD are in AIFF format, when I sync to my iPod shuffle, it simply converts them on the fly. There is only one version of the song in my library.

It would be nice this this was an option for other iPods.


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## Macaholic (Jan 7, 2003)

Derrick, if you're correct (I don't own a Shuffle -- but I'm getting one, soon), then I owe "Someone" an apology for getting impatient with his line of questioning. Now that you mention it, Derrick, it does ring a little bell in my head about that from the Macworld keynote address in January.


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## Macaholic (Jan 7, 2003)

Hell, I even feel like I owe Apple an apology


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## Derrick (Dec 22, 2004)

No problem Macaholic (cool avatar BTW).

Here is the official word from Apple:

http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=300497


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## Macaholic (Jan 7, 2003)

Yeah, I love that monster'd Powermac jpeg. I got it from an old benchmark test page at barefeats.com

EDIT: here it is!

http://www.barefeats.com/yikesaw2.html


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## someone (Jun 14, 2005)

Since the code for conversion is already there, there might be a hack that will enable this option for all ipods (not just the mini...)


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## Macaholic (Jan 7, 2003)

Maybe. Good luck on that -- and let us ow how it goes


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## someone (Jun 14, 2005)

Derrick said:


> It appears you will only be able to have what you want with the iPod shuffle ... if you look at the preferences when the iPod shuffle is attached, the following option appears:
> 
> Convert higher bit rate songs to 128 kps AAC for this iPod.
> 
> ...


 Why not convert your AIFF files to Apple Lossless? It even has an open source decoder now and can be played on all platforms (even in the future, since OSS code tend to be written in a portable manner)


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## Derrick (Dec 22, 2004)

Someone:

If I remember correctly, Apple Lossless was not yet available when I purchased my first iPod (Feb 2004) ... also, I think there was a slight lag between when Apple Lossless was available and when iPods could play it.

My original reasons for keeping everything in AIFF were:
1) disk space is cheap (and will be even cheaper in the future)
2) to have the best quality when playing music through my home stereo (a fairly high-end setup)
3) to prevent against future obsolescence ... I can always convert AIFF using a future codec ... I figured it would be easier to go from lossless to lossy down the road than trying to convert from one type of lossy codec to another


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## someone (Jun 14, 2005)

Derrick said:


> Someone:
> 
> If I remember correctly, Apple Lossless was not yet available when I purchased my first iPod (Feb 2004) ... also, I think there was a slight lag between when Apple Lossless was available and when iPods could play it.
> 
> ...


 So your iPod model does *not* have a firmware upgrade that will allow it to play ALAC?

Also, I don't think any of your original reasons holds true now:

1) CPU is also getting faster and there is almost no difference (in terms of CPU utilization) between playing ALAC and playing AIFF since the former is designed to be decoded on embedded systems such as iPods and APexp.
2) In that case, your best bet is Airport Express (SP/DIF!) and your computer will actually encode the music into ALAC before sending it to APexp.
3) It's the exact reason why people are now using lossless codecs, such as ALAC, FLAC or Monkey's Audio to archive CD collection.


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## someone (Jun 14, 2005)

Also, Derrick, can you post your com.apple.itunes.plist file (in your user folder) for me when you enable the automatic conversion option for your iPod shuffle? It's probably just a hidden setting.


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## Derrick (Dec 22, 2004)

To address some of your questions:

1) At the time I was encoding my collection, Apple Lossless wasn't available ... and even though my iPod will now play it. I have no desire at this point to convert everything to Apple Lossless ... maybe I will in the future.
2) I have an Airport Express for my bedroom stereo ... however, my main system is fed by an iMac G5 using the optical connection directly (dramatically better than the analog output from Airport Express BTW).

The preference I mentioned before is only displayed when the iPod shuffle is attached.


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## someone (Jun 14, 2005)

I thought APexp uses SP/DIF, which is a digital connection!

The conversion function has nothing to with the iPod model and is purely implemented in software. If you post the file "com.apple.itunes.plist" then I will be able to find the corresponding entry in the plist file (which is where itunes saves its settings).


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## Derrick (Dec 22, 2004)

AExp has a SP/DIF output and an analog output ... I could have used that in my main room as well ... however, I figured that since the computer was in the same room ... I might as well connect it directly to the stereo.


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