Recently I had the misfortune to lose! all my music files from iTunes. I had downloaded over 700 cds
and "iTunes could not locate the files" it seems they have been deleted because I can't find them anywhere on my mac.
There is an application called Export part of Copytrans for Mac, that allows me to re import all my music files from my iPod and it can then put them back into iTunes. This is great except that my original iTunes files were ripped in apple lossless files but exported to my iPod as mp3 files. This obviously so I can save space on the iPod and retain lossless files on my mac to play through dac and amps.
My question is.... when I have got them back into iTunes I can then convert them back to lossless from mp3,
but how is this possible if indeed it is? I know that the converted files will be "called" lossless in" get info"
but are they really the same as ripping a cd in lossless format. How can iTunes convert a file from mp3 to lossless without the original information from the cd ?
I really don't want to have to rip all my original cds all over again!
I hope my question makes sense and someone can enlighten me.
Thanks.
Posted on: 31 January 2012 by Guido Fawkes
> My question is.... when I have got them back into iTunes I can then convert them back to lossless from mp3,
Sorry it is not possible to get back to the original lossless. Sure a program like Max will convert MP3 to ALAC, but it can't restore your originals. The ALACs will simply be bloated MP3s. Yes iTunes will show these as Apple Lossless as that is what they will be: it can't know that were derived from MP3s. But they'll sound like MP3s, not the original ALACs.
If you import from your iPad then you may as well just leave them as they are. Maybe re-rip your CDs as and when you want to play them.
Get an external disc and make backups - you have learned the hard way how vital this is.
Before giving up completely search using Spotlight on your Mac for anything that resembles a missing track - so if you ripped Abbey Road then type Come Together into Spotlight - I'd be hoping for a "Come Together.m4a" file that was around 25 MB in size to show up.
You can look under iTunes Preferences Advanced to see where iTunes expects your music to be.
Posted on: 31 January 2012 by Andrew Porter
Thanks Guido, I was expecting that,but will continue to search as per your suggestion,they have to be there somewhere! It is slightly odd because all the artwork and track names are in iTunes exactly as before but it just "cannot locate files",so presumably I should be able to find them!
Posted on: 31 January 2012 by Guido Fawkes
Do you have an external disc - first thing I would do is copy them all to an external drive so they are safe and out of the way of anything you try on your Mac. So if it doesn't work the files are safe. Once on the disc then you could just drag the folders for each artist on to iTunes and it'll reimport them and work it self out.
There are various ways to do the restore, but I'd like to know your files were safe before doing these.
Have a read of Scenario 3 in the iLounge (click HERE)
Hope this helps, Guy
Posted on: 31 January 2012 by Iver van de Zand
I agree with Guido; unfortunately there is no way transform mp3 ack into ALAC with "lossless" quality. WIth the MP3 conversion, essential data is simply lossed and converting back to ALAC (which is technically possible) won't boost quality, just the filesize.
Also strongly suggest to buy an external HDD to prevent this sad thing for the future.
Cheers,
Iver
Posted on: 31 January 2012 by Andrew Porter
Thanks Guido and Iver,lesson well and truly learnt! Very informative article in ilounge, have had enough of iTunes today so will resume battle tomorrow!
This forum is brilliant and posters seem like old and (sometimes) wise friends?
Andrew.
