Section 2. Run iTunes for the First Time


2. Run iTunes for the First Time

Before You Begin

See Also

Download and Install iTunes

Connect Your iPod for the First Time

 

Import Your Existing Digital Music Collection into iTunes


Running iTunes for the first time is a little more complicated than any subsequent time you use it. This one-time process sets up iTunes by asking you a few questions about how you want to use iTunes. The options you're given can have some subtle but surprising consequences, so it pays to know what you're clicking during this procedure.

Note

The options discussed in this task for organizing your music can be controlled in the Advanced pane of the iTunes Preferences window, if at any time you change your mind about them.


Apple has designed iTunes to be a total music management system, controlling every mile of the music-enjoyment process, from the purchasing or importing of new songs to the sharing of songs with others or the transferring of songs to other devices. The entire process is governed not by definitive filenames and folder names, but by the contents of the info tags on each song in the database. This comprehensive design can be at odds with the way you expect digital music software to behave. One specific example is iTunes' capability to organize the filenames of your music files for you. With this option enabled, every name change you make to the info tags on songs within iTunes is automatically reflected in the filenames on the corresponding digital music files, which iTunes changes to keep up with your commands.

If you have an existing collection of MP3 files, and you allow iTunes to import all of them into its Library during this setup process, you might be caught by surprise to find that all your music files have been duplicated, renamed, and automatically filed into folders corresponding to the artists and albums in your Library. Many unsuspecting first-time iTunes users have been taken aback by this behavior or have been infuriated to find that all their carefully named and organized files have been copied into new folders and renamed (even if the original files were untouched). Yet if you take the time beforehand to ensure that iTunes doesn't do this to youor, even better, to understand the intent of iTunes' design so that its reorganizing efforts are more of a benefit than an affrontyou'll be a lot happier in the long run. See Import Your Existing Digital Music Collection into iTunes after following this procedure if you already have a digital music collection.

Run iTunes for the First Time


Launch iTunes

In Windows, navigate to iTunes in the All Programs submenu of the Start menu and select it to launch the application. In Mac OS X, click the iTunes icon in the Dock, or double-click the icon in the Applications folder.

Accept the Software License Agreement

Instead of the iTunes window, which is what you'll see for every subsequent launch of the application, for this setup process, you'll first see a window displaying the Software License Agreement. Read this document thoroughly if you want to be familiar with the rules of using iTunes; because it's a piece of software specifically designed to work with copyrighted materials that might or might not be used legally, it's a good idea to be familiar with what you're agreeing to. You have several options: Save lets you save the agreement to a file for later perusal, Print (if available) sends the agreement straight to your printer, and Decline quits iTunes. Only if you click Agree does iTunes proceed with the setup screens.

From this point on, you can abort the initial setup process by clicking Cancel; if you do, iTunes starts normally. However, the next time you launch iTunes, you are prompted again to go through this setup process.

Automatically Import Existing Digital Music Files

iTunes can scour your hard drive looking for digital music files in MP3, AAC, or unprotected WMA format and add them automatically to its Library. If you have an existing collection of music, you can leave the Add MP3 and AAC Files check box enabled and let iTunes import these files automatically. However, bear in mind that iTunes will find music files throughout the system, not just where you like to keep your music; you might end up importing into iTunes music files you didn't know you had, such as the internal soundtracks from your video games. If you disable this option, refer to Import Your Existing Digital Music Collection into iTunes to bring your music into iTunes' Library in a more controlled manner.

You can change your mind about how your music is organized at a later time; see Consolidate Your Music Library for more information.

Note

If you leave the Add MP3 and AAC Files and Add WMA Files check boxes enabled, iTunes copies the music files to the iTunes, iTunes Music folder inside your Music or My Music folderit doesn't move them. This approach ensures that your original music files remain untouched. However, it also means that your disk space is suddenly taken up with two copies of every song you own. Be sure that you have plenty of disk space before proceeding; also, be sure to delete your unwanted original files when you're satisfied with the way iTunes has imported them!


The Add WMA Files option (which exists only on the Windows version and is only available if you have Windows Media Player 9 Series or later installedvisit http://www.windowsmedia.com if you don't) works similarly to the Add MP3 and AAC Files option, except that when iTunes finds an unprotected WMA file, it converts it to AAC on-the-fly as it imports it, leaving the original WMA file untouched. iTunes cannot import protected WMA files, meaning purchased music files you might have obtained from a competing online digital music store. If you have a lot of these files, you might have to convert them to an unprotected format using a sneaky and painstaking method similar to the one described in Create an MP3 CD from Purchased AAC Music.

When you've made your selection about the music files you want iTunes to automatically import, click Next.

Allow iTunes to Keep Your iTunes Music Folder Organized

The next setup screen gives you the option to allow iTunes to rename files and folders within the iTunes Music folder. This special folder is where iTunes keeps all the music it imports; it's also where it stores the songs it imported in the previous step (if you chose to let it do so). If you choose No, I'll change the file and folder names myself in this screen, then the changes you make to song titles, artist names, and album names within iTunes are not reflected in the file structure of the iTunes Music folder. However, if you choose Yes, keep my iTunes Music folder organized, every time you make such a change, iTunes automatically makes the same change in the names of the files in the iTunes Music folder. This means that if you ever need to navigate into that folder to pull out the bare music filesfor example, to copy them to another system or send them through emailyou can be sure that the files are named exactly the way you expect. Each filename reflects the disc number (if that info tag is set), track number, and song title, and it's organized into a folder for the album, within a folder for the artist. This behavior can be turned off later in the Advanced pane of the iTunes Preferences window. (See Import Your Existing Digital Music Collection into iTunes.)

Tip

The hierarchical structure of the iTunes Music folder means that it's easy to back up small sections of your music collection, such as by picking a few artists or albums to copy to an archival DVD. However, it's not necessary to preserve this folder structure when using a backup method such as the one described in Back Up Your Music to CD or DVD, because when the files are restored to the Library, iTunes automatically rebuilds the folder hierarchy based on the files' stored info tags.


Start with the iTunes Music Store

The final choice you're given is whether to start iTunes this first time by opening the iTunes Music Store, or by going straight to your music Library. Choose the option that's best for you; you'll probably choose the second option because you'll likely prefer to browse your music collection rather than jump straight into buying more music. It's the best way to get acquainted with iTunes, after all.

Click Finish to complete the setup process and arrive at the iTunes window. If you chose to have iTunes search your hard disk for existing music files in Step 3, this search process takes place now; it might take a minute or two, so be patient while iTunes works. When the process is complete, all your existing music appears in iTunes' song listing pane.

Turn On or Hide the MiniStore

The first time you launch iTunes, the bottom half of the song listing pane is taken up by a light blue subpane called the iTunes MiniStore. The MiniStore is a context-sensitive display pane that shows you music similar to the tracks you have selected in the song listing pane. It does this by sending the selected tracks' titles, artists, albums, and other such information to the iTunes Music Store over the Internet as you select them; it receives suggestions from the store and displays them in the MiniStore pane so that you can follow the links and discover (and buy) more music.

No personal information is exchanged as iTunes communicates with the Music Store to show you this running advertising panethe information that's transferred is only what is necessary for getting appropriate music suggestions for you based on the music you've selected. Even so, you might not be comfortable having this feature enabled. You might prefer not to have data exchanged with the Music Store unless you specifically request it. Or you might not have a network connection, making the MiniStore useless. Or you simply might not want to have the MiniStore's display pane taking up valuable screen space within iTunes.

You have two choices for how to deal with the MiniStore this first time you run iTunes. The first choice is to enable the MiniStore by clicking the Turn On MiniStore button. If you do this, the MiniStore's display pane remains open, and the information is exchanged in real time as you browse your music. The other choice is to click the Show or Hide MiniStore button, which has a curved arrow pointing to it. This closes the MiniStore's display pane and prevents iTunes from exchanging information with the iTunes Music Store as you browse. (Even if you turned on the MiniStore, hiding it disables this exchange of information and ensures your privacy.)

See Find More Music by Artists in Your iTunes Library for more information on using the MiniStore and its related features.




iPod + iTunes for Windows and Mac in a Snap
iPod + iTunes for Windows and Mac in a Snap (2nd Edition)
ISBN: 0672328992
EAN: 2147483647
Year: 2006
Pages: 150
Authors: Brian Tiemann

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