Understanding Encoding and Other Important Format Options

Back in Chapter 13, you learned about the major music file formats that you need to be aware of as you use iTunes. As you will recall, the two primary formats you use when dealing with music are AAC and MP3, but the Apple Lossless format is useful when you want only the highest quality from your music. When you add music to your Library, you choose the format and then select the specific configuration of that format.

Choosing a Format Option

Although I am sure that going into the specifications for each kind of format would make for fascinating reading, there isn't really any need to get into that detail. Frankly, the benefit of using an application such as iTunes is that it manages all this complexity for you so that you don't have to be concerned with it. If you are like me, you just want to work with the music, not diddle around with complicated settings.

Generally, when you add music to your Library, you should use either the AAC or MP3 format. Because the AAC format is better (with better meaning that it provides higher quality music in smaller file sizes), it is usually the best choice.

If you want to have the highest quality music and file size isn't a concern for you, Apple Lossless is the way to go.

Picking Quality Levels

After you select a format, you decide the quality with which the music will be encoded. Higher quality levels mean better-sounding music but larger file sizes. If file size is not a problem, choosing a higher quality setting is the way to go. If you have relatively little disk space, you might want to experiment to see which is the lowest quality setting you can choose that results in music that still sounds good to you. If you demand the absolute best in music quality and have plenty of hard drive space to spare, Apple Lossless is a good option for you.

Your computer's hard disk space isn't the only factor you need to consider when choosing a quality level. iPods also have a hard drive or flash memory, and if you use the higher-quality encoders, such as Apple Lossless, you won't be able to fit as many songs on your iPod as with a format designed for small files, such as the AAC format.

note

Nothing against heavy metal rock, of course (I like some of it myself), it's just that it usually includes lots of distortion and constant noise, which means minor flaws in the encoded music won't be as noticeable.

Note that when it comes to music, quality is in the ear of the beholder. Also, it heavily depends on the type of music you listen to as well as how you listen to it. For example, if you listen to heavy metal rock using a low-quality pair of speakers (in other words, cheap speakers), quality will be less of an issue because you likely won't hear any difference anyway. However, if you listen to classical music on high-quality speakers, the differences in quality levels might be more noticeable.

The trade-off for quality is always file size. The higher the quality setting you choose, the larger the resulting files will be. If you don't have disk space limitations and have a discriminating ear, you might want to stick with the highest possible quality setting. If disk space is at a premium for you, consider using a lower quality setting if you can't detect the difference or if that difference doesn't bother you.

Configuring iTunes to Import Music

Before you start adding music to your Library, choose the import options (mainly format and quality levels) you want to use. Here are the steps to follow:

1.	Open the Importing pane of the iTunes Preferences dialog box (see Figure 16.6). Figure 16.6. Here, you can see that the AAC format (the AAC Encoder) is selected.
2.	Select the format in which you want to add music to your Library on the Import Using menu. For example, to use the AAC format, select AAC Encoder. To use the MP3 format, select MP3 Encoder. Or, select Apple Lossless Encoder to maximize the quality of your music. The other encoder options are WAV and AIFF, but you probably won't use those options except for special circumstances, such as when you are going to use the music you encode in a different application, in which case the AIFF encoder might be a good choice.
3.	Select the quality level of the encoder you want to use on the Setting menu. The options you see in this list depend on the format you selected in step 1. If you chose AAC Encoder, you have three quality options: High Quality, Podcast, and Custom. If you chose MP3 Encoder, you have four options: Good Quality, High Quality, Higher Quality, and Custom. If you selected the Apple Lossless Encoder, you have only the Automatic option. In the Details box, you will see a summary of the settings you have selected. For example, you will see the data rate of the encoder, such as 128Kbps, and the processor for which the encoder has been optimized. (Do you need to worry about these details? Not really.) If you use the AAC encoder, the High Quality setting will likely be all you ever need.
4.	If you want music you add to your Library to play while it is being added, check the Play songs while importing check box. This is a personal preference, and it doesn't impact the encoding process significantly.
5.	If you want the files that iTunes creates when you import music to include the track number in their filenames, check the Create filenames with track number check box. Because this helps you more easily find files for specific songs, I recommend that you keep this preference active. tip In most cases, choosing an encoder isn't a difficult decision. If hard drive space is a factor for you, you use an iPod, or you don't have the ears of a music expert, the AAC encoder is the way to go. If you demand perfection, use the Apple Lossless Encoder. Because I don't have musically trained ears, I use the AAC encoder. (Although my music collection does contain a number of MP3 files that I created before the AAC format became available.)
6.	The Use error correction when reading Audio CDs check box causes iTunes to more closely control the encoding process. You should use this option only if you notice problems with the music you add to your Library, such as cracking or popping sounds. If that happens, check this check box and try the import process again.
7.	Click OK to close the dialog box.