Understanding Encoding and Other Important Format Options

In Chapter 11, 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 if you want only the highest quality from your music. When you add music to your Library, you choose the format and then you choose the specific configuration of that format.

Note

Just in case you don't remember, AAC is a newer and better file format than MP3 because it produces higher quality files with smaller file sizes.

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.

Note

About the only case I can envision where MP3 would be a better option is if you use a portable music player that can only play MP3 music. But because you are reading this book, you are probably using an iPod, and iPods are designed to work with the AAC format as well as the MP3 format (and all the other formats explained in this chapter as well, such as the Apple Lossless format).

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, then 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 hard drive space to spare, Apple Lossless is a good option for you.

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 for you 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 will likely be more noticeable.

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 that minor flaws in the encoded music won't be as 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, then 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

When you add music to your Library, you start by choosing the import options (mainly format and quality levels) that you want to use. Here are the steps to follow:

1.	Open the Importing pane of the iTunes Preferences dialog box (see Figure 14.6). Figure 14.6. 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, choose AAC Encoder. To use the MP3 format, choose MP3 Encoder. Or, choose Apple Lossless Encoder to maximize the quality of your music. The other encoder options are WAV and AIFF, 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.	Choose 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 two quality options: High Quality and Custom. If you chose MP3 Encoder, you have four options: Good Quality, High Quality, Higher Quality, and Custom. If you choose the Apple Lossless Encoder, you have only the Automatic option. Note The Custom option enables you to configure specific settings that the encoder will use. Because you don't typically need to do this, we won't explore doing so in this chapter. If you want to check it out, choose Custom on the Setting menu and explore the options you see. 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.
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.