Media Series Part 1: Audio

Posted February 13, 2008 By Janis Gonser |

I consider myself a music lover. During my record period, I purchased over 150 records and during the following CD period, I doubled that number of purchases to over 300. About a year ago, I decided that it was finally time for me to make another switch and distance myself from my CDs and any future CD purchases. The major reason for this decision came from my general ambition to unclutter and simplify my life. Part of the goal was to combine all the necessary hardware for my entertaining needs into the smallest number of items possible, e.g. I would use a surround system to listen to music and watch TV. Besides, I would save living space and backaches during any potential moves and finally have all my music with me while on the road.

The last time I switched media was in the early nineties when I gave up my beloved records and moved on to CDs. That switch took more than a year to get into full swing, and my love for records is still much stronger than it is for CDs. Surprisingly, this time it only took me one purchase to move away from my CDs and onto the new world of digital files. Now I’d like to share my experience and what I learned; hopefully it will help you if you ever decide to make the switch.

Choosing the Right Hard- and Software

Without all the technical talk regarding operating systems, hardware, etc., it came down to this: I have more trust in Apple products. Apple’s focus on user-centered design made me want to buy an iPod, and to put all the cards on the table, Apple products are the sleekest looking ones on the market. I have been using a Windows-operated laptop for the last two years, and combining the Apple hard- and software with it was not a problem at all, so there is no need to convert your living room into an Apple store.

During a visit to the Webmaster Jam Session last year, Jared Spool, a leading usability expert, was comparing several digital audio devices in regard to their technical capabilities and sound quality. The iPod came up second in this category, but, as Spool demonstrated, the success of this product is not so much due to the hardware itself but its application, iTunes. I wanted a place where I could buy, manage and burn my music and videos, as well as download webcasts. iTunes does it all, and on top of that, it does it in a very smooth way.

So, the decision was made and I went ahead and bought myself an iPod, but it took about another two weeks before I even started the device up. First, I needed to get all my music into iTunes, which I describe in my next milestone.

Converting Your Music

There are several settings in iTunes you might want to consider changing before you even start importing your music. The ones I found most important are:

File Format

When importing your music, iTunes converts your files into the default Apple file format .m4p*. Most music players play .mp3 formats and can’t play the .m4p format, so change the import function to .mp3.

  1. Click on Edit > Preferences > Advanced > Importing
  2. Under the Importing tab change the drop down option Import Using to .mp3 Encode

File Location

If you have a preference where to store your converted files, you can do this in the advanced settings as well.  

  1. Click on Edit > Preferences > Advanced > General
  2. Under the General tab specify the iTunes folder location

After you customize the default settings, you can begin importing, which is actually a very straightforward process (albeit time consuming for over 300 CDs!):

  1. Start up iTunes
  2. Insert your CD
  3. Say “Yes” when iTunes asks you if you wish to import the CD

iTunes will search its database for any relevant information and attach the album artwork as well if available. If the info is not available you can manually add it after the import is completed.

After two weeks of importing my CDs I finally stored them away in the attic, where my daughter will discover them far in the future. (“Dad, who is 2-Live Crew?”) I started up my iPod, connected it to my laptop, and synchronized all my files. Voila, that was easy.

Feeding Your Music Hunger: Where to Purchase Now

Since I chose an iPod and the corresponding software iTunes, my main buying source is the iTunes store, although that doesn’t mean that I can’t purchase anywhere else. The only difficulty that comes up is importing the “outsiders” into iTunes. In some cases, the inconsistent file names and information that comes with the file (meta-data) can cause iTunes not to recognize the file. This information can be manually changed later on, but it can become very time-consuming when handling large quantities.

One of the major drawbacks I found with buying through the iTunes store is that the files come in the Apple-only format .m4p*. I do have an additional music player and getting the files into the desired .mp3 format becomes cumbersome. You can burn the music onto a CD and than import the CD back into iTunes, which then converts the files to .mp3. Another option is to purchase a program for a small fee (starting at $10) and convert the files without the burning-to-CD step. I have not used any of the programs; therefore I can’t make a recommendation except to point you to download.com as a reliable resource for legitimate software.

How Did It Go?

Looking back, the switch went smoothly, and I am satisfied with my decision mainly due to the ease of use, the convenience of having all my music in one little device, and not having any more CDs cluttering up my living room. I have also taken my iPod onto several trips, which is great since I don’t have to worry about which CDs to take with me and which ones to leave behind.

I don’t like the tie-down to Apple products based upon the .m4p Apple only file format, but I don’t mind a little arm twisting to purchase more Apple products.

So, the next step is to aim at my slightly smaller DVD collection and tie this all into my simplified life.

* For clarification, see post by Scott Spinola.

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Janis Gonser is TradeMark Media's user experience director. He handles site architecture and oversees the design process.

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4 Responses to “Media Series Part 1: Audio”

  1. Posted February 18th, 2008 at 10:53 am , by Scott Spinola

    Ah, the nostalgic days of having 150 records and 300 CDs. I guess everything is relative, but I chuckled when I saw those numbers.

    With a music collection numbering over 600 LPs and 1100 CDs (numbers I am quite certain many out there can top) the process of fully digitizing my collection has taken me many months so far and I’m still only about 80% finished with my CDs. I still plan to purchase CDs for the foreseeable future, at least until the quality of digital downloads improves to true CD quality, but I also dabble in digital purchases now and again, usually as single track impulse buys.

    I would love to know your experiences if you ever decide to tackle digitizing your LPs. I know that many of my most cherished records were never published on CD so the need to digitize them from vinyl is critical.

    Thanks for sharing your digital music experiences!

  2. Posted February 18th, 2008 at 1:33 pm , by Janis Gonser

    Hello Scott,
    Considering your numbers, 150 and 300 does sound nostalgic. I am glad that I started now and not later.
    In regards of the LP conversion, Sarah and I are actually looking into buying some hardware that does the mp3 conversion as painless as possible. Here are the two devices we are considering.

    - Ion USB Turntable
    - InstantMusic Vinyl & Cassette Ripper

    I think the InstantMusic Vinyl & Cassette Ripper might be the better choice since it’s not tight down to just records.
    I will post a comment after giving it a try.

    -Janis

  3. Posted February 18th, 2008 at 2:55 pm , by Scott Spinola

    Thanks for the tip! I’ll have to check those out when I get around to ripping my vinyl (right after I buy a turntable!).

    Also, I just noticed a common misconception you included in your original article. The AAC audio format used in the iTunes store is not an “Apple only” format, it is the DRM applied to the purchased files that makes iTunes purchases Apple-only. Perhaps that is what you meant. AAC is a standard MPEG format just like mp3 and any company can use it. You can rip your CDs to AAC and move them to any other device that accepts the format, which, granted, is not too many. I believe Sony Playstation, Nintendo Wii, and Microsoft Zune use it to name a few.

  4. Posted February 18th, 2008 at 3:41 pm , by Janis Gonser

    Scott,
    Thanks for pointing this out.

    Here is the Wiki reference on AAC for further clarification
    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Advanced_Audio_Coding
    and a brief description of the .m4p file extension on fileinfo.net
    http://www.fileinfo.net/extension/m4p, which I was referring to as the Apple-only file format.

    -Janis

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