HELP Stupid question about how to transfer music files

[Saladsamurai]

So here is what I want to do:

I have an Ipod synched to the Itunes Library on my PC
I wish to synch it with my Macbook.

To do this I need to erase it and replace its contents with the contents of my Macbook's Itunes Library.

There is nothing in my Itunes Library so I wish to move all of my music from my PC to my Macbook.

What is the most efficient way to do this?

I think I can save all of my music (roughly 3000 songs) to a few CDs IF I save them as "data" and not as music. But I have no idea how to do this.

Also, if I were to save it as "data" from my PC, would my MAC be able to read it?

Any ideas are appreciated as I would hate to do this the "old-fashioned way". . . not that I know what that means.

Thanks,
Casey

 

[binzing]

I think it should do all that automatically when you connect it to the macbook, macs are pretty good about that sort of thing, and on those grounds I give them major thumbs-up.

 

[Saladsamurai]

I think it should do all that automatically when you connect it to the macbook, macs are pretty good about that sort of thing, and on those grounds I give them major thumbs-up.

No. I need to move all of my music from my PC to my Macbook WITHOUT the aid of my Ipod.

Thanks for the reply though!

 

[binzing]

Oh, I didn't see the PC part, hmmmm. Could you try sending the music through a network between the two. I mean if there isn't one, make one just between the two comps via LAN using a crossover cable. Then you can send it(might work), it will likely take quite a while but its easier than burning and ripping, plus quality stays the same.

 

[Saladsamurai]

Does anyone know how I can save my music to cds in a format that doesn't take up as much space as mp3 so I can transfer this stuff?

 

[scorpa]

Why do you have to do it without your Ipod? Your Ipod is essentially a big memory stick. Why can't you go and save your music from your PC onto your Ipod's drive, connect it to your computer, open up your Ipod icon and then transfer that music onto a folder on your mac? Thats how I always do it.

 

[Saladsamurai]

I would love it if some could answer my OP.

But, to answer the question: When I plug my IPOD into the new MAC, it says "the ipod is synched to another itunes library"...blah blah blah...you can only be synched to one library...do you want to erase the ipod and replace its contents with the contents of this itunes library"...

 

[Doc Al]

Does anyone know how I can save my music to cds in a format that doesn't take up as much space as mp3 so I can transfer this stuff?

MP3 is already a compressed audio format. So you want another format that is even more compressed?

 

[Moonbear]

The only way I've ever found to copy the music from one computer to another, even with Macs, is "the old-fashioned way" of copying the actual files from the computer over to the other with a memory stick or some such. You can't do it within iTunes, but rather need to find where the mp3 files are being stored on your computer and copy over all those.

If the music you have on your computer is downloaded from online sources, and not something you've uploaded off a CD, then you would want to get into the habit of backing up to CDs anyway...you wouldn't want to lose all that music if you had a hard drive die.

 

[Saladsamurai]

MP3 is already a compressed audio format. So you want another format that is even more compressed?

Yes. A year ago, my PC got sick, so I had a friend wipe the hard drive for me. Before he did so, he saved all of the important stuff. He saved ALL 2500 songs on THREE CDs. All I want know, is how he did that? Obviously he did not save it as a normal audio CD, otherwise you can only save 10-20 songs max per CD.

Any ideas?

 

[Doc Al]

As Moonbear said, copy the files directly as MP3s.

 

[Moonbear]

Yes. A year ago, my PC got sick, so I had a friend wipe the hard drive for me. Before he did so, he saved all of the important stuff. He saved ALL 2500 songs on THREE CDs. All I want know, is how he did that? Obviously he did not save it as a normal audio CD, otherwise you can only save 10-20 songs max per CD.

Any ideas?

Yeah, he just saved the MP3 files. The format music is stored on CDs as audio files is less compressed than an MP3. Find the folder your MP3 files are in, and copy that just like any other folder. Don't use the burn music to disk feature in iTunes, or you'll get large files, not MP3 files on the CD.

 

[binzing]

Try looking up a syncing program on the internet, there has to be one that'll work. Oh, and your friend prolly saved them on a DVD, check to see if your PC and burn DVDs, if so, get ome DVD-R/RW and burn your music to them, youll still prolly need 5 or more, seeing as your average DVD-R holds about 4.5 GB. Good luck

 

[Mk]

As opposed to "the old fashioned way" of burning DVDs, using multiple runs with a flash drive, or something else, here's some alternative ways that I would do it:

If your PC has a firewire port, hook up a firewire to firewire cord, boot the Macbook in Disk mode by going System Preferences>Startup Disk>Target Disk Mode..., then just drag the files over onto the Mac, and then import them into iTunes after restarting.

If you have a good internet connection, you can upload all your music to the internet, say, drop.io and then download it onto your Mac.

If you can fit all the songs you need on your iPod, just get a utility like http://www.thelittleappfactory.com/application.php?app=iPodRip .

I've used all three ways before.